Online Garden Hoarding with Google Reader

In the RSS Primer, I mentioned Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader) as a way to keep up with RSS feeds from your favorite blogs all in one place. Google Reader is more than that, it's a way to track lots of things like keyword alerts.  Let's take a quick look at how it can help you with your blogging.

What Up G

First and foremost it's an RSS reader. If that is Greek to you, then go back to the RSS Primer and start again. By collecting all of your favorite blogs in ONE place you can actually follow more blogs easily. Instead of bookmarking, navigating, checking for new posts, rinse and repeat for each blog, you can just go to G Reader and have it do the thinking for you.

To add a subscription is so easy even a . . . well, you get it. At the top of the left column, you'll see "Add a subscription" (see the illustration to the left). Paste (or type) in the address of the RSS feed you want to follow. Now it's much easier if you copy and paste from the blog or other so learn to use your right-click (ctrl + click on Mac) to copy those URL's.

Once you've added the RSS feed, then it will appear at the bottom under subscriptions. BAM! Now that's one less place you have to check or in my case, forget to check then be asked what I thought later.

Alert! Someone Mentioned [keyword] on the Internets

Now if you have a certain keyword you'd like to track across the internet, say "Landscapedia", you can create an alert. Whenever Google finds a new use of this keyword online, G Reader will let you know.

If you go to Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts), you can create custom alerts based on the keyword you select. Here's a tip - "Use unique keywords lest you get millions of results".  Also you can use quotes to use a specific phrase such as "Garden Design".

The form is pretty straight forward (see the second illustration).  Put in the keyword.  Select "Feed". Submit the form.

Again, let's let G Reader do the heavy lifting for us so we have one less thing to remember to do.

Bundle Up

Now that you have your favorite blogs and all of those nifty keywords (that's right, I used nifty in a sentence), you can create a bundle.  It's sort of like tying it all up in a bow so it's easier for to give to your friends.  This makes it easy for you to share what you're following with the people who are following you.

Go to "Browse for stuff" (see the top illustration).  Then you'll see the bottom illustration appear on your screen.  Create a bundle.  Then just drag and drop your items that you want to share. You can see my Bundle here - http://www.google.com/reader/bundle/user%2F07200607627238244437%2Fbundle%2FLandscapedia

Enough Already
G Reader can do a bit more, but this will give you a way to consolidate all of the information you follow, news, events, blogs, etc. It will definitely make your digital life easier if you can go to one spot instead of dozens.