Why we blog...or plant seeds

Words are a lot like seeds from flowers, grasses or trees. They get cast out onto the winds, or in this case, the Web, and we never know where they will end up or how they will fare. Some may tumble onto fallow ground, in which case they fail to germinate. Others land on fertile, prepared land, where they may flourish and bloom. Of course, not every word or every seed planted will prove to be a stunning rose. Some may be weeds. But that's one of the reasons that I connect gardening to writing, and writing to gardening. Both are facets of who I am, not something I just do. And while not every sentence I write is a rose of perfection, hopefully there aren't too many weeds.

so I'm starting this blog for several reasons. One, to share thoughts about the gardening and natural world around me, and to perhaps extend conversations that get started in some of my writing features and columns. Because if there is one thing I learned very early on about gardeners, they are among the most thoughtful and generous people in the world. We swap seeds, plants, cuttings, information, suggestions, support. I get paid to write about gardening, it's true. But I receive so much from other people's knowledge, enthusiasm, and skills, that this seems a small way of saying thank you to fellow gardeners, whether backyard enthusiasts like myself or professional landscapers, nursery operators, and plant enthusiasts.