
Looking at my stats for the past year, I am always struck by the posts which gather the most views from around the world. Some posts are from as long as six years ago and are still going strong with lots of views, like Swarming of the Bees, Luscious Honey Scented Body Butter, Plant These For Bees, or From the Ground Up-Choosing the Right Ground Cover For Shade. The top four countries that view my blog are the U.S., Canada, the UK and Australia, with dozens of other countries on the list, some I have never heard of.

My top post of all time which was originally published in 2012, is Containers With Pizzazz.
Artfully arranged containers using texture, contrasting colors, and different and unusual plants is my mantra and designing outside of the box. A container for every season is the way I garden in pots. Everyone can have their own personal creative planter on their deck, patio, or even inside. Having over 100,000 views over the years, I find the pictures of my containers all over Pinterest.




My most surprising top post is Luscious Honey Scented Body Butter. Consistently garnering views from all over the world, there must be thousands of people with this body butter in their bathroom. Lots of comments on this post mean that many people have used the recipe and enjoyed it.
Shade gardening is always popular. From the Ground Up-Choosing the Right Ground Cover For Shade has helped many people choose the perfect ground cover for difficult situations. The cliff notes on this post is to plant a lot of Lenten Roses, or Hellebores. A no-brainer, deer proof, evergreen, and beautiful plant, this under-used is probably my top plant in my garden.

Swarming bees in Swarming of the Bees, always fascinates people and I have seen many of these phenomenas over the years as a beekeeper. No matter how many times I have seen it, the process of swarming is awesome.

Decorating the White House for Christmas has been my job for 3 seasons and many people are interested in seeing behind the scenes on how the process is done. My last visit to the White House was documented in Decorating the White House in 2017. I hope to do it again!


After posting about Pesticide-Free Nurseries and Seed Companies, I was overwhelmed with the response. Many people are trying to do the right thing and not use pesticides, I was really happy to find. This post really struck a chord for many readers.Â

A Succulent Christmas post was fun to do because I started working on my succulent tree during the summer and it was interesting to see it grow all summer into the Christmas season to make a beautiful and unusual Christmas tree. Unusual and different!

Another top post was Miniature Gardens-Whimsical Creations. Miniature gardening is still popular, especially for people who don’t have access to a garden or don’t have the time or money to spend in a garden. Everyone has room on a kitchen counter or windowsill for a mini garden.


So, here are my top ten for views:
Deck the Halls-A Succulent Christmas
Miniature Gardens-Whimsical Creations
Luscious Honey-Scented Body Butter
Pesticide Free Nurseries and Seed Companies
From the Ground Up-Choosing a Shade Ground Cover
Decorating the White House 2017
Here are my favorite posts:
Garden Trip to Chelsea, Wales, and Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds
A Cut Above- Creating Sculptures from Wood
Illuminating the Season-Â A Williamsburg Christmas
Surviving Extreme Weather- Top 3 Ways to Help Birds
Tussie Mussie: The Victorian Art of Expressing YourselfÂ
Magical Sunflowers-the Fibonacci Spiral
Delaware Botanic Gardens-From the Ground Up
Hellebores-Deer Resistant, Low Maintenance, Deer-Proof Perennial
What form was used for the succulents, I do like it.
You did mighty fine for 2017 spreading the word and showing your work, keep up the postings, I enjoy.
Judi
I just formed some chicken wire into a cone shape and stuffed it with moss. thanks for reading
As usual, there is a lot of good stuff here that is worth a second look or a first one. I have Hellebore’s in my yard and had hoped they would spread but so far, not. They seem to love the shade . I would like to put in more.