Ninth blogaversary

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

In June 2009 I began blogging. We'd moved from Camps Bay to Porterville. Our metal kingfisher remembers Ungardening Pond where he was visited by father and son fishing for frog lessons kingfishers!

(Story left, blogging right)

2009 kingfisher on Ungardening Pond

How I blog
Each month I begin with last month's hikes. Maybe a wild card (this post). End with our garden and Ungardening projects (drought related this year!)

Giant reeds on a previous vlei, were home to Cape and masked weavers building their nests of carefully knotted grass.

2010 August weaver bird tying knots

First photos, hundreds from the hikes. Takes me hours to whittle them down to 10 for that post. Collaged with Picasa to load quickly for readers.

Our view was Olifantskop (for which both blogs are named Elephant's Eye). We hiked in the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area. Peace, flowers and winter rain harvested to Voelvlei dam for Cape Town. Plattelandse dorpie, country town, among wheat and canola fields.

2011 August Porterville to Piketberg

My photos have names, captions (and Alt Text) for Google's Search by Image - which brings me some traffic.

Japanese flowering quince (Anna and I share July birthdays)

2012 August Japanese flowering quince

I use FastStone for transparent watermarks and compressing images to quick loading and adequate quality, as in the last 2 photos. 

In a good winter Groot Winterhoek is dusted with snow. He captured the wind goddess blowing chill.

2013 June Groot Winterhoek with snow 

Around those photos I build my accompanying paragraphs. Edit again and again. Read your post aloud to catch typos.

I brought March lilies here, but no flowers sadly.

2014 March Amaryllis belladonna

We write for new and long term readers. For new readers I link back to earlier posts. With plants I link to PlantZAfrica for horticultural info. For hikes I link to the official site for directions, entry fees and opening times. I aim my posts between information and wall of words.

We downsized to False Bay. Red Lachenalia blooms and the tapestry hedge is covering the palisade fence.

2015 June Flying Dutchman

Engagement is queen. Promote your post. Participate in memes (don't just link dump and run!) Find your tribe, your village, of bloggers where you read, comment, give and find support.

In 2016 we were in London. Travel plans became a dream come true electric car.

2016 July Sir Hans Sloane and the Chelsea Physic Garden

We choose to blog. We choose to read. If you want to BE read you need to put in the hours and effort producing content, then promoting your blog.

We started weekly hikes with U3A in August last year. The Ungardener up mountains with the Curious and Adventurous. I botanical rambling among fynbos flowers.

2017 September Erica halicacaba on The Sentinel above Hout Bay

You have literally seconds ... to lose your landing reader. Don't wait ... for your bling it on header. Check your loading time with Pingdom.

Henry and Aragon moved from Camps Bay. Henry chose Chocolat from the feral kittens next door, to take his place. Aragon and Chocolat came to False Bay. Thomas stomps up his stairs in furry boots, Zoë floats like thistledown up the tree and leaps to the wall.

Thomas and Zoë

The blogs I chose to read are a window on the world, let me live your life while I read your post -
I in turn open my window 

to Skye,

to Jersey,

to California,

to Portugal,

to a Welsh hill

or the Kent coast,

an artist,

a poet,

a fashionista who reads,

down to Australia,

up to Colorado.

I invite you to join us at Elephant's Eye on False Bay. Please subscribe as you prefer

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Pictures by Diana and Jürg Studer

of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

Teal blue text is my links.

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Thanks for comments that add value. Maybe start a new thread of discussion? BTW your comment won't appear until I've read it. No Google account? Just use Anonymous, but do leave a link to your own blog. I would return the visit, if I could...

I welcome comments on posts from the last 2 months.