How has DG changed your garden?

This site has become an integral part of my life. It's a resource I turn to for all manner of things, including many which have little to do with gardening. This past week some very savvy DGers were assisting me in my efforts to get my riding lawn mower running. Since I 1st joined DG, I've learned a great deal about many things, more than I can quantify now. I've gotten IDs for most of the plants, weeds, trees, birds, and insects in and around my yard. Most of all, I've made many wonderful friends here at DG, friends who have been there with me through all manner of good times and bad.

My answer is all of the above, including new friends. This is a treasure for me. I loved gardening before DG and I never knew it could be improved upon but DG has made gardening 100 times more enjoyable.

How has DG changed my garden? I voted "Other". By changing the "way" i garden, DG has changed my garden. The spider and insect forum has been enormously helpful because of the knowledgeable and friendly people who participate. I started my DG experience at that forum. By knowing the bugs in my garden, i can now make informed decisions about how to proceed...that is, to leave them alone because they eat aphids or find a non-toxic way to get rid of them if necessary, or get a new host plant. Before i found the DG spider and insect forum, i was gardening under a cloud of ignorance and squishing bugs right and left. Now, i first take a photo of them and post it on the forum and like magic there is an answer. I am always amazed. The Plant ID forum, also with friendly and remarkable people participating, has helped me to decide whether to keep or toss a plant. I am a big big fan of the Garden Watchdog. I am a big fan of the DGers and hearing about their experiences and remedies and sharing some of my own. There is so much positive, friendly energy there from people all over the world...i love it! And "Admin" is super. Face it things don't always go well in a garden so, for example, after the passiflora vine drops dead full of hungry little caterpillars, it can kind of get a person down. I always know i can join in a DG forum discussion and change my focus from the dead passiflora to take the edge off the gloom. As well, if something amazing and wonderful happens there are DGers out there to share those things with and who might have a better appreciation than someone who does not have an interest in gardening, say.

Love DG! It's my go-to place for plant ID's. Love the forums and trading.
Barb

All of the above!!

I'm the only one who has voted added more natives. I was greatly influenced by another DG member who taught me alot about growing native. I have benefited from all the great advice shared by the friendly gardeners here at DG. : )

Love DG for many of the reasons listed. I also got into it because of the Plant Files. I use them all the time. I hereby thank all the members who have listed photos of their plants here because many other sources may only show parts of the plant like the flowers, and you don't always get a good look at the other parts. Somebody has usually got a good shot of the whole plant for you or can come up with one if you need it. I enjoy RU's, and just generally chatting gardening with people from all over.
Martha

Other - all of the above.

I've found some really good friends on DG, as well as expanding the possibilities for my gardens.

Other -- before DG:
►I HAD no vegetable garden!
►I HAD no gardening friends!
►I HAD no gardening knowledge!
►I HAD no love of the feel and smell of black gold compost!
►I HAD no understanding of how many beneficial insects and bugs there are!
►I HAD no sense of pride, accomplishment, and gratitude to God for the bounty of His hands through my labor!
►I HAD no plates of home-grown food before me to eat!
►I HAD no understanding of just how much farmers go through to grow food!

Thank you!

Besides my own natural "want to", DG has helped me from A to Z. Info, friends, everything I need is here. Thanks friends and DG. Best $$ I ever spent, and I ain't lyin' !!

I think I agree wiyth "all of the above " Lots of interesting info and directions of places to look here ..

My favorite part of being a member of Dave's Garden is that I have been able to pass along the knowledge of a lifetime of growing my own vegetables.

wish you had a choice for all of the above- I went from no garden to having veggies, herbs, flowers, a pond, trees, learned to compost, have people that will answer any questions, identify plants and bugs, share gardening ideas with, take part in seed trades and robins, the list is almost endless!

Yes, I now have many many plants I had never heard of pre-DG
I have learned to start plants from seeds or cuttings
I've identified plants and trees I had growing in my garden or yard
I've added more native plants to my landscape
I've discovered heirloom flowers and/or vegetable varieties
I've learned about insects, birds, animals and invasive plants.
I've visited many others gardens via pictures in this country and abroad.

