Spring brings out the gardener in all of us. Here’s a look at gardening sites on the Web. There’s something for everyone here, from veteran gardeners to people with black thumbs.
WebGarden
From Ohio State University,WebGarden offers a range of multimedia resources, including an illustrated plant dictionary and a plant database that can be downloaded onto your hand held. The PlantFacts database searches more than 45 university and government sources. An FAQ page answers common gardening questions.
Gardening from the National Arboretum
Experts answer the most commonly asked plant-specific gardening questions, with articles on aquatic plants, roses, turf and others. Monthly pest management articles tell you what pests to look for and how to get rid of them.
Plant Information Online
Gives buying information for 103,592 plants in 972 North American nurseries. Plant Information Online is a free service of the University of Minnesota Libraries.
Garden Guides
Includes how-to articles, plant fact sheets and guide sheets, seasonal tips and recipes for those half a million zucchini you find yourself with at the end of the season.
Better Homes and Gardens
A multi-media site with information, advice and design tools. Download garden plans with easy-to-follow layouts, color illustrations and detailed plant lists. Topics include herbs & vegetables, regional gardening, and landscape design, many on video. Step-by-step articles on projects such as building arbors or fences. The Garden Doctor section answers common questions.
HGTV Gardening
Features how-to videos, shopping tips, garden basics for newcomers as well as garden plans and articles on topics such as how to prune roses or how to build a patio or deck.
The Garden Gate
Links to online gardening sources ranging from magazine articles to book reviews to nursery catalogs. The Teaching Garden provides links to plant databases, glossaries and plant societies.
Gardening Resources
From the National Gardening Association, includes monthly regional guides with reminders and how-to projects. Q&A Library contains answers to common gardening questions. Also has a weed library and pest directory with pictures and information on how to conquer those problems. Looking for an heirloom tomato seed? Enter your request in Seed Swap and see if you can find someone who’s willing to swap with you.
Dave’s Garden
Gardening 2.0 with discussion boards on 90 topics. Includes a plant database and the Garden Watchdog, which features consumer reviews of 6,309 mail order nurseries. The Garden Bookworm contains user generated reviews of almost 3,000 gardening books.
Martha Stewart’s Gardening Page
Covers the basics to advanced divided into 10 topics, including plants, tools, vegetable gardens, maintenance and “good things,” which features stories on things like flower arrangements. Illustrated plant encyclopedia contains thousands of entries that you can browse by different criteria such as plant type, hardiness zone, garden uses or soil conditions.
Organic Gardening
Features articles on controlling weeds and pests naturally, and growing without chemicals. Regional almanacs provide monthly tips and how-tos. Recent features: How to build a “salad box” garden, plants that attract bees and how to keep deer out of your garden.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center
Offers a variety of educational workshops and wildflower facts for every state. Native Plant Information Network allows you to search 6,830 native plant records by traits or names to “encourage the cultivation, conservation, and preservation of wildflowers and other native flora throughout North America.” Ask Mr. Smarty Pants provides information on the best native plants for your garden. Features links to native plant sellers.
About. com Gardening Guide
Links to articles by category, such as garden design, gardening with kids and garden problems in the garden.
Garden Web from iVillage is a kind of social network site for gardeners with blogs and forums in which like-minded people exchange ideas, tips and even seeds, Also has glossary, zone maps and HortiPlex, a database of plants, plant images and botanical data as well as links to information sources, images and vendors at other sites.
Home and Garden Information Center
From the University of Maryland, features “TimelyTips,” monthly articles on planting, insects and disease. The plant diagnostic center is an illustrated database that helps you diagnose and treat problems with houseplants, shrubs, trees, vines, vegetables–you name it.
Fine Gardening
From Taunton Press, features plant guides, articles on garden design, how-to videos and an online forum, Over the Fence.
credit: ejhogbin
