The Austin Urban Gardens

Austin Urban Gardens at www.austinurbangardens.wordpress.com

1) What inspired you to start your own blog?

Initially, I started my blog as support for my Garden business, Austin Urban Gardens.  I wanted people to have a place to read about vegetable gardening and to learn from my own gardening adventures, which always include successes as well as failures.  I do a planting guide every month as ongoing support for our customers, and also to educate non-gardeners that we enjoy a year round growing cycle in Austin.  Once I started growing more of my own food, then embarked upon my “No Grocery Store Challenge” to eat only from my garden and local farms and farmer’s markets, I started blogging about that as well.  And since I blog about what I eat, restaurants get included in the daily posts, although I do not consider myself a food critic or an authority on food.

2) Many people blog for different reasons. What is your ultimate goal as a blogger?

My ultimate goal as a blogger is to provide useful information to others about gardening, growing food, eating locally, and knowing where the food we eat comes from.  And if I can inspire more people to plant a garden, or to shop more locally, that would be a bonus.

3) How long did you think about it before you started blogging and what was the catalyst for your first post?

I had to go back to 2008 to read my first post to recall.  I don’t think it took much thought, I just started talking about my garden.

4) What do you hope readers take away from reading your blogs?

I’ve been told by lots of readers that they’ve been inspired to start a garden, grow more of their own food, and to shop more at the farmer’s markets, and think more about what they are eating.  That was more than I’d ever hoped for, so if I can continue to inspire others, that is an amazing thing.

5) What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of maintaining a blog? How do you choose to address it?

People want to see new blog posts fairly often.  Since I blog about several different topics, gardening, cooking, the No Grocery Store Challenge, I feel like to need to do several posts every day, which can be time consuming.  People also like to see pictures, so that adds to the time involved.

6) What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why?

I read several blogs, www.austinfoodjournal.com, www.austinfarmtotable.com, www.foodieisthenewforty.com, www.tastytouring.com, www.lisaiscooking.com, www.cosmiccowgirl.com.  They are all foodies and we enjoy the same things.

7) If you could narrow it down to one answer, what do you love the most about Austin? Why?

The diversity of the food culture in Austin is amazing.  We have incredible resources for locally grown food, from our farmer’s markets, to our local charcuterie makers, cheese makers, and local farms.  It is an exciting to be in Austin if you love food.

How has blogging changed your life?

I never expected anyone to read my blog, and I’ve been approached by readers who just want to introduce themselves and say they enjoy what I write, and that has been the most flattering thing I could ever imagine.  Knowing that I have something useful to contribute has been very special and I’m just so happy to keep it up.

9) Are there other blogs/websites do you maintain?

Just the website for my business www.austinurbangardens.com

10) Has the city of Austin brought you any local advantages or disadvantages that affect your blog?

I’ve been fortunate to be invited to restaurant openings, dinners, tastings, wine parings and such, which is really fun.

11)  Do you have a favorite post on your blog.

I do.  It it is called “Slow Food Happy Hour at Green Gate Farm” http://wp.me/po5VL-ld.  It makes me smile every time I read it, and is a good memory.

12)  Have you had any interesting reactions from your blog (either on the internet or in real life)

The first time a reader approached me, he had come looking for me at the Triangle Farmer’s Market, where I usually can be found on Wednesday evenings.  He was so excited to meet me in person, that I was just overwhelmed that I had touched someone in that way.  At that point, I didn’t even think anyone was reading, so it was a huge surprise.