"Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. " ~Lindley Karstens

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

One Year Blogversary and A Rain Splashed Garden

The 14th day of this month was my one year blogversary day.  I started a post draft a few days before that day.  The day came and went, and I did not get time to finish the post for the day.  Actually, struggling to find the time has always been the common theme in my one year experience with the blogging.  With only 79 posts to the day, obviously I am not a prolific writer, but how glad I am that I made it to my one year blogversary!

We had a good day of rain several days ago, which was much needed in my area.  I would like to present you some foliage and blooms in my rain splashed garden along with my one year blogversary rambling. 
Delicious Cordyline fruticosa 'Kiwi'
Hawaiian Ti is showing its bright pink new leaves of the season

As lots of my readers might have known,  English is my second language.  I know most of my blog friends can  flow their thoughts naturally through their flying fingers without the need to think about the grammar, spelling or the organization of the sentence.  For me, I need to look up the dictionary to make sure I am not saying something I didn't mean to. Not to mention the grammar, spelling or a common English saying. Although I tried to check as much as I can before I click the "Publish" button, I am sure there still have been lots of mistakes in my writing. Thanks to all my forgiving readers for the encouragement you have given me over the past year by reading my blog and leaving the comments!  I still could not believe my blog got nearly 7900 visitors from all over the world, and more than 21600 hits within one year.


Christmas Cacti
Together with the writing, it is also a year that I learned to take pictures of plants. I use a Cannon EOS Digital Rebel XTi as my viewfinder. I have to admit that I still have not read the manual yet. All of my knowledge about this camera are from my husband, who is the real owner of this camera since it was gifted to him several years ago. I really need to take some time to read the manual since I believe there are still something about this camera I am not fully taking advantage of. 


Snapdragons  (saved from the distressed rack in the big box store)
I never took so many pictures in a year, and 98% of them don't have people in it.  Thanks for the invention of the digital camera.  It made it possible for an amateur like me to choose a presentable picture out of numerous blurring, not well-exposed, or unbalanced pictures for my posts.  My family is now used to seeing me rushing out in the morning before work to capture some flowers in the soft morning sun.  Sometimes, I wonder what my neighbors think about me when they saw me in my apron taking pictures in the front garden during the late afternoon time. That was when I had dinner cooking on the oven, and wanted to take some pictures before sunset, and forgot I am still wearing apron!






Various bromeliads, one of my favorite collection in the garden!
Of course, the main driving factor for me to start this blog is to record my garden progress I started around the time we bought our house about one and half year ago.  It helped me to record my gardening lessons and fun as a beginning gardener. So many of you have endured my whining since very beginning, and shared the excitement and joy with me every time a new bloom was unfurled, a new plant was acquired and a new garden bed was opened. Thanks for all the tips and plant identification help you have given me along the way.  I guess many of you are now used to seeing me asking the questions in my post!

Loving this swan container full of double impatiens blooms!

Lemon Lime Warneckii is now blooming


Angelonia angustifolia
 Now one year has passed, and I definitely want to continue my blogging fun.  Please bear with me when I could not post frequently, response to all the comments you have left, or visit your blog and leave the comment as much as I would like.  I do enjoying reading every single comment you have spent time to write.   I felt I have made so many friends in this blogging world, and learned so much from all of you.   I deeply appreciate the help you have provided to me in various ways, and I know I am growing up both as a blogger and a gardener because of all of you precious readers and fellow gardeners.  Thanks for the continous support!

To end this post, I need to ask "the question of the post" :)  Could anybody identify the cultivar of the hibiscus I have in my header picture?  I got two cuttings over one year ago, and now they are both blooming.  One has been identified by Floridagirl at "Peace in the Valley" as "Jane Cowell", and the one in the header picture is still unknown.  Thanks!

21 comments:

  1. Happy blogaversary Ami! I have really enjoying reading each and every one of your posts, as we have both been building our gardens at the same time. I do admire you writing in a second language, and believe me you write very well! We are having a little too much rain at the moment, some sunshine would bring a bit of color!

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  2. Ami congrats on your blog and your persistance. I enjoy your writting and get lots of proper plant names from your pictures. Keep up the good work as there are not that many South Florida bloggers and we depend on you.

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  3. I haven't been a follower of yours for very long, I had no clue that english was your second language. You write very well. Your blooms are gorgeous! Don't feel like you are the only one the neighbor's talk about. I sometimes run out in my robe and slippers first thing in the morning to check on a plant that kept me awake most of the night. Congrats on your 1 year! Look forward to reading more. I am in Tallahasse and I'm waiting on some warmer wether.

