We’d be lying if we told you we didn’t care that no one had shoulder-tapped us for an award. We know it’s unbecoming to pout, but truth is we were feeling a little down about the whole thing. What did other blogs have that our humble offering neglected to offer? What were we doing wrong? Then, out of the blue and as the sun began to set on our eligibility, the lovely muddybootsandfingernails took mercy on us and nominated us for a Leibster Award and for that we send them huge, heartfelt, pathetically grateful thanks and a very large smile as well. 

And we’re still smiling, even after our research gave light to two very different ways of looking at this award.  While some people discount it as nothing more than a chain-letter for bloggers who have under two hundred followers (just made it, phew!) and begrudge the extra work that involves (see the rules below), we’re of the opinion anything that prompts us into discovering some fresh, new blogs or makes us a few more blogosphere friends can’t be bad. 

So without further ado and with great delight, we would like to nominate the following for a Leibster Award:

Londonsenior – because we love our weekly cybertour

colorpencil2014 –  for her beautiful drawings and lovely comments

ouroldislandhome – because we are in awe of what they’re undertaking and wish we were that brave

agentsoffield – for their passion for the planet and because they were nice about our horrendous photography

happilybackward – for their simple honesty and their recent photograph confirming our chickens are indeed Welsummers

 

Now, to answer my 10 questions, as set by muddybootsandfingernails:

1. You can’t beat the flavour of homegrown ___ ?

Tomatoes; pluck from the sunny side of vine, a quick dust off on your sleeve, and devour. I challenge you to find anything store bought that come even close…

2. A crop you’re keen to grow but haven’t yet tried?

Something we could grind for flour (even a teensy bit); or coffee.

3. Everyone should try growing ___?

New Zealand Spinach. We discovered this (ironically on a US website) and are now raving about it.  Drought resistant, tasty, prolific, and without the whole oxalic acid deal of other greens.

4. Favourite supplier?

King Seeds 

5. Favourite ‘big’ blog?

tootlepedal – his turn of phrase always makes us smile and often makes us laugh out loud

6.  What grows best in your plot?

Apart from the wonderful New Zealand spinach, parsley, broad beans, and various berries have been this year’s success story…oh, and the sunflowers that self-sow each year.

7. What refuses to flourish?

Carrots are a work in progress

8. Top tip for new growers?

Don’t be scared to experiment with new/different things; even plants people say won’t/can’t grow in your soil/climate/altitude/whatever because you just never know…

Also, nothing beats having some chooks or a couple of goats to provide manure, speed up composting, and eat the evidence of those new things that didn’t quite pan out.

9. What does gardening give you?

Food, obviously, plus time to sort out our thoughts, ideas, dreams, fears, successes and failures. Then there’s the connection with the soil, our past, our future, and our neighbours. Oh, and also the sense of control and power that comes with doing it for yourself and not having to rely on someone else who may be more concerned about how their produce looks rather than it’s taste and actual, honest nourishment.

10. Best way to unwind after a day’s digging?

Nothing beats blobbing out with the rest of the Homestead with a bottle of wine (or two) and a block of chocolate…maybe watching something good on TV, or thrashing out our latest conundrum, or staring silently and collectively into the flames of the woodburner if it’s been a really tough day

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And now it’s your turn:

1. What made you start blogging?

2. Who is your favourite “big blogger”?

3. Please share a  phrase, saying, quote, song lyric, snippet of poetry, collection of words that truly resonates with you – it doesn’t have to be your “favourite” (we say that because we couldn’t agree on ours).

4. What is your favourite place to be?

5. If you could spend an hour with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose?

6. When you think of gardening you feel……?

7. Everyone has them; what’s your hidden talent?

8. “I’m passionate about…”?

9. The best piece of advice you’ve ever received

10. Name one skill you feel shouldn’t be lost.

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The Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.

2. Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post

3. Answer 10 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.

4. Nominate 5 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 200 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display this information!)

6. Create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.

7. List these rules in your post. Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)