Last month we began our discussion on taking the time during the slower winter months to start planning next years’ gardens. We talked about the wealth of information on the various commercial Web Sites on the Internet and about the value of the various “Lists” available to the gardener. This month we look at some private and institutional sites out there.
Privately maintained web sites are a little harder to locate but, they can be packed with useful information. Most, but not all, are geared toward a particular subject such as shade gardening, bulbs, rock gardens, or a specific variety of plant. They are maintained by gardeners that want to share their interests with others. Usually they contain “Links” to other web sites with a common interest. These sites are put together by people with a genuine interest in promoting gardening and not selling a product, although some will offer items they have used and believe in. An excellent example of such a site is Adventures in Gardening with the Gardening Guy.
Our colleges and universities also provide a vast source of useful information to the gardener through the various State’s Agricultural Extension Services. Most of us have used these services at one time or another when we have needed information or had a problem. Probably few of us realize that this information is now available on the Internet. We can access this information from the comfort of our home, read and print data, ask questions, and ask for information. GreenSheets Gardening is a web site offering a one stop access to almost every state’s Extension Service’s Data Base.
Have a salt build up problem with your soil? Now you can actually go to an Extension Service in one of our arid Southwestern States that really have salt problems and find out how they handle it. Need to know what plants native to Alaska pests are? Go there and ask. The potential is nearly limitless.
These are just a few examples of what is available. Take the time now to build your own resource data base, geared to your needs and interests. When a question or problem arises you will then know where to go to find quick answers.
