Let's go gardening!

I'm making the regional forums circuit to let folks know about our new feature here: http://davesgarden.com/go/

One of the important differences that will distinguish this feature from other general "trip advisor" or "yellow pages" sites is the input from each of us as gardeners.

Please add your feedback for the businesses you've patronized and the public gardens and parks you have visited. It helps other gardeners and the business or organization.

For smaller businesses and organizations, this type of "word of mouth" is their only form of advertising. And for businesses of any size, unsolicited testimonials are priceless - they can't buy that type of good will.

Here are the Upper Midwest state listings so far:

WI: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?state=wi
MN: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?state=mn
IL: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?state=il
ND: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?state=nd
SD: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?state=sd
IN: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?state=in
IA: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?state=ia

You can narrow these down to a particular category (garden center/nursery, or public gardens, etc.) You can also plug in your ZIP and specify a radius (especially helpful if you live near the state line and want to see everything in your immediate area.)

If your favorite nursery or park/garden isn't listed yet, let us know and we'll add it, or start the entry and add what you know (we'll fill in the blanks.)

Terry - did you want reviews of all places that sell plants every year like chain stores and outlets? I wouldn't want to offend growers by comparing them to places that just buy plants and sell them

We're steering clear of the national chains at this point (no Lowe's, Home Depot, WalMart, etc.) If it's a hardware store that throws up an impromptu greenhouse each spring, I'd say list it only if it's a place you'd deem worth the trip for folks in the area. (Case in point: there was a place in Oklahoma that had the BEST variety of interesting and best-looking perennials and annuals each spring, and they were just a tent that rented space in a grocery store parking lot. Unfortunately, I don't remember their company name, or I'd be inclined to add them.)

Ok - I do have a few temporary places that I buy more plants at than full time nurseries - so that information would be useful to others I think.

A few thoughts about this great new feature.

Many DG gardeners are looking for native plants.
I don't see a way to filter those garden centers/nurseries out.

I don't know about many, but there are some private gardens that are open from time to time.
For example, in my neighbourhood there is a humming bird garden that is open a couple of
weekends a year when the hummers are passing through and can be observed. I wonder if
that might be another category.

Just some thoughts....

enya, we opted to not delve into the realm of types of plants for this feature. What they carry (whether it's native or not) is good to include in your comment.

I mentioned to Dave that it would be nice to add some additional search "criteria" in the future (e.g., kid- and/or pet-friendly, handicap-accessible, seasonal/call-ahead type information would all fall into that realm.) If/when he adds that, then that would be the perfect time to expand into private gardens that are available by appointment, so the instructions could be part of the search criteria.

Terry - I see you are filling in my missing information - thanks. Is the lat/long info for Onstar directions? I have so far entered in places that I have only been to, but will add others I have physically seen.

No problem Al ;o) To answer your question, I don't have OnStar, so I'm not sure exactly what data it requires to work, but it is the lat/long data from Google's maps.

Now coordinates for a location is something I could REALLY use when trying to find a place. I'm a geocacher and I use my hand-held GPS in this way a LOT. So I would love seeing the coordinates listed! (lat/long)

Ok folks I am lost.

They lost me with lat/lon/=. I have no sense of directions. We went to Vegas 3 years ago and if it weren't for my husband I would STILL be walking aroung the Mirage trying to find away to get to the street!

The good news is you don't have to fill in lat & long information if you don't feel comfortable retrieving it or working with the Google maps to find it.

Our system can figure out most of them as long as you complete the address fields (street, city, state, ZIP)

If you have a nursery you'd like to rate, but you don't feel up to adding them, just let us know - we'd be happy to create the entry so you can add your review.

Brainerd, Minnesota area... Landsberg Nursery on Hwy 371. A llittle pricey and rarely any "Specials" but really beautiful healthy plants and generally helpful service.

michaelangelo, here you go: http://davesgarden.com/go/view/3786/ I hope you'll rate them for the benefit of others in the area, or those passing through!

Terry when I used the link to see their web site I got a long document the first paragraph of which said:

"This document is an Internet-Draft and is NOT offered in accordance
with Section 10 of RFC2026, and the author does not provide the IETF
with any rights other than to publish as an Internet-Draft."

