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Shifting Roots Year in Review 2018 Edition

December 28, 2018

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I can hardly believe it, but this is my third year-end-review-type-post that I’ve written.  The third!!  While I know that’s not a long time, it seems like such a big milestone when almost 60% of new blogs get abandoned. 2018 has been an incredible year blog-wise, and I can’t wait to share some of the highlights with you.

kateepederson.com

The Courses That Changed My Life

When I started this blog in February of 2016, I desperately hoped that I could make enough money to one day not have to rely on income from teaching music.  While I haven’t quite reached that goal yet, I think it’s within my reach in 2019, and if not, definitely by 2020.

People often ask me, how did you figure out how to blog?  In short–online courses.  I studied as much as I could from other bloggers for free, but there just comes a point when you have to invest some money so you can learn what actually works.

This year I invested in three big ones: Adventures in SEO, Pin Practical Promotions, and Shift University.  Did it feel terrifying at the time to invest in them?  Yes.  All these courses are in USD, so as a Canadian, I’m paying “more” than the actual price because of the exchange.  Or at least it feels like it.

Was it worth it?  Yes.  So much yes.

I finally was able to get enough traffic to apply to MediaVine, the ad company that runs the ads on my site, and make an income that matches and some months exceeds my teaching income.  I sold my first ever online gardening course and more than doubled my blog subscribers.  Huge!!

Read about my full experience with Adventures in SEO here.

People Actually Made My Recipes!!

Don’t laugh, but this is a really big deal to me!!  My recipe posts never do as well traffic-wise as my gardening ones do, but I know my community enjoys them, so I continue to make them.  There’s nothing that makes me happier than when someone posts a picture of something they’ve made, or cute pics of them making it with their kids.  At the end of the day, that’s what it’s really all about.

The most popular ones?  These smooth shortbread cookies and the no-fail fudge.

The Sense of Community

One thing I’m really proud of is the sense of community that has developed over on the Shifting Roots Facebook Page and in the Growing Roots Gardening Community.

I feel like I’m really getting to know those of you who frequently like and comment on my posts, and through your feedback I’m trying to create content that you’ll find really helpful. Because what’s the point if this corner of the Internet isn’t inspiring or entertaining you?

And if you’re a lurker? Thanks for being here too! But say hi once in awhile. . . okay? I promise I don’t bite.

I fought the fear and did it anyway

You guys, I was scared this year. It’s a silly kind of fear, but there’s not a lot a lot of garden bloggers out there (especially in zone 3!! I think I’ve only found 2 or 3 others and one in zone 4) so there’s not a lot of precedent for the things I wanted to do with this blog–especially since in the grand scheme of things, my following is still on the small side.

But as my mentors constantly say, it’s not the number of the following that matters, but the engagement and how you’re serving your people.

So I swallowed my fear and wrote an online gardening course. I put out 5 different freebies out into the world to grow my subscriber list and find my tribe.

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I made Facebook Live videos. Weekly ones. Even when I didn’t like how I looked or worried that my garden was a failure and I had nothing to talk about. P.S. See all my videos here.

And when I had pregnancy complication after pregnancy complication? I trusted that my audience would understand my destroyed garden and slower pace, and did whatever I could manage to keep the blog-machine going.

I made peace with haters

As my traffic and following grew exponentially this year, so did my haters. Thankfully I don’t have a lot (in the grand scheme of things) but people often miss that I garden in zone 3 and some of my advice simply doesn’t work if you’re gardening in zone 8 (or any zone that’s warmer than mine).

Others were disappointed that I don’t have a horticulture degree behind me, or didn’t understand when I was trying to be a bit funny.

Smiling despite the haters. Photo credit: kateepederson.com

I’ve been accused of hating gardening, hating kittens, being uneducated, and being just plain wrong. Did it hurt? A bit.

But when you put yourself out there on the Internet, you’ve got to expect some backlash at some point. So while I try to make what I put out into the world as accurate as possible, there’s just no way I can possibly get everything right for every zone in North America and beyond.

