For the past few days, I've been thinking about that too. It doesn't seen to be as active. This is my second season here and last year it did seem to have a lot more posts even during the growing/planting season. I hope it picks up.

Ditto here. I used to be here much more frequently in past years, but after I moved last summer I had no garden and so I've been away for a while.

I've noticed a shift to more southern gardeners (although that's probably a seasonal thing) and fewer posts in general.

G'mon GGG, where are all your posts??

:)

C.

I was beginning to think the same, I just love this forum, being fairly new to all this I have been enjoying everyones posts, adding my two cents worth maybe a little too often.
In all my years I haven't met such a great bunch of folks. I know it's a very busy time of the year for most, but, a few words on what's going on in your garden, new plants that you've fallen in love with, plans you have in the works, even photo's you've taken on your travels. What's different in your garden this year, what works, what doesn't.
So many of us have no one to share our passion for gardening with and so enjoy everyones posts and comments. I'm waiting in anticipation for Steven's next post, more pic's of everyone's lovely gardens, the roses so far have been magnificent. O.K. I'll shut up, but just for now. LOL

Annette

MaryLu, I have thought the same though I know at different times of year it slows way down here. I just figured that I have too much time on my hands lol! I have to say though that there have not been as many new Cottagers with questions about plants, where to begin etc. as there normally is this time of year. I have posted about all the pictures that I can because my garden is so young and I really don't have much in bloom right now (enough to keep me happy but not enough to be of much interest to anyone else). I have all my pots and planters done now so I'll go to the gallery and start a thread on those. Surely not that interesting like a huge garden full of flowers but at least something to talk about.

Lurkers...come out, come out, wherever you are!!!

MeMo

I'm a new poster this season and have felt a bit shy about posting my two cents on most posts. Would hate to step on anyone's feet or give the impression of being too bold.
Annette, I've never felt you post too often. I enjoy your comments. They are always heartfelt and encouraging. I've also really enjoyed seeing your gardens along with everyone else's. I second your thought about it being so lovely to have fellow gardeners to share experiences with. Most of my friends and acquaintences get bored with it and frankly, just don't get my excitement and enthusiasm. I'm one of those hopeless romantics that runs out every morning to see what new blooms opened over night.
You would all laugh if you could see how sparse my plantings are at this point but I know from past experience that it's just a matter of time before they spread and bloom and look like they've always been there.
Let us keep on posting and encouraging one another in such a wonderful, timeless venture!
Stephanie

Having been a regular poster on this forum for years I'd have to say it's just the time of year. Most of us can finally be outside working in our gardens and just plain enjoying them so posting here can often take a back seat. Speaking for myself, I was outside from 7 to 11 so just came in a half hour ago. I didn't even realize what time it was I was so involved in what I was doing. I know from experience there are many more like me on this forum - we just get busy and run out of energy. : ) I shoveled so many wheel barrels of compost into my new butterfly garden that my fingers hurt when I type. But it's a good hurt. lol!

As for posting pics here on the discussion side, I don't believe anyone really minds if they aren't huge and they are part of a discussion. But when they are a thread just about pics and there are lots of these pics, it's best if they are posted in the gallery. This is mainly out of respect to our long time posters and any new ones who are on dial-up. Plus, quite a few of us spent a bit of effort and time to get a gallery for this forum just so we would have one place to view everyone's lovely pics and not slow down the discussion side. And it's so simple to find - it's just a click on the link, no different than when one clicks on the discussion link.

One thing I've noticed is that there are some who post pics yet rarely contribute to any of the discussions nor do they post comments on other pics in the gallery. I know everyone is pressed for time but if one can post a string of their own pics and come back regularly and answer questions about those pics, then surely that person can view and comment on some of the other members' pics in the gallery. It's the Cottage way, after all - an unselfish give and take of our knowledge, experience and time.

And don't anyone ever feel you're posting too much. Or that your garden is too small or unworthy. There is no such thing on this forum. We love hearing and seeing everyone's gardens regardless of the state they're in. Which reminds me, we really need an ugly thread. I'm going to go take some pics of my dirt hillside that will hopefully one day be turned into a shady spot. Then you will see that even those of us with some nicely finished areas still have places that make us go WHAAAA!!!!!!

: )
Diana

Yep, its slow. I hope to be posting some photo's soon too but like others have said there isn't a whole lot going on yet. Between the slowness here, winter sowing & now Gardeners Diary only airing once a week, I will be going thru serious garden talk withdrawal soon.

In mid-June I'll be taking a short trip to Charleston, SC. Hope to be taking lots of photo's. So many pretty gardens there.