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  4. Congratulations on one year, Ami! I feel like our blogs have grown and blossomed together over this past year. It's been a fun one, huh? I imagine it would be quite a challenge to write in a second language, but just think of all the practice it gives you. Beautiful photos today...love that brom collection! Your pink hibiscus might be 'Double Pink' which is another cultivar I have. I know the name does not sound original, but I understood that to be the actual name when I acquired mine.

    P.S. Hang in there. Life gets easier when the kids get older, but then you wish they were little again.

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  5. africanaussie: Thanks for the encouragement about my writing :) I am glad that you were not impacted by the flooding issue over there. Hope you can soon get a little more sunshine!

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  6. sanddune: I also noticed that there isn't much South Florida bloggers out there. You and me are basically in the same area. Glad that I can contribute some plant names, which I also often struggled to get :)

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  7. Darla: Your blog is on my blog roll list, and I often read your posts even I might not comment every tome. Love you blog, and we share lots of common plants, but some you grow I might not be able to since my area is considerably much warmer than yours. These recent days are very warm south here, 85F yesterday, can you believe it?

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  8. FG: Like you said in your response to my comment of your one year anniversary post, you, NanaK and I are basically tripplets when coming to blogging :) Yes, it has been a fun year! I often think if I didn't start blogging one year ago, my garden might not progress as fast as it has. All the communication occurred in the blog world, and among the gardeners inspired me a lot to get more and more plants into the garden.

    Thanks (AGAIN) to identify the pink hibiscus for me! I checked the picture of "double pink" over the internet, and it does look very similar to mine. Thanks!!!

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  9. Happy Blogaversary! You made me go look to see when I started blogging. I still have to wait until the 28th of this month. But now, I have an idea for a post! Thanks.

    I can't imagine better photos if you read the manual. You already take such beautiful ones.

    You have quite a nice collection of bromeliads lending their color to your garden. I've never seen the bloom on the Lemon Lime Warneckii, maybe because mine gets killed to the ground every winter. I've enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to your second year of gardening and blogging all about it.

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  10. Congrats Ami on your 1 year anniversary. I have enjoyed watching your garden evolve, and must say that you've done a spectacular job. You have added so many pretty plants. I wish I could help you out with the I.D. on your hibiscus...but it is a real beauty, as are all the pretty pink flowers and your broms. Your plants look lush after the much needed rain.

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  11. Congratulations on one year!!!!
    I have no problem with your English.You are doing great!And you photography skills are excellent,as are your gardening skills.
    Keep the blog posts coming!

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  12. Congratulations, Ami! I love your blog, your photos, and your garden! Your rain splashed blooms and foliage are lovely...broms are looking very healthy and happy. BTW, your English is better than many Americans...no worries! :D

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  13. NanaK: Looking forward to your anniversary post! no pressure though:) The past one year has been a fun year. Glad to have some fellow Floridian gardener started the blog the same time as me. We have seen each other growing together in the blogging world :)

    I even did not know Lemon Lime Warneckii blooms until I saw it. Not sure what will happen to it after the flowering. The bloom is actually not very impressive, and I love the foliage more.

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  14. Susan: Thanks! There have been lots of excitement in the past year when I built my garden one area at a time. Thanks for the inspiration you have given me even way before I started blogging!

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  15. Chris: Thanks! It was your blog title caught my eyes at the beginning. It reminds me of Chinese Great Wall :) I have been enjoying reading your posts for a while. Glad to know more and more Floridian gardeners, and see how so many common plants performed similarly or differently in our area.

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  16. Kimberly: Glad to see you are coming back to blogging. Missed your humerous posts! Glad you loved my photos, plants and garden :)

    Thanks for the comment about my English! I take it as encouragement :) I envy people who can have proper quotes for every post, and the fancy words they put in their writing. I know I might never be able to achieve that!

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  17. Congratulation for your One year Blogversart Ami.

    I really enjoy looking at your garden and often secretly wished I had some of your plants (lol)
    escpecially your bromeliads!!
    hahahaa...

    Do enjoy every moment in your garden, Im pretty sure you really love to spend all of your time tending them.

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  18. James: Thanks! If you live close to me, I would be happy to share some cuttings of those plants that you love to have :)

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  19. Congrats!! I think your English is just perfect. :) Knowing that you look up words and compose everything so carefully makes me appreciate everything you say even more.

    I always enjoy your photos of your absolutely beautiful garden as well as your posts on family and trips.

    Funny that 98% of your photos don't include people. I'm getting to that point too. :)

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  20. Wendy: Thanks! Isn't the digital camera wonderful? If we were still in those old film-developing days, I don't think I will shoot that many pictures :)

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  21. Ami, Happy Blogversary! I am glad to know you via Blotanical. Your flowers are growing well and they are lovely. I think your English is very good, in fact better than many adult Malaysians here. Here's wishing you another year of fun and adventure year of blogging!

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