Blogs that I like to read!

Diana at Kebun Malay- Kadazan Girls kindly awarded me this award.

It's always good to be chosen to receive awards but this one is a bit different - it doesn't ask you to reveal any dark secrets about yourself but was set up to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers.

Strange to be considered up and coming when my blog has been going since 2006 but who knows there may still be a chance that I'll arrive at some time in the future. Arrive must mean to have over 200 followers - still about 50 to go then.

I don't know about you but as well as keeping up with long standing favourites it's good to meet new Bloggers and so I set about trying to fulfil the rules for accepting the award which are as follows:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. And most of all - have fun!

First rule - easy ! 

Second rule - not so easy - there are plenty of blogs out there that I enjoy reading regularly but some have already reached the heady heights of over 200 followers, others have already been given the award by someone else and others I have no idea how many followers they have as they don't have a followers gadget! How do I pick just 5 - I don't want to upset anyone by not choosing them!  Anyway I have finally settled on five that had less than 100 followers and deserve to have more than that.

As they say - in no particular order my selections are: pause for effect -------------------

Jenni at Rainy Day Gardener who at the moment is gardening in Oregon but is shortly to move home. It will be really interesting to see how her new garden progresses. Jenni's life is changing in other ways too as she enters the world of full time housewife and mum after re-evaluating what she wants out of life. Good Luck Jenni.

Kelli at My Garden Diary by Kelli Boyles. Kelli gardens an acre of land in Country Antrim Northern Ireland. Not only does Kelli have a garden that I would like where she grows fruit, vegetables and flowers but it's surrounded by beautiful countryside. 

Phoebe at Ballynoe Cottage in Melbourne- Australia who has a way of making use of things many people would just throw away. Not only does she use this stuff but she uses it with style. She also has the elements of nature to work with or against as recently her garden came under attack from large hailstones and the worst flash flooding that her area has ever seen. 

Brenda at Gardeningbren in Nova Scotia I'm only just 'getting to know' Brenda but I'm really enjoying her style of writing and look forward to finding more out about her and her garden. I do know that like me she loves to see wildlife in her garden - especially birds. She is also trying to extend her growing season by growing under cover.

I now have a problem as the one I was going to give my final award to has already been given it by someone else!! After quite a bit of umming and arring I'm going to give the last award to:

Martyn at A Gardener's Weather Diary OK hands up it is very close to home - couldn't be closer - but it isn't my blog and I haven't come across another blogger who has written a post almost every day this year. If you enjoy reading about the weather and its effects on gardening then pay him a visit.

And while you are at it don't stop there as there are some fantastic blogs in my blogrolls why not have a browse of them too. Now I have to complete rule two by telling the people they have received awards - I hope I get in before someone else gives them the same award!

I hope I can find some suggestions for new blogs to check out too - if you know of any that you think I would like then post a comment to let me and everyone else know about them.