Diana, I myself am guilty of posting on the gallery, but seldom replying to others that post on the gallery. Most posts on the gallery have "lots" of pictures and take forever to download as I am on dial-up. Especially when others add pictures to the original post. I do open them, but usually end up backing out of them and because of that, do not feel that I can post a comment on something I have not seen. Some of the "color" threads I would dearly love to see, but they become so long, with so many pictures, that I have given up trying. When I post a thread, I always do try to return to it to answer any questions or respond to comments as I feel it is the courteous thing to do. Once a thread has downloaded to my computer, I can open it again quickly as the pictures are stored in my computer's cache.

I guess that is what I miss most with fewer posters posting pictures on the discussion side. In those posts there were usually only a few pictures and it did not take as long to download. But that's just me.

If I have seemed un-cottage like in the past, I apologize. It was not intended. I love this forum and all the great people who post here and share their wealth of information. I feel like it is my second family.
Marylu

I totally agree! Been wondering that a lot the past couple weeks.

I'm new and am busy absorbing info and gaining inspiration that sometimes, (always) I forget to post. Y'all have such a great rapport and it's hard when you're a little on the shy side but your friendliness is encouraging.
I usually ask my questions over in the Texas forum since we have such freaky heat. This year I'm just in the planning stages, everything I have is tiny and waiting in a holding bed, I promise that next year I'll pester you with questions and pictures galore!

I miss the pictures! Tho I know it's a problem for some. Don't know what the answer is. And I think this forum has slowed down too but thought it was my imagination. This is one of my favorite forums so I hope everyone pops in to keep the conversation going.

Marylu, I know what you mean about the slow loading and I have dsl. That's one of the reasons I reposted the instructions for thumbnails that Nell so generously provided. And I had suggested that folks post just a few pics on the color threads and then link to the rest but as you can see that hasn't happened. I can hardly get the threads to load, let alone post any pics myself. That I know of, most picture posting sites have instructions for sizing pics, including resolution info, so maybe those reading this can review how to post pics in a more manageable size for everyone.

My comment about the Cottage way was meant to encourage others to share their views and knowledge, and not just wait for the picture threads to comment. There are quite a few threads on the discussion side about topics besides growing a particular plant. So in my view there's not much of an excuse for simply lurking and not commenting, yet having the time to post numerous pics, whether on the discussion side or the gallery. But that's just me. It's been a long time since anyone called me shy. : )

Diana

Another alternative to using thumbnails (to decrease the download time) is to look through the help files of whatever image editing program you use to learn about "image compression".
When saving a file as a jpg, you have the option to "optimize" or "compress" your images, which greatly reduces the file size. (I just got a photograph from a friend vacationing in south america that's 1.2 megabytes!! Thank goodness I'm on cable)

Keep in mind, of course, that compression reduces the quality of your image, so you'll have to play around to see what is reasonable. Sometimes you can get a good-size image down to 20-40 kb and still make your point.

C.

Hmmm...I had noticed a little bit of a slowdown, and assumed everyone was busy gardening!

I will admit, I read the instructions on posting thumbnails, but don't really want to make my photobucket account public, so I'm skipping that for now. But, I don't have that many pictures to post! I am actually getting ready to post a small update, tho...

Yep...it's that time of year...everyone is in the garden. Usually more activity in the fall/winter months especially when Tracy has the seed swap going :-)

Edna

I agree, and I too have wondered if the picture debate might of impacted it...not only because OF the pics debate, but rather if it made some gardeners feel intimidated or worry about offending. I know it has impacted myself. I still read but post less frequently as a result...but that is prolly just me. I was here last year at this time, and thought the forum was plenty busy. I would check in several times a day when I came in for a drink or potty.

This is a great wealth of support and info and I hope it continues.

I know what my excuse is. My garden looks pretty much the same every year. And everyone has seen it. I fear others will get bored looking at the same stuff all the time.

While a close up picture can look beautiful, I tend to take pictures of my garden as a whole. Since most flowers cause me no problems, I'm not very helpful when it comes to others zones.

But I LOVE to see other peoples' pictures and read discussions.

An UGLY thread would be a good idea. I have a couple of winners for that. :)

Libby

I don't think there is so much of a slow down if you combine all the "pages" of the cottage garden forum together. It's just we all used to only post in 2 places, now we have 4!!
I figured everyone was just as busy as me! I've been a crazy lady lately and not had as much time for parusing the forums as I do in the winter!!

GGG

Marylu, it really does seem to me like it's just a busy time of year for gardeners. Plus we've "lost" several of our most active posters to jobs and new babies etc.
I'm sure we all know that you do your share of posting around here in Discussions, Gallery AND Conversation forums! Always delightful to hear from you, dear Marylu!

Stephanie, Annette and others, we've enjoyed your contributions this year. Keep it up!

I DO agree with Diana that it would be nice if people would make a better effort to participate. Fellow gardeners, if you're TAKING advice or praise, don't forget to GIVE some to someone else.

