marie.. what was your name on the old GW ... i think i recall your historical house .. but not your name.. was a bean involved ...

are you asking before the WWW or after ...

i didnt have time to go to the library... nor spare money to buy books.. back when i learned.. i winged it all ... lol ...

these days.. crikey.. you can spend 90% of your garden time.. cruising the web ...

ken

yep, idabean

no kidding about spending your life on the internet. No, I'm talking about now.

But one has to have some knowledge to discern between sound info and crap on the web. Most of the readily "accessible" info on the web is third hand, derivative information written by people who were "formerly something else" and somehow got a foot into an e-information world and now answer questions for e-how or somesuch.

You know a lot about trees and conifers. Did you pick it up just by using Gardenweb trees and conifer forums? Catalogues? Visiting arboretums? Talking to nursery growers, asking not just "what" but why, where and when? If you are told about a good website to reference do you look there.?

That's research. Finding out for yourself. It is easy to ask other people what to DO. It takes more time and effort to ask people what they KNOW.

Sometimes I have too much time to think.

Edited to get rid of all the gobbily goop LOL

Annette

Squaring on (gardening) questions:

I won't reply if I don't know and I won't reply if I don't want to.

Still I do take questions as an opportunity to focus and to learn.

And, of course, I have many questions myself.

..I rarely answer questions as I'm such a makeshift gardener... I found t.v. programmes - and we used to have some good ones here...the obvious way to start... along with older books, as writers were prepared to be more critical than they are today where no plant seems to have a fault.... internet for enjoyment, exploration and always learning... I don't buy books any more because of this...

LOL, back to your question, I will reply if I know the answer to a question, if a question is asked that I don't know the answer, I sometimes research it... internet, reference books, ask someone who I know knows the answer just because it interests me.

My background is quite different from most responders in that I do the exact same thing for a living.......answer gardening and horticultural questions. I am a garden coach, consultant and landscape designer. And yes, I do have a degree in the field but was still very interested in the entire broad subject long before that happened (a second, "mature" degree after spending many years at another career). Being a plant lover, collector and long time gardener certainly didn't hurt but most of my information gathering occurred long before GW or the Internet was common or popular from research I did myself and the accumulation of an extensive horticultural library.

Working in the nursery industry has also been a huge education with regards to knowing and growing various plants. And I still research and attend lectures and seminars on topics that interest me or on a subject I wish to learn more about. And one can get some amazing tidbits of info here on GW, even if a very experienced gardener - there is always something new to learn :-))

I consider Gardenweb to be one of my 5 main sources of information when it comes to gardening, with the other four being: the gardening section on the shelves at my local public library, garden blogs, non interactive web sources (i.e., various university agricultural extensions, wikipedia, etc.), and finally my own experiences in my garden. Gardenweb is indeed a valuable informational resource I would say, so long as you understand that people's first hand anecdotal experiences are not necessarily authoritative. I lump it in with the advice I got from my mother and grandmother or my neighbors. Some of it I swear by, and some of it is a bunch of hooey. But it all came from from someone's personal experience and some of it probably isn't to be found in print anywhere. What worked for Jim's roses in zone 7 might not work for Susan's in zone 5, and so on.

A lot of the motivation for research also comes from one's general level of interest. Some people are true garden hobbyists and just want to absorb as much information as possible. Some people just want to have pretty roses in their front yard. And coming onto Gardenweb to ask how to grow pretty roses is probably the best bet for someone like that. I really have such an appreciation for GW as an archival record of everything having to do with gardening sourced from contributors from all over the globe. Who knows, one day it might be the most authoritative resource we have.

Sometimes I think I spend more time researching for my garden than working in it! I have to say I probably overdo it on the research, but partly because I often find such conflicting information, so I keep looking. Some of you may know my long sad saga of trying to find the right chamaecyparis, but being afraid of the varying size descriptions given for the same variety! End result? Still no chamaecyparis after several years. But I digress...

I often research before I post a question. But sometimes I can't find a clear answer (like my post asking about ilex crenata in standing water), so I ask here. Oftentimes, despite my research, I like to hear what other gardeners have experienced. It just seems like a more personal experience. One can read all she/he wants about a plant on extension websites or magazine websites or on blogs by people we've never heard of, (and I do, and often!) but somehow I like to get the experience of people here, many of whom have posted photos of their gardens and whose gardening habits and philosophies I am familiar with, so I feel I can trust - and learn from - their experience.

i mostly learned by doing and thinking (and a lot of garden gazing). plus having hundreds of gardening books-mostly for the pictures:-) an associate degree in horticulture-which actually taught very little of practical use.

when i have a question i usually go to the internet. it's fast and easy and with a little discrimination, very useful.

the only time i asked a question on gw this year-about frozen hosta foliage-i got such a herky-jerky answer it put me off for a while.

i'm not a compulsive advice giver so if people have already answered i don't feel any need to stick in my oar.

I like to research on-line and also see if anyone has posted about a similar plant on Gardenweb. I've learned about gardening from magazines-there used to be more to pick from, books, asking questions from local friends who garden, and hands on experience. I've had my share of losing plants as well as surprisingly happy results. Gardening is a life long learning experience. We gardeners can always find something new to learn. That's one of the things that makes it so much fun!

Linda

Most of my responses are anecdotes of my own personal experiences. If I'm giving info that's not from my own personal experience, I say so, and provide a link, citation, or preface such as, "The CW is...," "The reputation is..." Yes, it's easy to spot the difference. I ask others to share anecdotes often, the one thing not available in a search.

