What is a Gardening Blog Meme?
Essentially it’s like a blog hop or blog party. The idea is to join in by writing a post on your own blog in line with a theme decided by the host blog, linking up with the host blog who in turn link to your post (usually via a Linking Tool or in the comment section) thereby encouraging all participants to visit each others sites (hence the term “blog hop”).
Why take part in a Gardening Blog Meme?
It’s a fun way to link up with other garden bloggers, get to know them and have them get to know you (and your blog). It is customary to visit as many of the blogs that have taken part as you can, and in turn, the other participants will visit your blog. Especially if you are new to garden blogging, you will find that garden bloggers are a friendly, supportive group and warmly welcome and support new garden blogs they find interesting. Taking part in a blog meme is a great way for gardening bloggers to become aware of your site.
Taking part in a meme exposes your blog to other garden bloggers who then may bookmark your site or subscribe to your feed – especially if you have similar gardening styles, perhaps garden in a similar area or zone or if they find your blog inspiring. So, especially if you are looking to make new blog friends, select one or two (or more) of the memes that you find interesting from the list below and join in!
A list of Garden Blog Memes which we enjoy:
Weekly
Caption Monday by Onenezz (Every Monday)
Not a meme, but a catchy, fun read, every Monday you can enjoy the captions contributed by fellow bloggers and leave yours for the next two photos. Selected captions are then posted the next Monday with links to your blogs. See previous posts at Caption Mondays or visit the blog next Monday to take part.
Monthly
Walk in The Gardens by This Grandmothers Garden (1st day of every month)
Maybe you’re already walking each day,or maybe you, too, need a little coaxing to get going. It doesn’t matter how far or how long you walk, just that you do it. If you’d like to join Carolyn and friends in this monthly challenge, publish your own post on what you discover during your monthly walk, then visit her blog to add your link and to join others on their virtual walks!
New – Garden Bloggers Harvest Day by The Gardening Blog (5th day of every month *)
Please join us on the 5th of every month and show us what you’ve harvested from your veggie or herb garden. Whether you have a massive vegetable garden or grow a few herbs in pots or just pick a few peaches from a tree … we’d love to see! It’s all about sharing our experiences, photographs, successes and failures as we “learn to grow”. See previous Harvest Day posts at Garden Bloggers Harvest Day or come back next month and join us, right here at The Gardening Blog.
Word for Wednesday by Donna at Garden Walk, Garden Talk (Every second Wednesday)
Use your photo skills and join the fun. Words and Photography, Picture the word. Every fortnight a new word is chosen and bloggers do a post interpreting the chosen word in photographs or words (usually a combination). This is often a thought-provoking meme that requires a little more than just posting a few pretty pictures. Well worth the time to view and take part! You can view previous words chosen and posts at Word For Wednesdays or visit Donna’s blog to find out what next Wednesdays “Word” is and join in!
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day by May Dreams Gardens (15th day of every month *)
Definitely the most popular of all Gardening Blog Memes around, Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts this fabulous, monthly meme where we all get to show off what is blooming in our gardens. Supported by gardeners from all corners of the globe, without much prompting, we all faithfully post what is blooming in our gardens on the 15th of the month and then leave a link and comment on the bloom day post to let everyone know where we are! Join in, its fun – you get to show off your blooms and admire others around the world. See previous months at Garden Bloggers Bloom Day or visit Carols blog to join next month.
Garten Blogger Blüten Tag by Seepferds Garten (15th day of every month *)
The German version of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Gesine of Seepferds Garten who lives in Berlin, Germany. “In ihm sollte es hauptsächlich um Blüten gehen. Ob die auf dem Balkon, der Straße, im Wald oder in eurem Garten blühen, spielt keine Rolle. Im Winter werden es wahrscheinlich mehr Blumen von der Fensterbank oder Blumensträuße sein!” Visit Gesine’s Blog to take part or see previous memes at Blogger Blüten.
Foliage Follow Up by Digging (16th day of every month *)
Pam at Digging hosts the popular meme, Foliage Follow Up, a day after Bloom Day, to give us gardeners a chance to show off our own and appreciate other gardeners beautiful foliage! Pam started Foliage Follow Up as a way to remind ourselves of the importance of foliage in the garden. See previous entries at Foliage Follow Up or visit Pam’s blog to join in next month and show us the beautiful foliage you have growing in your garden.
New – Garden Bloggers Book Review by Roses and Other Gardening Joys (20th day of the month *)
Whether its vegetable gardening, flower gardening, specialized gardening, design, hardscape, or even fiction (that includes a garden, such as ‘The Secret Garden’), Holley invites you to share your take on the garden books you have read. “Each of our gardens are different, and each of our tastes in garden books will probably be different – but I think if we tell what we like (or not) about each book, we can get a good sense of the books we might want to add to our collection”. Join Holley on the 20th of the month and share one of your books with us all.
Garden Bloggers Foliage Day by Creating my own garden of the Hesperides (23rd every month)
Christina of Creating my own garden of the Hesperides says she started this meme because most of us underestimate the important role fulfilled by the form, texture and different colours of the foliage of the plants that fill our gardens. When you consider it; what you actually see in the garden is probably 80% foliage and only 20% blooms. Join in and show off the foliage in your garden – See all previous Foliage Day entires at Garden Bloggers Foliage Day or visit Christina’s blog on the 23rd to take part in the next Foliage Day!