We are ALL BUSY, people. If we want a better forum here, we need to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Contribute.
Please and Thank you.
PattiOh

libbyshome, I for one like 'long' shots rather than close ups as I'm trying to find good color/height/texture combos for the beds I'll be doing this fall. I'm sure I'm not the only one that is new(ish) here that might have not caught your pictures so please feel free to put them up again if you have the chance.

I see you're in BC, I'm originally from Toronto and lived in Van. for 3 years in the 90's. Now I'm down in TX.

I have to say that lately I've been guilty of the post-and-run thing. My mini-blog about Costa Rica and the pix I posted have been pretty one-sided. I sincerely meant to post follow-ups and comment on other posts these past two days, but I have been wiped out. I actually started to write some responses yesterday but it came out jibberish and I deleted them. I'll be more involved now that I'm back and catching up on my rest.

I think GGG nailed it though. This forum has expanded quite a lot. I've noticed that the gallery side has really taken off since this spring and I love it. During the winter, posts over there seemed few and far between. I'll bet the same thing happens come late this fall. The discussion side will pick up with the seed swap, cleaning up in prep for winter, winter sowing, bulb shopping, etc. The Cottage Garden Forum is organic and ever-changing, like our gardens ;-)

I'm not around much because I am swamped by spring gardening chores and kindergarten stuff. I post a lot more in the winter when I need my garden fix. I have been taking photos, but you may not see them until November ;-) I am so far behind in the garden - still transplanting and haven't even started mulch yet, yikes!

I miss the photos.

Will post more later when things slow down.

I know for me it has been a very busy May. Then this month is also a busy month. I really haven't been doing a whole lot in my garden this spring and it driving me crazy cause their is so much I want to do.

I have a rose and several plants on their way so I'm excited about getting out there. I still have to transplant, and mulch as well.

As for the photos I just don't have anything to really show sadly and most of my plants are summer/fall blooming which I really need to work on getting some spring bloomers. I do love looking at all yours to help me get an idea of what I like together. I did plan on taking a shot of my side and front yard to bounce ideas off you wonderful people. Maybe I'll do that today.
Meghan

I think it would be really great to have more participation in the discussions and also to encourage some of the lurkers to jump in. I, for one, appreciate the diversity of this forum and the wealth of experience here.

Everyone has varying degrees of time and funds to devote to gardening, but being able to share our experiences with one another( both good and bad) is priceless!

I completely agree with Diana's post, especially her point about pictures on the discussion side. As someone who has the perspective of accessing GW both through dsl and dial-up, I can vouch for the time difference. It is HUGE!

This is a busy time of year for most of us. I think most of us are now putting into practice what we have learned from forum discussions throughout the year.

Happy Gardening!
Marilyn

This forum always seems quieter at this time of year, as everyone who has been cooped up all winter/spring, is out enjoying their gardens.

I have used a photo/compression feature for years to keep the pictures under 30 kbs as much as possible. Huge pictures do take time to download even with DSL.

We do love pictures as everyone knows, so don't want them to disappear, but we did beg for a gallery and now have one, and it may take some time to get people to use it more. New people don't even know there are other sides to this forum, I know how it was when I was new to forums. It was all a tad intimidating at first and you have to learn your way around.

I enjoy all the different discussions, and conversations. Not having gardening neighbors or friends, this is a wonderful addition to my life and I'm so glad to have found this forum.

FlowerLady

I debated on posting this, but I decided it should just be said.
It makes me cringe inside when anyone quantifies what a poster should or shouldn't do to be a member of a forum. Everyone has a place, I don't care how often they post or on what thread, if they answer questions or only post them, if they enjoy only photos and not conversations or whatever.
It makes posters feel that they are being judged, and I for one feel uncomfortable thinking that other posters are keeping some sort of tally on what I post and where. IMO, it certainly doesn't encourage posting, only discourages it among posters that feel they are not living up to some unwritten ideal.
It particularily disappoints me in a forum where I never felt judged and rarely saw a harsh word (actually, just once, and it was from someone that was and is not a poster in cottage) exchanged

JMO

Hipchick, if you are referring to my statements then you are misunderstanding them. My point is that if we want the discussion side to be more active then we have to consider our own participation habits. Yes, you have every right to view and post as you like and no one is saying otherwise. But if someone believes the discussion side has slowed down and hasn't contributed much to it other than a picture thread, then I feel that calls into question their own participation habits and I see nothing wrong in pointing out that fact. There were no harsh words written nor implied, as all of us are long time friends, so anything you may be reading into this is an assumption on your part.

As for keeping a tally, I don't believe anyone is doing such a thing. On the other hand, when someone has been a regular poster on a forum for many years it is easy to notice who posts and when without much mental effort. It wasn't meant as a judgement but rather as an observation.

