The Versatile Blogger

Sometimes it is truly nice to appreciate and thank the bloggers who continuously write and support (in this case gardening). This is a place where total strangers become good cyber friends - who advice and support each other in giving tips and garden applications.
And I think this would be the nice appropriate time to do so - using this award.



Thanks Stephanie from Steph's Green Space for this lovely award. It had been ages since I received one.


Here are the rules upon accepting The Versatile Blogger award:


a) Thank the person who gave you  the award.
b) Include a link to their blog. (click on the name of the blog)
c) Select  15 bloggers that you follow or have just discovered who you would  consider fit the bill   of a 'versatile' blogger. (personally - I think any number will do - depending on your situation)
d) Tell  7 random facts about yourself.
e) Include  this set of rules in your post.
f) Inform  each of your nominated bloggers of their nomination.


I'm sure you would be thinking: Versatile? Who? Me?
Yeah... that's what was running on my mind.
Anyway, I check some definition from Google and found some interesting stuff:


Versatile as:
1) Capable of or adapted for turning easily from one to another of various tasks, field of endeavor.
2) Having or capable of many uses.


In no special order, the 17 blogs that I would like nominate for the award are:
I'm not sure whether you can double award a person - regardless I still find that each of them are special & versatile in their own garden styles and taste:


1) Autumn Belle from My Nice Garden.
She is so rich with her passion with flowers and plants. 
She also blogs in My Garden Directory, 
Klang - Malaysia Daily Photo & 
My nice flowers
(Wow! that's Versatile)


2) Andrea from Andrea in this Lifetime. She is passionate about plants, nature & wild life. She also blogs in Pure Oxygen Generators with a pen-name Kalantikan


3) Stiletto
The way she puts nature and plants together in a harmony and the perception of how everything balance in their order. As she puts it: A Tranquil Niche for Reflection.


4) Aaron from Aaron's Gardening Blog.
I believe he is the youngest enthuasiatic gardener I had ever come across who is able to juggle all the school life pressure together with everything life got to offer and still manage gardening.  
He loves  video games, animate, makes models & also enjoys papercrafts.


5) Evelyn (Gone Tropical) from Blogging in Myrtle Glen
Whenever I see her Garden - it amaze me how Central Florida can be so similar to my region.
Most of the common plants there are also common in my garden and region but we are exactly world's apart. 


6) Noel from A Plant Fanatic in Hawaii.
He writes about the Life & Times of all beautiful, colourful things that takes place in his place. And always beautiful to see through his eyes & perception even to the smallest details when it comes to flowers & plants.


7) Ami from Southeast Florida Garden Evolvement
This is another favourite Florida blog concerning Garden. There is something new in her garden.


8) Africanaussie.
I was really not sure where to comment in her blog and end-up commenting in Explore the Tropics.
I didn't realise that she was very active in Africanassie (title of her blog) and that she got a very beautiful garden with colourful plants. This award truly declares her as a Versatile blogger.


She also blogs in:
 Africanaussie's Favourite recipes
Explore the Tropics
Africanaussie crafts
Putting pen to paper


9) Grace from Gardening with Grace.
A very nice open concept of ornamental garden plants where each plant is beautifully placed in their own specific spot. And they all blend harmoniously with the burst of colours that refreshes your spirit. She also blogs in Subplots by Grace.


10) Anandhirajan from Anandhirajans art n craft
Now she is truly a Versatile blogger - she shares all her work on Murals, Jewellery making, Paintings, Pencil Shading, E-cards & Garden Ideas.
There is a lot of experiments and works that she does here that truly can expand anyone's creativity.


11) Kebun Malay-Kadazan girls.
A Malaysian Gardener in Australia. I enjoy seeing her versatility in able to juggle so many things - keeping up with the family, gardening, cooking and harvesting vegetables. Now that is a lot to consider to handle in one day.
She also blogs in Kebun Bahagia Bersama.


12) Rosie from Leavesnbloom
I enjoy how she writes and relates all the season of time with her garden. 
Every season have its beautiful rare moments which I never seen. How nature handles versatility in bringing about it daily struggle and the beauty of it is so well defined in her blog.


13) Wendy from Greenish Thumb
An excellent writer who is able to transparently relate all the life issues and putting gardening together in that equation. And the amazing part of how she cooks with the yield that comes from her garden, the wonderful simple & easy recipes, Garden stories with family and friends that truly warms the heart.
Another rare versatile blogger.


14) Sue from A Corner Garden
One thing I admire is that she always take the trouble to keep up with the ever-changing seasons in her garden. And I truly admire her ability to put the right plants in the right location with the sequence of the seasonable blooming. I'm very sure I won't be able to manage that kind of disciple. Being Versatile in the keeping the best of gardening in every season is really hard work.


15) Alistair from Aberden Gardening from Bonnie Scotland
The colours from his garden is so timeless that it would captivate you to enjoy the stillness and the beauty that comes from his garden. He really takes his time to ensure that nothing is missed out. And I'm enjoying his work a lot.


16) Makarimi from Orchids de Dangau
An orchid expert who is very well versed with orchids & participates many orchid exhibitions. 
He also have a peacock and poultry farm which he also blogs there.


17) Orchids from Antonio.
You will marvel to notice the excellent in the details he put in exhibiting the different species of the orchids. This is art and science together.
(You may have to click - Translate page to read his blog)


Seven random facts about myself:


1) I'm currently pursuing a degree in Practical Theology. Both my wife and I are doing it together and so there is a lot of support and help comes when we are studying together.


2) Love to inspire, encourage and support others. 
Sometimes I do too much and it might end up appearing to be nagging or being pushy.


