Six on Saturday – a participant guide

The Propagator, who started this meme back in May 2017, wrote a participant guide in September 2017. It’s still on his website, here, but I thought I would duplicate it on this site in case you’ve landed here since he handed the reins to me and perhaps don’t even know that he was Mr Six on Saturday for well over five years. This is what he wrote:

“I thought it might be helpful to jot down some guidance for anyone considering joining in this weekly meme.  There are no rules as such, but I suppose that over the months a pattern has developed, as follows:

1) Six things. Not eight, dozens, two, whatever. Six! Arbitrary number, but there it is.  A numbered list works well.

2) Not just plants, could be anything. A success, a failure, a plan, a completed project, a feature, a favorite tool, anything at all.  So long as it is…

3) Happening in your garden now, or now-ish. Or at least in a garden right now. Most folks are describing their own gardens, but some in the horticultural profession like to show off things in their clients garden.  Totally fine. As would six things from a visited garden, why not?

4) Frequency. I post weekly but if that feels a bit much and is putting you off participating, fear not. There is no obligation to post weekly. Some do monthly, some every now and again, fortnightly, you get the picture.  Talking of pictures….

5) Photos please, ideally for each of the six items. We all like to have a nose. More than one photo of the same thing is also fine (ie you might have more than six photos in total).  I often do this.  Don’t fret about photo quality, I mostly just use the camera on my phone.

6) Verbiage is optional but very welcome. For example, if it’s a plant, where did it come from, do you like it, does it behave itself, any important care notes etc etc, but…

7) Not too much verbiage. I can go on a bit myself, it’s easily done, but since there are Six things, and a growing number of Six posts to read in a typical week, consider being a little frugal with the wordcount.

8) Blog platforms provide the easiest way to participate, but Facebook works too, if you don’t have a blog, as does Twitter for which a numbered thread works well – 280 characters is enough to give some good background for each item. We have been using #SixOnSaturday hashtag, good for tweeted Sixes, and also for sharing Six blog posts. Just write your blog post/tweet then get the link to your article. Talking of links…

9) Links.  Don’t forget to add a comment to my weekly post that contains a link to yours, that way everyone can easily find your Six post. There are several ways to do this. Via WordPress “share” there is an option to copy the link to clipboard, I expect other blog platforms behave in a similar fashion. Or you can just view your blog post on the web like a visitor would, and simply copy the link from the address bar.  For tweet-based Sixes, just use the menu on the tweet and copy the link.  If you also add a link back to my blog from your post, or include my @JamesLStephens twitter handle if tweeting, that would be lovely.

10) if you have a twitter or facebook account, feel free to promote Six posts from fellow participants, share the Six on Saturday love.  Use the #SixOnSaturday hashtag.

That’s it, I think.  Like I say, not rules to comply with as such, more a pattern to conform to, a guide.

If you decide to ski a little off-piste in your Six on Saturday post, that’s entirely fine, it’s your blog after all. There is no naughty step.

Go on, join in this Saturday!”

(I have amended nothing except to change The Propagator’s Twitter handle to my own. I have subsequently left Twitter, so you won’t find me there. I also swapped over his pictures to some of mine. For my own part, reading the “rules” again after a gap of a few years, I am struck by how well thought out they are to try to make the meme inclusive. I’m guilty of breaking rule 7, too much verbiage, and I’ve pushed the boundaries of rule 1, the limit of six. I feel slightly guilty for doing so, it seems a bit disrespectful. Will I mend my ways? Probably not. Working within constraints never did anyone any harm though and if you want to do something way outside the concept why do it under the Six on Saturday banner?)