As Patti so aptly put it, it's about give and take. If you want the discussion side to be more active then you have to do more than lurk or post a picture thread. To do otherwise is asking too few to do the job of the many.

: )
Diana

It's a combination of everything, I think....most of us (can I say us? I'm kinda new...lol) are outside playing in our gardens. I know I just came in to eat some breakfast and check in....like Diana, I've been out since the morning fertilizing, etc., and going back out as soon as I finish this.

Ditto to what Diana said, too, about participation. I enjoy reading about everyone's trials and successes, love to look at the pictures and I'll comment when I think I can be helpful or to give a pat on the back. To get some, you gotta give some, right?

Honestly, I hadn't noticed any slowdown. But then again, I have barely been on lately. I'm swamped at work, and have all sorts of things being planned for the family and such. I've been checking in, but had little time to post.
I have a hard time believing anyone would leave over a comment made about where pictures should be posted(I made such a comment, but don't know if this is referring to me or just a general thing). For further thoughts on this see Dianas post. I agree with her fully.

I am also guilty of posting a pic thread, but rarely commenting in others threads. To be honest, it takes a lot for me to post a comment on pictures. I'm not going to post in everyones thread just for the sake of proper board etiquette(what is that old saying? If you can't say something nice...). I'm not that kind of guy. If you do something extraordinary, trust me, I'll comment.

JMO, I am sorry if you feel judged. Trust me, this is not the case. I have been coming here for a couple years now, and it has always been a great place to talk gardening. Sure, there are those that have been here forEVER, and all seem to know each other, and post more than others, but newcomers are always welcome, regardless of posting habits.

Lets not look too deep into this folks. We're all busy people who love gardening. This forum is a great way to share our interest. Post how, where, and when you want to, but use common sense when doing it. Simple as that.

oh boy....I am sorry I started this post. I did not mean to "stir the pot" so-to-speak. I really thought the discussion forum had slowed down more than usual for this time of year and was wondering why.

I agree with Diana that no harsh words were spoken, and that it is a matter of give and take. She has been very helpful both to me and others in the past and I do appreciate it.

As digital photography gets better and better, digital pictures get bigger and bigger. I will try to remember to post thumbnails on my picture threads in the gallery in the future, and also if a picture is included in a discussion here.

I plan to continue to participate here and hope that all lurkers and new posters jump in and post if they have questions and/or, on the gallery, pictures to share. We are a family after all with much knowledge to share and for me, much to learn yet.
Marylu

This thread ended up taking a turn that left me feeling a little down, not a feeling I have ever felt on this embracing forum ...ok maybe I get a little down when I view some of your beautiful gardens! Every time your sole source of communication is written, it opens the door for things to be misinterpreted, and so people get defensive, hurt, etc. when that wasn't the intent of the poster. I have to admit that as I read this thread hipchicks' response hit a chord for me...right or wrong. I just want to reitterate that this is such a wonderful group of people and someone always steps up and helps out others whether it be with advise or encouragement for a job well done. That is what makes this such a great group. I would venture to guess that everyone has good reason to participate in the manner that they do, and I think it is unfortunate that people have felt compelled to defend themselves for how they have posted. I just hope that everyone feels comfortable enough to post pictures, respond, reflect, and all the myraid of other things the forum offers. Everyone contributes something valuable or we wouldn't each come back to lurk, and/or participate. Yeah to a great forum!!!

All together now,

All God's critters got a place in the choir,
Some sing low and some sing higher.
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire,
Others just clap their hands or paws or anything they got.
...

ThinMan

Uhm, while I've been on GW for quite a while, I tend to lurk a lot. I've just gotten in here, looking around a bit, while I try to attack the lawn year after year.
It's just this year (3rd?) that it seems more like gardens... but it's not quite what I'd be thrilled to share with everyone through pictures; although I like showing it off in person. Usually to people who look at me funny... but *shrug* Ok.

Even if I wanted to take pictures all day long, I don't have a camera usually. Makes things difficult. ;)

And I'm still trying to get the hang of things... so I don't have much experience to share, at least, not the helpful kind.

I tend to just be quiet and absorb things.
(I've been to too many forums and mailing lists that are NOT like this - and the second you say "Hi!" you get jumped on for not introducing yourself properly or some garbage. :P )

Thinman,
LOL!!!
I knew there was something about you I liked! (other than the fact that you are a fellow Michigander that is!)
Stephanie from Mt. Pleasant (well, I used to be anyway)

Group hug!

***

All God's critters got a place in the choir,
Some sing low and some sing higher.
Some sing out loud on the telephone wire,
Others just clap their hands or paws or anything they got.

***

TMan ~ That was great!

FlowerLady