That is weird, I have never run into that before.

good catch - will you try it again and see if it's working now?

Terry, It works.

Good! (There was a stray character in the URL as I orginally uploaded it...my fault!)

Hmm, all I seem to be able to pull up are Tree Farms if I want to go out any farther than 25 miles from my zip code.. I mean, I like trees and all, but... :)

Diann

Ticker, maybe you've narrowed your search down to tree farms?

We have 140-some Iowa destinations listed: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?zip_distance=25&zip=Enter+zipcode+or+location&state=ia&country=XX&type=&search_text=&sorter=company_name&submit=Search

If I go out 250 miles from Lisbon (using 52253 as the ZIP), there are 460 results: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?zip_distance=250&zip=52253&state=xx&country=XX&type=&search_text=&sorter=distance&submit=Search

Terry,

I was just going through to see what new garden centers had been added to the Minneapolis area and adding some comments. You might want to check out the longitude latitude for the Minneapolis Farmers Market. It has it 19 miles from where I live and it can't be any more than 3 or 4 miles from me.

Pauline

Thanks Pauline - can you re-check our map (click on the "+" sign in the upper left-hand corner to drill down and see if that looks like the right spot for it.)

Terry,
You got it. Thank you
Pauline

Terry, no, I didn't narrow my search down to tree farms. :) The only time I could actually pull something up besides tree farms is when I used the generic zip code search in the right hand corner of the screen.. and that limited me to 25 miles out. I don't know, maybe people just want me to buy trees to fill up the east and west pasture. :)

Ok, just checked, if I use the zip code search within the "let's go gardening" framework, I get nothing but tree farms. If I use the state "Iowa" search I get some things, like maybe one or two on garden supplies, and nothing on other things.

I just don't think it likes me.

Diann

Diann, a a few things::

1) Did you clickon the links above? That will give you the results AND also show you how I searched for them (just look at the input area above the results.)

2) Can you tell me what words you're using to search (besides the ZIP code search?)

3) Once you start a search, you can expand the radius to 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250 miles ;o)

Here's the search for ZIP 52253, limited to a 25 mile radius: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?zip_distance=25&zip=52253&state=xx&country=XX&type=&search_text=&sorter=distance&submit=Search

All but six are classified as garden centers/nurseries: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?zip_distance=25&zip=52253&state=xx&country=XX&type=gardencenters&search_text=&sorter=distance&submit=Search

The other six are tree farms: http://davesgarden.com/go/advanced.php?zip_distance=25&zip=52253&state=xx&country=XX&type=christmastrees&search_text=&sorter=distance&submit=Search

Never fear - we'll get to the bottom of your search woes yet!

Ok, I guess it doesn't hate me after all. :) I don't know what I was doing, but what ever it was it wasn't right. It works. Thank you for humoring me. :) I'm now going off in search of a caffeine IV.... Thank you! :)

Diann

If you find the caffeine IV, please let me know...been looking for one myself for a long time ;o)

Terry, Creeping around the forums in my normal "lurkers" state I noticed a incorrect address listing. I was checking out the IA link above and using "51501" as the zip code. Sherbondy's Home & Garden Showplace is listed as 319 N 16th St. and should actually be 16th Avenue. It really is a nice garden center and I would hate to see someone looking for it on N 16th St...lol I am afraid they would be quite dissapointed.

Jos

Thanks - I corrected it. But now a favor: come out of lurk mode and add your $0.02 worth to their entry - they will appreciate the review, as will others who otherwise may not know if it's a good place or not ;o)

Thanks Terry

I did post my review, I am not great at "reviewing" but I was somewhat satified with what I wrote...lol

Thanks again

Oh by the way, I do have a few others that I liked last year but I have not been in this year. I am going to check them out again and hopefully I will have more to add later.

Terry

I don't see any listings for Michigan. How can that thread be started

Michigan has their own forum here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/region_mi/all/

Within that forum is a similar thread here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/676684/

Just discovered this great resource. Thank you; I found 2 new places to check out this year!