New – Dozen for Diana by Elephant’s Eye (On the 3rd Friday of every month *)
Diana invites you to write a plant portrait each month. “I challenge you, in 2012, each month choose a plant. Archived pictures of flowers, berries, autumn leaves, wildlife endorsing your choice. Start fresh – what will be your signature plant?” Join Diana on the 3rd Friday every month and showcase one of your favourite plants and see what others have chosen as theirs! This meme is sure to become a popular “go to” list for new gardens looking at plant profiles and a valuable resource to all gardeners looking for information on their favourite plants.
Wildflower Wednesday at Clay and Limestone (On the 4th Wednesday of every month)
Another popular meme, Gail at Clay and Limestone hosts Wildflower Wednesday on the 4th Wednesday of every month. Gail invites you to share and celebrate the wonderful wildflowers that live and thrive in your gardens. It doesn’t matter if they are in bloom or not, you can still share them. The flowers you share must be indigenous / native to your country. See previous months entries at Wildflower Wednesday or join in next month by visiting the site.
New – Salad Days by Veg Plotting (The 4th Friday of every month)
The fourth Friday of each month is designated as Salad Days. Veep will be posting on how her own personal challenge is progressing and you’re invited to join in to tell how you’re getting along. “The main idea is that we all grow and/or forage some salad leaves to eat every week this year. What and how much is entirely up to you. We’re in completely different locations, have different tastes, levels of skill and resources available so devising something more specific to suit everyone would be very hard and might not be what you’d really like to do”. For more info see Salad Days Challenge.
End of Month View by The Patient Gardener (Last day of every month)
It is interesting to look back at the End of Month and see what you’ve achieved in the garden, what gave you pleasure, what worked, what did not and what you still need to do. Much like a diary or journal, End of Month View by Helen at The Patient Gardener, which is posted on the last day of the month, is a way to chronicle and share your gardening experiences on a monthly basis. See archives of this meme at End of Month View and join in next month!
New – Best & Worst of the Garden by Bumble Lush (Last day of every month)
Join Bumble Lush and friends and recap the “best of” and “worst of” your garden each month. The idea for the “worst of” is not to focus on the negative but to record what goes wrong and learn lessons for next time – and hopefully, get help, advice, and sympathy from gardening friends online. And finish the post with a “best of” because it’s better to end on a positive! Join in on the last day of the month and see previous months here at Best & Worst of the Garden.
Seasonal:
Garden Lessons Learned by PlantPostings (At the beginning of each Season *)
What garden lessons have you learned this season? Whether you’re in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, please link a recent post about your advice, reflections, or ideas to Garden Lessons Learned. As the seasons change we take stock and see what lessons we have learned. Take part in the quarterly gardening meme by PlantPostings. Share your mistakes and triumphs with Beth and friends. Learn from other gardeners what not to do and what works or simply commiserate! Dates are approximate, please check the website for exact dates but should be on or around … 1st March; 1st June; 1st September and 1st December.
Seasonal Celebrations by Garden’s Eye View (At the beginning of each Season *)
Let the celebrations begin.a new season is coming and what better time to start the party! It is time for Seasonal Celebrations. What is it that evokes this season for me? Can I even pick one thing, doubtful. Join Donna and friends in celebrating the changing of the seasons, four times a year.
Annual:
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Elephants Eye (Every December *)
Join Diana and friends as they do their own interpretations of the Twelve Days of Christmas. See here for the latest Twelve Days of Christmas at join us all in December this year with your own take on the 12 Days of Christmas.
Winter Walk Off by A Tidewaters Garden (End February *)
Les hosts the annual Winter Walk Off – On your own two feet, leave the house and share what can be seen within walking (or biking) distance of your home. Your post does not have to be about gardening or a travelogue, unless you want it to be. Maybe instead you will find some unusual patterns, interesting shadows, signs of spring, a favorite restaurant or shop, questionable landscaping or local eyesores. Keep your eyes and mind open, be creative and have fun (but don’t show anything from your own garden).
Other Mentions
Garden Blogs of the Month by Jean’s Garden
Every month popular garden blogger Jean profiles two or three gardening blogs on her blog, Jean’s Garden. In her inimitable style, Jean showcases gardening blogs of a high calibre from both a gardening and writing perspective. If Jean recommends a blog in her monthly post, you can be assured it will be a worthwhile one to add to your reading list. See previous entries under Garden Blogs of the Month.
Picture This Photo Contest at Gardening gone wild (Monthly)
Since its inception in April 2009, GGW’s Picture This Photo Contest has become a popular repeating event in the blogging community. A guest judge from the garden photography or publishing world poses a theme, then participants post their entry on their blog and leave us links to their post and their photo. At the end of the month, we post the announcement of the winners, who are entitled to display their winner’s badge on their own site. Visit GGW Picture This Photo Contest to find out more and to see previous winning photos.
See these sites for other memes you might be interested in
Blog meme list at Roses and Other Gardening Joys – See Holley’s list for memes we have not mentioned here.
(Memes we take part in marked with a *)
© It’s Alright to Copy!
Blog memes are all about having some fun and getting to know other garden bloggers. With this in mind, please feel free to copy this list and add it to your blog to raise awareness of these fine recurring Garden Blog Memes.
Happy Blog Hopping & Gardening