3) Hate to see plants die - I end up rescuing them.
(Most of the time - I check if they are infected with virus or pest - don't want to jeopardise my current garden plants accidentally)


4) I enjoy singing - it just lifts up the spirit and the soul.
  (Don't know whether others enjoy listening to me or not - Guess that is another matter)


5) Love to sit back, relax, enjoy every moment of time in the garden. Not so much of an outdoor person or adventure.


6) I like everything to be neat and tidy.
Currently I have my children who loves to mess things up and so that ideal lifestyle of perfection is just a big challenge to keep the house in order daily.


7) I started to realise that I'm an Empath.
Earlier I thought that it was empathy & that it was just some sort of a skill or something.
Then I realise after reading few bloggers who dedicate themselves in explaining very well about Empath - that was truly an enlightening moment to realise why my emotion and senses seemed to be heighten and amplified in great proportion.
It might seemed that its a lot of exaggeration here - but I guess most gardeners are - especially when they are in touch with nature and plants - something magical happens to them.
Empathic Perspective

Finally, 
I'm very sure that a lot more people do deserve this award.
Please let me know if you would like it as I'm glad to send this award to you.


And yes - a lot of us are pressed for time and all.
(Putting up this list also takes a lot of time - so.. I understand if you are unable to adhere this rules and all - it is not compulsory  that you need to accept this nomination like what I did)


And I think 15 bloggers is really too much to handle for some (unless you got few dozen in your daily listing) I'm sure you can send just a few which you think that might make a difference. In any case - I leave it to you to make the decision.


I guess there are a lot of blogs to check here. Do take your time and enjoy reading a whole lot of treasures here.
Have a great weekend.

Something about Roses & Awards

I would like to thank Pravesh, Noelle & Autumn Belle for passing this Award to me. I really appreciate the thoughtfulness and the kindness in considering me in the list. Sorry for the delay in putting it here, I have been very busy and unable to blog these few days.
(do click on their names for their wonderful blogs)

Now what are the rules... Hmmm...
Ok, I guess this award is going to sit here for the moment.
Not that none of other blogs are not the best or my favourite, but I just felt that many who I want to pass this to had already receive it and those who haven't are either not interested or not comfortable with the idea of "awards"

I would say, all of the garden blogs are special on their own way, in the effort gardeners take the trouble to put it the information, pictures and time into it. I for one would consider time well spend in my garden than sitting surfing the blog, but I guess blogging & gardening go hand in hand.

These are what I consider what makes a nice blog a best blog - something which I feel in my own personal way & have no intention to hurt anyone.

1) LANGUAGE
It all depends what you sow...
Do you sow thorns & thistle?
Do you like weed growing in your garden?

So are words, I often refrain from those who are arrogant and prideful.
When I'm very sure (like 100% sure) about my facts - I often suggest it in way like using words like "I'm guessing" or "Maybe" in my comments. Some bloggers do not like when I mention that they may be mistaken and the whole thing becomes ugly.

When a gardener do accept and acknowledges that you're comment are true - you will feel that the flower that they have planted in their garden had bloom in your garden.
That what a comment does - connection.

But my point here is this, you will know what type of gardener the person is by the way the person speaks. It don't have to be all "rosy & dovely" - as long as its truth and not overly exaggerated undeserving compliment, its fine.
I'm sure you would feel its a bit too much when a praise is given more than its due. You will know that is actually a lie.

2) COURTESY

What do you do when you visit someone's private garden?
Its a condition where you are given a free right to see all that is shown, all that had been shared concerning the energy and effort put in the garden.
What is requested is to let the gardener just know - How you feel about his/her garden?
This you can see what a gardener/blogger mention when commenting in their comment box.

So, in return to the courtesy, one gardener would say,
"Hey, I got that plant,
I thought about this plant,
what do you when you got this plant,
nice plant or
my plant died becoz..."

Its also the same courtesy received and honoured by visiting the commentor's garden and say,
"Hey, you got a nice garden,
I know that plant,
ohh.. its snowing in your place already?"

Its nice to leave more than just one comment in the visitor's blog. I for one, try to relate as possible in the visitor's blog. Sometimes, the post are just too difficult to relate to, then just write what you can relate to the next older post.

I have seen some bloggers have about 30 - 50 comments and really wonder how they manage to read and visit each one of them. I guess there is a strategy involved when it comes to comments.
I for sure would consider a best policy to visit the commentor's blogs and thank them for visiting & commenting in my garden.
Then later, go back to the blog and see if the author had re-commented on your comment.
That would be nice, to hear the visitor acknowledge your visit and the cycle goes continues.

Again, this is an issue of availability of time spend in blogging. Sometimes you have the time, sometimes you just don't. You can and may able to handle 10 - 15 blogs, I myself still find it hard to manage my own blog, left alone keeping-up with other gardener's garden stories & commenting on it may be quite a challenge.

And again, with the availability of that time - you wonder whether do you want to spend it in blogging or water the garden?

At the end of the day, its the Garden that you tend that matters.
The result of that is what one post in the blog. It becomes a two way thing, creating a support factor, connecting to all other gardeners around the world.

Better to 10 best gardener friends who really support you than 100 strangers who have no clue about your garden and the personality behind it.


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Finally...
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3) APPRECIATION
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A simple thank you goes a very long way, actually for many seasons.
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I would like to thank all my gardener friends who have continually had supported me in my garden works, encouraged me and often times gave good advices when comes to certain issue on garden.

Thank you for reading and helping me to improve & that I'm constantly learning new things about garden and all from all your blogs.


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Please note that I will be on a long holiday by next week and may not able to comment much or visit your garden, please do excuse me for my absence.
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Have a Wonderful Christmas & a Blessed New Year!
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I know its a bit to early for that, but I'm guessing my time is so limited that I may not able to send that greeting by then and its all too late and all forgotten.