Finding My Niche; What's In a Name?

   One of the first things bloggers are told to do is find their niche, and figure out who their audience is. Hmmmm....I have a blog called Manitoba Gardens that's a lot like Canadian Tire...we're so much more than our names convey! If you're not familiar with the Canadian Tire store, judging by their name, you would think they sell only tires. But no, they sell just about everything from hardware to sporting goods, and yes, tires! Manitoba Gardens has been around for so many years....although mainly as a tribute to Dad, and the garden he and Mom created together...so changing the name of my blog just didn't seem like a good idea. But at the same time, Manitoba Gardens doesn't really tell readers what we're about.... So, what is my niche? Who do I write for?  Who is my 'tribe'? And how do I figure this out?

  Well, in many ways, I write for myself. I write about things I enjoy, places I like...gardens, yes, but other places too. I post projects we've done for our own home and garden, craft projects I've done with my kids, and foods I make. In other words, I share bits and pieces of our life and activities, and hope that someone out there enjoys hearing about it. But how do all of those things fit into one package?

  I guess the first place to start in figuring this all out, is to ask, "Who am I?" I'm a wife, and an 'older' stay at home mom, and very happy to be so. Some of my eight kids came by birth, others by adoption...they range in age from 38 down to 10. I'm a grandma of sixteen, and yet I'm still homeschooling. Yeah, I'm used to not really fitting in the usual Mom box. But I have a friend I talk to every day who is my oldest daughter's age...and another friend, twenty years older than me, who is helping raise her three grandkids. So in my world, age is just a number. Nope, I don't write for a particular age demographic. Even though I'm an a adoptive mom, I don't feel that my children's stories are mine to tell, and although I may touch on homeschooling here, it's not my focus. I'm also a Christian, but I don't write specifically for people of faith....I have another blog for that! (Lyric Devotions) There we go....that ruled out a few niches already!

   Just as important, I think, is to look at who or what am I NOT? As much as I love gardens, I'm not a real gardener.....If it wasn't for creative camera angles, you'd know this...well, maybe you already do know, and you're just too polite to tell me... 

  No, I am NOT a gardening blogger. (but I have friends who are, and that's what counts. haha)

Now and then, I do post a recipe that I've prepared, but I'm not a food blogger...

My kids will tell you the kitchen is not my favorite room in the house. 

And I'm certainly not a homemaking blogger!

I also do DIY and craft projects... 

.....but I'm not  a DIY or craft blogger. 

    My son would say that I'm a dabbler...a little of this, and a little of that!

  Judging by what I've read from pro bloggers...I  sound kinda pitiful as a blogger. I can't help thinking of an old expression, "Jack of all trades, but master of none." But when I look at my posts, I can see that there is one common thread that runs through many of them:

Pallet Walkway Cheat

DIY Patio Planters

Got Cucumbers? 4 Easy Salads

Simple Stuffed Peppers

  Can you see it? The theme doesn't show up in all of the titles, but it's there. I post things that are...I was going to say, "Inexpensive" but I'll just say it like it is....I post things that are CHEAP to make! Most of our projects include materials that we have scavenged from other jobs, or bargains we've found. Many of these posts are still on the drawing board, but just wait, eventually I'll get them out there. 

  Not only do I post cheap; I post EASY. As I said, I am not a food blogger. I don't want to spend a lot of time in my kitchen cooking up gourmet meals. I want something that's, yup...cheap and easy! My favorite cookbooks are community group cookbooks...the ones that are full of tried and true recipes that ordinary people eat, or the one my daughters made for my birthday many years ago. 

  But more often than not, I just wing it, and throw together whatever I have on hand, and surprise, every once in a while, I come up with something I think is worth sharing! 

  Even my Featured Gardens and other tours fit this theme. Think about it.... What's easier and cheaper than touring someone else's beautiful garden, or visiting the local Farmer's Market to buy produce and baking? And Manitoba Sky Monday? Can't put a price on the beautiful heavens that God has created!

  So, have I found my niche? The Cheap and Easy Blogger? Hmmm...not sure I like the sound of that...How about "Practical Living Under Beautiful Skies"? I'm not sure that's a niche, but it sounds better!

 Now, who is my tribe? Well, since you're reading this, I'm hoping you might be a part of it. Yes, Jamie, I see you waving! I know you are my biggest supporter, and I appreciate it! Anyone else out there? If so, I'd like to hear from you. What brought you here? What kind of posts do you enjoy? What would bring you back? 

Still A Work In Progress

   I came across something that I wrote almost two years ago, and though the garden has changed, and the kids are a little older, the sentiment remains the same.....

  I love trees, shrubs and flowers. I also love landscaping. I especially like to draw out plans and decide where everything will go...the pergola here, perennial garden there, and the boardwalk pathway making it's way through the garden. I can picture in my mind exactly how I want it to look, and I can fill a Pinterest board with pictures and ideas pretty quick too! I also enjoy the work that must be done to get everything into place...wheeling the dirt around in the wheel barrow, shoveling, raking, planting. Even moving the pallets around to make the board walk wasn't bad. 

  But then comes the part I'm not so good at. Actually, I'm beyond terrible at maintaining the garden. It's hard to believe I came from parents who planted and cared for a huge perennial garden into their eighties! My parents' garden was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen; plants evenly spaced, always kept weeded, neatly groomed paths.....

  I loved their garden, but clearly I did not inherit their green thumbs...or their desire for perfection! This year (2014) we had such a late spring. Of course the weeds always grow faster than the perennials, and often it's hard to tell the difference. Besides the late start, there were other activities and tasks that took priority. Now, here we are nearing the end of August, and what was supposed to be a beautifully landscaped yard has become a crazy, wild jungle, with many unfinished projects!

  I can't help but compare my gardening to my homeschooling. I start out the season with well laid out plans.... Even though we lean more to the unschooling end of the spectrum, I still like to have some idea of what the coming year will look like, and so does the Dept. of Education! So I search through our bookshelves, and video collection, and find resources that I think the kids will be able to use and enjoy. I write out my plans for each child, and the subjects they will cover. I type up a colourful schedule for each one to follow...mostly for computer time to avoid fighting over whose turn it is! And we're all set for September to arrive.

  Some years, we get off to a good start, everyone working away on the program I've devised. But then the enthusiasm wanes, and the plans fizzle out. Other years, like the year we built out house, we didn't even think about school until the end of fall. Some people might suggest that we should perhaps consider sending our kids to public school, where they can get a more structured education; where they will be required to complete whatever course of study is set out for them, and honestly, I've had moments when I wondered if they were right!

  Then I look at my back yard. Yes, It's a bit of a mess; the goldenrod has taken over the perennial garden, and the pallet path is not quite finished...and I realize, it's okay. It's still a work in progress...not quite what I envisioned, but beautiful none the less.

But in one part of the yard, the tomatoes are thriving.......

......and you know what? So are my kids. I have a seven year old who can read and spell better than many adults. I have a twelve year old who reads more books than I can count, and is becoming a very talented cartoonist. And I have a fifteen year old who is a natural leader, enthusiastic in everything he does; whether it's sports, acting, singing, or hanging out with the mentors in his life. I can't take credit for any of my children's talents and skills anymore than I can claim responsibility for the beautiful wild flowers springing up in our yard! Given some space, the resources they require, and the freedom to grow in their own direction, and in their own time, (and in God's) they flourish.

 And I'll let you in on a secret....as much as I loved my parents garden, my dream has always been to have a wild garden filled with beautiful prairie flowers and grasses growing freely....each one unique, and beautiful in it's own way.

Thanks for stopping by!