YOU ARE GREAT DG!

Along with so many others, I voted "Other" to represent "all of the above, including new friends". I couldn't begin to describe what a treasure this place is due to the people here, DG is priceless!!! I work at a garden center and I am DAILY writing "davesgarden.com" on the back of our business card and referring people here; this place and you lovely peoples could not possibly be any better!! =)

Oh my goodness, Dave's Garden has been indispensable to me for: getting advice on specific plants from the kind people on the forums, checking out different cultivars before I buy them online through the PlantFinder, finding out where to buy certain plants, and finding the BEST places to buy a certain plant through the Watchdog. Thanks, Dave's Garden, and thank you everyone who has kindly given me advice! (Pictured are Geranium 'Jolly Bee' and Peach Drift Rose)

Hi.

DG has been very instrumental in macking unbelievable friends after relocating from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale 7 years ago. I met wonderful people, learned an awful lot about growing anyting here and they're always excited to give me cuttings.

Sylvain

I voted Other cause there should have been an "all of the above" reply...

The friends that I have found here are the best in my life. Not just for all the good advice, sharing of plants and lovely pictures, but because they are genuinely wonderful people. Kind, sharing, caring. I live amid nice people here but none so warm and touching as those I have met here. Plus my garden is so much larger and has such greater variety now. And let's hear it for the pond folk. An extra for us with ponds to share the good and the sad in the ups and downs of ponding.

I was in the midst of a very difficult marriage when I joined Dave's. Being in the garden changed my life and helped me maintain my sanity....

Not only has DG changed my garden, it has changed my life. I have learned so much of what plants are out there from photographing and sharing photos but also in identifying plants of other members of DG. I have been able to look beyond the typical and learn the non-standard plant material and it shows in my garden. DG has also been a support when the garden was sprayed with herbicide and I was able to focus on DG and get my "gardening fix" until I could replant. I am easily able to look up plants I may want for the garden and with this year being the year I'll be working on a community garden plot, it'll be fun to try annuals, veggies, etc that I have never had the chance to work with and was able to lookup in Plantfiles. The comments have been helpful in deciding what to plant.

I came for the Plantfiles, I stayed for the friends! and have many new plants due to swapping with those friends.

All of my friends prior to DG tolerated my enthusiasm for plants. I had no idea there were so many people with the very same passion for watching tiny plants become healthy full grown plants. I have very dear friends now, from all over the world that I never had a chance of knowing before DG and we all share the same addiction. LOL!!! Love DG!!!

I love Dave's Garden!
Where do you start to try to describe how DG has changed your gardening? wow....

I think the vast knowledge from members, combined with the Plants Database have both been invaluable!!
Love all the forums for chatting with other gardeners who share the same frustrations you have in the garden, and offer ideas and help for solutions!

I love my garden journal! I love my trade lists! I love all the extras!
I've added plants and seeds to my collection that you just can't find anywhere else.

Oh! I almost forgot Round Ups!! Guess that goes back to the gardening friends, but what FUN!!
Hoping I can get to do the RU in Hempstead next weekend. May just have to go even if I don't have anything much to share.

Keep up the great work.... renewing my membership now... ;-)

I just joined.
Getting plant IDs and info on growing unfamiliar plants from amazingly knowledgeable people has been wonderful.
Having people from all over the globe share parts of themselves and exchange ideas has been incredibly fun.
Contributing my own 2 cents to various questions is truly rewarding. I feel smarter already! ;-)
And I have hardly starting using all that DG offers!! Ask me in a few months and you'll get more!!

Started in 2007 with very little in my yard, and zero knowledge about butterflies. Now I garden for butterflies and other creatures that coexist in my yard. I raise several caterpillars and release them as adult butterflies. I made friends and quickly got involved with what we call a Round Up (plant swap). Each year my friends gift me more and more plants that I don't have, as me and others with this disease of gardening convert newbies that come into our world!

Other! All of the above! More! Challenges, answers, Sanity, and for me, sometimes the only people with a lick of sense I get to speak with for DAYS on end...I get told over and over of people who have heard of DG, - usually in commercial growers environments and I also invite them to come see...