The world of horticulture has produced some great writers.
My own favourites include Christopher Lloyd, Henry Mitchell, Beth Chatto, Charles Elliot, Josef Capek and Beverly Nichols.
That said it's also produced some stinkers. Alan Titchmarsh won a Literary Review Bad Sex in Fiction Award for his novel Mr Mac Gregor
But is any of the writing that’s to be found in blogs, of exemplary quality?
Or is it just ephemeral chaff.
Is there a blog that is always a joy to read?
Or a single post that you enjoy so much that you have read it a number of times?
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23 comments:
I like Emma Townshend's blog in The Independent, A Nice Green Leaf. She's jolly, she's interesting, she replies to people who comment on her posts and she realises that the secret of a good post is not to bang on for hundreds of words.
I should disclose that I actually work for The Independent's online sites (and also that Emma reads and often comments on my own blog), but even if I didn't and she didn't then I'd still recommend her.
Typing On The Void
http://typingonthevoid.blogspot.com/
http://federaltwist.blogspot.com/
Kate writes very well and is generous with her comments too.
http://katesmudges.typepad.com/
v nice of Alex. I think I should be ruled out as entirely incompetent, but there we go.
My favourite writing on the internet about gardening - actual gardening - is probably Ketzel Levine. http://www.npr.org/blogs/talkingplants/
I just love how she writes about plants. There's not very many people who can really do it. But I think she can.
Sorry not to nominate somebody British, it's a bit annoying to do an American. Maybe?
Not at all - we love Americans.
ps
I would also nominate Blackpitts, but that seems too obvious. Is that too obvious? Does James A-S need any more love than the love he already gets from us all? Maybe. He certainly can write about a plant. And his photos are supercool, to use a French phrase.
I think the following all have really exceptional writing:
Horticultural
http://perrone.blogs.com/horticultural/
Hills and Plains
http://hillsandplainsseedsavers.blogspot.com/
Fluffy Muppet
http://www.coopette.com/blog
A Thinking Stomach
http://athinkingstomach.blogspot.com/
Daughter of the Soil
http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.com/
Of course there are others too!
I agree with Patrick about Daughter of the Soil. She has a lovely way of writing. And a jerusalem artichoke in the shape of an elephant.
I love Snappy crocs garden blog, it is really well written.
http://snappycrocsgarden.blogspot.com/
Thank you Emma.
In my experience there are three things of which you cannot have enough: cakes, love and well rotted manure.
Kate,a seedsaver in Australia, at http://hillsandplainsseedsavers.blogspot.com/ writes about everything to do with vegetable gardens - and often its incredibly funny or deep-and-meaningful or inciteful or opinionated. I love it all. Check out the labels 'Food for Thought' and 'Anecdotes' for Kate's best stuff.Its very popular - check out the Feedjit map - it looks like its got measles!
Thanks Patrick! It is embarrassing voting for myself but someone's got to do it! http://hillsandplainsseedsavers.blogspot.com/
This is THE blog for the thinking vegie gardener!
What if we all stalk you, like Ian MCEwan's Enduring Love? Surely that's too much?
I definitely had too much cake the Christmas I failed to put the marzipan on until the 2nd January. I had to eat almost the entire cake myself and put on one and a half stone which probably isn't quite gone even now.
Maybe I should go outside and do some actual gardening for a change.
It is not a typical gardening blog, though it has more than just a 'whisper of gardens' (more like a low conversational murmur), but I vote for the lovely writing of Plinius at some-landscapes.blogspot.com
i like this one www.ourpatchofearth.blogspot.com
nomegrown gets my vote - an excellent, informative and funny read!
nomegrown.blogspot.com
www.nomegrown.blogspot.com
gets my vote too
Karen
I love reading Weed it and Reap
http://www.weeditandreap.co.uk
It's really well written, and was the inspiration for writing my own blog.
Amusing writings on blogs:
http://mostlyiwillbegrowing.wordpress.com/2007/05/13/attack-of-the-killer-aphids/
and
http://www.soilman.uk.com/soilmans_allotment_blog/2008/03/view-this-pho-4.html
Blackpitts for the music.
Horticultural for the black elder lead.
Blogging at Blackpitts, not least for the word 'dephlogistications' on the front page.
You have to go for James Alexander-Sinclair.
A frothing mixture of the charm and elan of James Hunt, the vision of Alexander the Great, and the headlong obsession with technology of the Sinclair C5.
I am listening to "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer.
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