Blotanical is a great new garden blog networking site, blog directory and an awesome tool for staying caught up on your favorite garden blog posts. It was created by Stuart Robinson of Gardening Tips n Ideas.
Everyone who signs up for Blotanical has their own garden plot to tend which can be used to interact with other garden bloggers. Someone referred to it as a "Facebook" of sorts for garden bloggers. There's a bit of friendly competition going on as points are earned to attain a higher Blotanist level.
I enjoy utilizing "Picks" to keep up with new blog posts, it also has a feature that allows you to pick a blog post that you like, the votes are tallied to feature the "Popular Posts at the Moment".
The one thing I find frustrating about "Picks" is not necessarily the fault of Blotanical, I believe it has to do with the time on the bloggers post entry. Some people may start drafting their post hours earlier or even the day before, if they don't change the time and date on the post before publishing, then the post will not show up near the top. Hence, while I'm checking Blotanical for new posts I have to scroll all the way through the posts to find the new ones that I haven't yet read. This can be difficult and time consuming. One thing we can all do to help remedy this is to remember to make sure the time and date is correct and current on our posts before we publish them, that way newer posts show up near the top. For those who use Blogger you can easily do this by going to Post Options, (above the orange Publish Post button), and changing your post time to the current time.
Not only have I noticed an increase in my own blog traffic by using Blotanical, but I have found several great new garden blogs. So, if you haven't signed up yet, come join in the Blotanical fun.
Please note, this post has been reworded and republished.
Robin,
ReplyDeleteYou have some beautiful photos! You should give us some tips--I'm envious!
Aiyana
Good post Robin, especially writing about Blotanical.com. It is great fun although I really need to get some exercise beyond my hands and fingers.
ReplyDeleteYour Dianthus photograph is stunning!
Although, I am not a blotanical person, I will check out your site for the many great blogs you talk about!
ReplyDeleteI've been using my feed reader to keep up with the blogs I follow. I need to spend some time on Blotanical discovering new blogs!
ReplyDeleteCarol, May Dreams Gardens
I wonder if some of the dating discrepancies have to do with time zones, Robin? We're all across the world, and I don't know how many time zones (I think Stuart is asleep while I'm just getting up, for example), but I can see how it can be exasperating. I'd just send Stuart a note and see what he suggests.
ReplyDeleteI don't consider myself to be a gardener and not the blotanical type, either, but I enjoy your blog and the wonderful photos you share.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your previous post, I find myself feeling completely satisfied after digging around the garden, with my limited knowledge, and discovering life in the pond. Being in touch with life outdoors does lift your spirit. It's a lot better than taking anti-depressants.
I do scan through the current-posts page on Blotanical, but I prefer using my feed reader to read new posts. That way I know I won't miss any.
ReplyDeleteRobin, Blogger ate my previous comment. I am sure it was something profound about this post however I can't think of what it was. Ha... Love your photos tho.
ReplyDeleteI hardly have time to look at Blotanical but it is a good sourse for new and different blogs.
Thank you, Aiyana. I'm just learning photography myself so I don't have a lot of advice other than to practice, (which I do a lot of). However, I do have a few posts on photography that you'll see in the sidebar, one in particular on photographing flowers on July 15, 2007.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kate. Blotanical is fun, and can definitely be time consuming. Like you, I need to exercise something else too, and maybe clean house. Blotanical has been a great way to spend these yucky winter days.
Mon@rch, several people post their bird pictures there. Gardening and nature just seem to go together. I wish there was a site like this for nature lovers, but then I'd really never get anything else done.
Hi, Carol. There really are some interesting new blogs. Check out EdenMakers.
Hi, Jodi, I did contact Stuart and he already knew there was a dating problem, it was already on his to be rectified list. I see a difference already today, so I think he fixed it. It should make it easier to read new posts without having to scroll through every single post again and again to search for ones you haven't read yet. That will be a great improvement and so much more user friendly.
Mary, I'm growing flowers to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Nature and gardening kind of go hand in hand.
Pam, I haven't used feed readers before, I'm going to have to look into that.
Lisa, it wasn't Blogger, it was me. I redid the whole post because I didn't like how I had worded some things. Also for some reason my picture showed up huge on Blotanical, so I used the medium size instead.