My 10 Most Popular Posts

Finally, here’s the 10 posts that you loved the most this year:

10. The 36 Best Cut Flowers for Floral Arranging

9. How to Calm Your Cough with a 4 Ingredient Hot Toddy

8. How to Start a Garden in Cold Climate

7. Why Your Christmas Cactus Won’t Bloom and How to Fix It

6. 28 Hardy Fruits You Can Grow in Zone 2 and Zone 3

5. 17 Perennial Flowers that Love Shade

4. The Beginners Guide to Peonies

3. 50 More Perennials You’ll Regret Planting

2. 53 Favourite Perennials to Plant in Zone Three

And the number one post you can’t get enough of….

28 Perennials You’ll Regret Planting

Thank you for all your support in 2018!! I’d love to know, what would you like me to write about in 2019? What gardening problem can I help you solve?

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

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About Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Comments

  1. Carla says

    December 28, 2018 at 1:49 pm

    Lurker from Winnipeg here. I LOVE that you are blogging from a northern location. It’s fun having suggestions for plants that actially grow here. I also find it really funny that the zone 8 people didn’t realise that you were zone 3. Heehee.
    Reply
  2. Sylvia says

    December 28, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    I love that you are blogging, that it’s proving to be what you hoped for it to be. Cheering for you always, even tho I may not always respond...
    Reply
  3. Bernie Cruikshank says

    December 28, 2018 at 2:59 pm

    I like your gardening and recipes. I follow on Facebook and occasionally leave comments there. I am a fellow blogger (have 2// one since 2006 and once since about 2014) but never subscribe to the make a thing from it. Love when I connect with readers. Really really dislike pop up adds; which I understand is how you make money. It’s the thing I like the least about your blog.
    Reply
  4. Heather says

    December 28, 2018 at 8:42 pm

    Yay! So excited for you and your blog! Congrats on all your successes and best of luck next year! ROOTING for you! Haha!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      December 28, 2018 at 9:15 pm

      Aww thank you! And I love the pun :-)
      Reply
  5. Susannah says

    January 3, 2019 at 9:35 am

    Hey Kristen! Congratulations on a great year! We're so glad that Mediavine was a part of it. We know we're pretty darn happy to have you as one of our publishers. We're here to help you optimize your site in all the ways, so please check out our blog and help docs and reach out to us with any questions: [email protected] Thanks for the shoutout! — Susannah at Mediavine
    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

Recent Posts

  • Protected: 5 Easy Ways to Increase Pollination in Your Vegetable Garden
  • Bloom Times: What Cut Flowers Grow When in Zone 3
  • The Best Vegetables & Flowers to Start with Winter Sowing
  • 21 Cut Flowers to Grow in Part Shade
  • The Best Grow Lights for Seedlings (from Budget to Bougie)

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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I love seeing the world through this loving boy’ I love seeing the world through this loving boy’s eyes.  Honestly, I’ve been so sick that I wasn’t really in the mood to “do Valentines Day” but there was this sweet little voice going on about how excited he was for today and how much he loves his family and I just couldn’t resist.  So whether you’re on your own, part of a couple, or in the thick of life-with-littles craziness, Happy Valentines Day!

#valentinesday2020 #mylittlevalentine #boymomlife #lifewithlittles
How do you pass a cold -28 day? By planning your How do you pass a cold -28 day?  By planning your garden, of course!  Today in my stories I’ll be going through the steps I take to start planning everything out.  I’m curious, do you start planning now or wait until the last minute?

P.S.  want your own copy of this planner?  This is the newly updated paid version and it’s on sale by itself from now until Sunday for only $5.  If you’re from Canada, use the code CANADA to make $5 USD be closer to $5 CAD.  Head over to the link in my bio to get yours.

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Okay, so maybe a little rant today.  I think sometimes in the gardening space we’re guilty of making things seem easier than they are.  Myself included.  This lettuce project is a case in point.

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In conclusion, this is a fun project to pass the winter, and not a truly sustainable source of lettuce.

Thoughts?

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1. Search out your area's last frost date.  There are plenty of calculators on the Internet.⁠
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2. Count backwards 8 weeks from that date.⁠
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3. Start these seeds when that date hits.⁠
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The catch?

These plants are notoriously hard to grow, especially when you live somewhere cold with a really cold growing season—and if they get a hint of frost on them they turn to mush and all my hard work is ruined.

Gulp.

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