Today is the one year anniversary of igardendaily! A year of ‘garden speak’ (in the Blogosphere) has happened right before my eyes! And what a fun year it’s been…pursuing writing for the first time ever, getting creative with a camera and sharing thoughts and moments with fellow gardeners around the world.
Also a year of exploration, discovery and reward. I’ve explored new growing methods and improved my practices by attending garden classes and discovering local experts. I’ve become interested in entirely new species of plants by reading other garden blogs and learning from their experiences, both good and bad.
And I’ve been rewarded with your comments. It has been a thrill to read each comment and develop a sort of ‘garden fellowship’ with all of you. Many thanks…
To celebrate my one year BLOGAVERSARY I’m hosting a raffle to win a $30 gift certificate to the FABULOUS Joy Creek Nursery located in Scappoose, Oregon.
I’ve teamed with Joy Creek nursery for this special giveaway because it is one of the best mail-order nurseries I have ever purchased from. The Joy Creek retail nursery (Scappoose) is well-stocked and beautiful BUT my real testimony to Joy Creek is due to their mail-order service. I’ve purchased plants from Joy Creek while living in Oregon, Pennsylvania, California and Idaho and have always been extremely happy with the quality and healthiness of the plants upon arrival and once growing in the garden.
There are several ways you can enter the igardendaily giveaway (U.S. residents only, so sorry). For each one of these activities you will get your name or email address added to the drawing. If you choose to do two of these activities you’ll get two separate entries in the drawing and so on… More is merrier, at least in terms of winning a chance to pick out some fab new plants for free! Here’s how to enter:
-Become a subscriber to igardendaily
– Become a Facebook Fan of igardendaily
– SHARE a post from the igardendaily FB page with your FB friends
– Leave a comment (including easily recognized identity) at the end of this post about what gardening means to you. Anything from why you do it, to what you want to learn more about, to your projects or challenges for this growing season. You know, just some good ‘garden speak’.
Join me in celebrating another year of gardening (and the arrival of Spring) and enter to win! Raffle is open between Mar. 21 and midnight, April 1. Drawing will be held on April 2 and winner announced April 3rd.
Joy Creek Nursery offers an amazingly large selection of perennials and flowering shrubs. Another speciality is Clematis so even those of you with small spaces that may need to grow vertically can join the fun! Look for more information on Joy Creek Nursery in an upcoming post.
Additional notes from a year of garden blogging:
My favorite post: “How Do You Like Them Apples!”
Your favorite posts: “Friday Favorite: An Inspirational Garden in the Rugged Owyhee Mountains“, “Apple Espalier Makes The Day!”
My Favorite guest blogger and post: Karen, San Francisco garden gal, “Tribute Gardens Connect Us With ‘Loved Ones”
New Discoveries: I’ve discovered these specimens over the year and will be including in my garden this year.
Ruellia brittoniana ‘Purple Showers’ (common name Mexican petunia) Thanks Christine @ The Gardening Blog!
Mina lobata, Ipomoea lobata (common name Spanish Flag) I spotted this growing in Leon, France.
Clarkia rubicunda ‘Shamini’ Thanks Scott @ Rhone Street Gardens!
Fellow garden blogs: I’ve updated the BLOG SWAP section to show some of the garden blogs I’ve enjoyed throughout this year. Discover and enjoy…
Family: Thank you to my loving family for always being supportive, especially when I’ve asked them to get involved with an idea for a post!
igardendaily 
Andrea it has been a pleasure getting to know you through your wonderful blog this year…and what a great year too!! I enjoy getting my email and FB updates of your blog (Hint, hint I am signed up to both)…and I will be sure to share your page…OK I want that gift cert can you tell…I love Joy Creek…all kidding aside, Happy Anniversary and many more!!!
I love your blog Andrea and I especially loved the one with your mom’s garden as that is where I grew up and the area I lived in until 18 years ago. My mom gardened and it seemed to be her refuge from 9 kids (imagine that ) but she mostly did vegetables and she did that well. When I started gardening when we moved here, it was flowers that I was interested in. After making the adjustment from justifying spending money to raise beauty instead of food, I have had a wonderful time. Mary
Happy blog birthday! What gardening means to me….well, everything! And projects, wow where to start…still working on the Bishops Weed removal and now tearing out a huge Rhody and planting up that area….a garden is never finished!
Congrats on your 1st Bloggiversary, they do go by fast. And the first year is a real accomplishment.
About the container gardening…did you check back a few posts on my blog, the one that says: my new garden will have big shoes to fill, LOL.
Yes, I’ve had a few containers, at one time over 250 of them crammed into my former patio garden.
Nice to meet you.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Congratulations on your first anniversary. Gardening has so many beautiful rewards just as you blog does, I’m sure.
Congratulations! I’m looking forward into digging into your blog as spring starts here in MN! 🙂 Nicole
Congrats on your first year Andrea! Its been fun getting to know you and your garden these last few months. Its amazing to me how far apart we are in the world, and yet we love and grow a lot of the same plants.
Here’s to another year of gardening and blogging
Cheers
xx
My mother, Betty Ann, was a natural-born gardener. She just had the knack, and her love for the soil and all things that sprang from it resulted in a beautiful garden and many, many trips together to wonderful gardens and nurseries across the West. She was a smarty-pants, with a great mind, and knew all the Latin names and growing characteristics of plants — a trait that she passed to my sister, Janet, who has been gardening in Australia for 30 years! I missed out on that part, but I do so love to dig in the dirt and to create art in the garden. Even though my mom left to garden with the angels five years ago, she is right beside me whenever I plop down to dig or just wander around outside! Here’s to Springtime with BettyAnn: “what flowers; what ferns; what fun!”
xxoo Margaret from Vashon
This is my first time here. Nice blog. Happy blogiversary. Here’s to many more.
Congratuations on your first year of blogging and may you have many more in the future. I don’t think that cupcake would have lasted long in our house LOL
A whole year and I just found you. Oh, well…more fun ahead. Joy Creek is just down the road a piece from us. Maybe I’ve seen you there.
Congrats on the One Year Anniversary!!!!! I do hope you post on your Annies’ experience!
I feel so honored to be on your blog swap!
I love to garden. It constantly amazes me that God allows us to join Him in creating such beauty.
I’m going to have to scale back my planting this year. We’ll be out of town for much of April and June (something to do with another, very special creation project our daughter and son-in-law are working on!), so I’m glad I can garden vicariously through your posts!
Happy Blogaversary! I always enjoy seeing what’s happening in your garden, especially since I have a sister that lives in your area.
What gardening means to me is a way to share my love of nature and flowers with my family and friends. It’s also cheap therapy, nothing feels better than a day in the garden.
(and I’m already a FB fan)
Just saw your link to Fine Gardening. Wish I would’ve tried espaliering my apple tree when I planted it. Love the look!