I kill a lot of plants.

I talk to a lot of gardeners...and tend to ignore pretty much anything in magazines and most books and everything on TV. Anyone selling anything automatically gets disqualified as a source of useful info...and the internet offers fascinating insight into other people's gardens and gardening. I did a lot of years at hort.college - the most useful bits tended to be areas I had previously ignored (such as turf culture and conifers)...and I have been a professional gardener for 12 years. I cycle between thinking I know enough...and knowing I really know bugger-all. There's always something...

Let me say again how disconcerting I find the gardening trash on the internet. Not gardenweb, not at all. But the other sites "e-how" etc where someone who knows f- all about plants and gardening, and uses third hand sources (never with citations) to sound like an authority. Its smooth info, like pablum. There's something in the tone that is clearly previously digested.

I agree. You will find as much bunk on the Internet as you do good information.....maybe more. It's a matter of what sites to look for so you know what you are reading is genuine, valid information. Unfortunately, for those new to gardening, how in the world can they tell which is which? I tend to steer clear of all the YouTube videos - most of those are a joke.

There are some sites that almost always hit the mark: MOBOT, any of the land grant university .edu websites (extension service publications), USDA Forest Service, ATTRA (for organics) and most articles published by arboretums and botanical gardens. And then there are some specialty sites - Pacific Bulb Society, Clematis on the Web, any regional, national or even international plant society, Great Plant Picks (PNW orientation).

You get to know which are the good sources and which are not after awhile but that doesn't help those new to the scene much.

I agree with you on every point, including the good websites. Mobot and Chicago Botanic gardens are among my favorites. Nan Ondra's Hayefields although I don't use many annuals and Carolyn's Shade Gardens though I find her website challenging to navigate. Deborah Silver's Dirt Simple for pot design inspiration though her writing with passive voice makes me crazy.

Whenever I have a question or want to learn about something, I search two things: google and gardenweb. If I can't figure it out or I just want some personal opinions/experience, I ask here. Y'all are wonderful. :)

Thank you for asking this question. And thank you for all of the responses thus far. I read books from the library, I research here at GW, and I talk to other friends and family members who garden.

I appreciate all of the references listed in this thread, and it looks like this thread is going to become its own "reference" about great places to look for gardening info!

No matter how much I read about a thing first, doing it always has surprises.
No matter what anyone says, if you want to do a plant-thing...
Just do it!

Good advice, Tiff :-) That is how many accomplished gardeners started out - by just trying a plan they liked before they knew much of anything about it. Trial and error can be frustrating to be sure but it is a wonderful way to learn.

I'd like to think that is one of the reasons I am familiar with so many plants. I've grown them all at least one time or another!

Tiffany you are right on the money. I like to try things in my gardens, especially if someone says you can't do it. I have found that such advice is wrong as much as right, I try things.

Sherry

I majored in ornamental horticulture, have owned business with my husband, and we have worked in many of the fields (nursery, maintenance, design, renovation). I moved more behind the scenes when we started a family, and he began working for other companies, and later, with resorts around the country. It was a valuable learning experience about the differences of gardening in different climates!

Even from our early periods, I have been a plant experimenter. When we had acres to work with it was easier than our current tiny plot of land. When wandering the nurseries and growers lists, something new and interesting will invariably draw me in, and I am compelled to give it a try to see how it really performs. Or two tries. Or if it is a favorite, like Origanum 'Kent Beauty', I'll keep trying, just at more spread out intervals between the fails. ;-)

I would definitely call myself a "newer gardener", although I spent a lot of time learning from my father as a child through his obsessions with growing vegetables, conifers, and orchids (to which I wish I learned more).

For succulents, I was gifted a single Aloe x Spinosissima about 9 years ago and learned how to propagate/care for/save dying aloe completely on my own through experimentation. Since I was able to propagate it so well, my Aloe was a very forgiving "practice tool" for the possibly dozens of times I killed it. Looking up these things just never occurred to me! Along the way I was able to share it with so many of my friends too.

Now that I have started growing a collection of different succulents, I spend a lot of time researching on the internet. As gardengal mentioned above, the biggest challenge for me is finding the truth and facts among all the misinformation out there. Like many things I've learned in my life, "facts" are usually not the case!

Gardenweb is definitely one of my top choices for advice, since there are so many knowledgeable people here with open minds. I pay particular attention to posts with images, because I can relate to what's going on through my own experience much better.

As someone who teaches others in a few very specialized areas, I find little tidbits of expert advice go extremely far.

In those areas, I can immediately identify what's wrong/right and the best course of action. Often, this type of expert information is not readily documented and isn't necessarily known by other experts even.

If only gardening was the case for me! At least I am determined to find out exactly how things work. Always happy to see so many of you offering up your help and advice - hopefully you keep being patient with us newcomers. =)

When I was starting out I learned a lot through books and from my sister who likes to garden. This was before the 'net. The 'net is ok to quickly look something up, but I prefer my tried-and-true books, and of course the GW forums for personal experiences/advice. I also learned a lot by doing and observing.

Now that I think of it I do use Garden Web first when looking for information, I find different people's personal experiences with certain plants are much more helpful than anything I can look up. How they grow in different locations is very helpful when I'm deciding where to plant or if it is even worth trying it. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people on here. Also when looking for certain plants or seed usually someone on here can head you in the right direction :).
Annette