Thursday, 15 January 2009
Who Visits BelleWood Gardens?
I write about what interests me. It might be gardens both private and public and / or nurseries that I've visited. It could be something about what's happening here at BelleWood Gardens - plants added through purchase, gift, or propagation, how they grow, and reports on what's in bloom. Since I live in a semi-rural part of New Jersey (also known as "The Garden State") there are entries commenting on local farmers markets and orchards, foraging and what I find, plus what's served up from such locavore ingredients. Semi-rural means there are farm animals from horses to sheep, goats and chickens. As a result of the fields and woodlands hereabouts, there are birds and beasts and butterflies in the wild. So while the majority of entries have some connection to plants and gardens and horticulture, it can be whatever takes my fancy.
Well and good. But who comes to visit? There are two kinds of visitors: the virtual, such as yourself, dear reader, who found this site while search for something about . . . . one recent inquiry was about zoysia, another commenting about the Puerto Rico entries, and someone asking about her peace lily that was failing to thrive. Students at lectures I've given often (virtually) stop by BelleWood Gardens, as do members of organizations to which I belong. Some people even bookmark the site and come on a regular and frequent basis.
What sort of traffic do I get?
There were 205,430 successful hits for the entire site in the two weeks between January 2, 2009 and today, January 15, 2009, with 10,884 page views. January 12, 2009 has been the most active day in the two week period under discussion, with 18,155 hits. The average number of hits per day was 14,673.
Where did these visitors come from? By far, the majority came from the United States, followed by several hundred each from Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands. There were under a hundred but more than 50 from each of the following countries: Turkey, France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Greece, Poland, India, and Bulgaria.
Overall, I posted 119 diary entries in 2008, plus a handful of what's flowering at BelleWood in Bloom. There at least 4 or 5 entries each month, and quite often more than that. September had 16 entries with Garden Writers Association in Portland, Oregon (and yikes! I still have three more entries to write.) July was the busiest month, with 29 entries for Perennial Plant Association symposium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Clearly you are in good company if you come for a virtual visit at BelleWood Gardens. Enjoy, and come again. I assure you that you are much more welcome than these actual visitors,
And remember, as it says up above - If you have any comments, observations, or questions about what you read here, you can always Contact Me.