mellielong said:Critter, what I like is that the plants are labeled so I know I'm adding it to the right entry in the database.

yes!
I enjoy the shows as well, but I tend to stay home if I don't have any spending money to take with me.
Perhaps I'll just eat a big meal before I go and think of it like the library - something both free AND worthwhile to do.

Critter, I like the way you think! For me it was also a good reason to get out of the house. I'm on disability due to a variety of medical conditions and don't get out much but I'm trying to do more. It's good for the mental health, too. Going to see pretty flowers can put anyone in a good mood!

I think plant shows are fun to add to the database because it shows what people are growing in various regions and also what plants are being submitted and winning awards. I always add in the caption what plant show it was at, and you can often see the ribbons in my pictures. So for those who compete in that kind of thing they can see what cultivars might be a good choice for entry or what a "winning" plant looks like. To me, they're all winners because I'm generally like

ATP has a very devoted Daylily group and I have to admit I was a little smug when I got to add some of the first pictures to a few daylilies in the database. I was just so surprised they hadn't been added because the Daylily bunch here are very thorough. Then again, sometimes you see rare or uncommon plants at shows because the collectors really come out and show off!

I see there's another thread where the members are getting impatient! I don't even have any tickets and I still want to see who won! Of course, Dave and family are on Texas time so we East Coast folks have already had our coffee. Maybe we could do some actual gardening to pass the time?

We usually don't post the video until well into the afternoon.

mellielong said:Critter, I like the way you think! For me it was also a good reason to get out of the house. I'm on disability due to a variety of medical conditions and don't get out much but I'm trying to do more. It's good for the mental health, too. Going to see pretty flowers can put anyone in a good mood!

Disability is the reason I don't have much spending money!
And I DO try to do what I can to keep my spirit up!

mellielong said: Maybe we could do some actual gardening to pass the time?

Critter, a lot of plant shows are free so you just have to pay for the gas to get there. Although, the rose show I went to was at a local mall so enter at your own risk! I also think I'm going to write my first "Idea" for the site about how to save money when visiting botanical gardens. So hopefully it will get published and you can be on the lookout for that. Now, the long wait until this afternoon...

mellielong said:I also think I'm going to write my first "Idea" for the site about how to save money when visiting botanical gardens.

OH please DO!

I am restricted to venues I can get to on a city bus.

Writing an article is a very good way to earn acorns. I usually look for a topic that I know well and see questions about it from other members. Like how to grow a particular plant, or how to divide, prune, or transplant a plant. Or ways to save money on gardening. I am a budget gardener, so I've posted several articles on how to do something related to gardening on the cheap! Write about a topic that you know and have experience with.

Though, keep in mind that not all articles are approved. If not, try again with a different article. I typically ask if an article is worth writing about before I put my time into writing it. Sometimes there has already been an article published about a topic I was going to submit.

There is also NAR raffles listed for September and October (look at the blue box (on your home page) to your left under "Goodies" for the calender of events on ATP.

Thanks Becky, good advice!

Just keep collecting those acorns wherever you can and save them up for the NARR drawings!

beckygardener said:Writing an article is a very good way to earn acorns. I usually look for a topic that I know well and see questions about it from other members. Like how to grow a particular plant, or how to divide, prune, or transplant a plant. Or ways to save money on gardening. I am a budget gardener, so I've posted several articles on how to do something related to gardening on the cheap! Write about a topic that you know and have experience with.

Though, keep in mind that not all articles are approved. If not, try again with a different article. I typically ask if an article is worth writing about before I put my time into writing it. Sometimes there has already been an article published about a topic I was going to submit.

Do you think an article by a hybridizing newbie has any shot in (what was that term again...heliconia?) of getting published? I could give some of my ideas about cheap ways I have found to mark DLs, etc...

I have tree-mailed Trish before starting an article to ask her if my article idea is one that has been done before or one that she thinks would be worth writing about. If she says yes, then I write the article.

I am a bit of a technical writer when I write my articles. I try to be fairly precise, thorough, and show photos to explain what I am talking about. I write it for ....a newbie to the topic... in mind. Trish has the option to edit any articles you write as well. Once they are in the queue to be published (after Trish accepts the article), you can still edit them until they are actually published. The edits have to be approved. Keep in mind that often there is a long queue of articles to be published, so writing them at the last minute to earn acorns for an upcoming raffle might not work out in your favor. I write articles when something comes to mind that I think others might find useful, not for the acorns. Often it is when I am working on a garden project. I have learned to document my projects with step-by-step photographs, just in case I decide to use it for an article later. I actually enjoy writing the articles and giving other gardeners ideas! Most of my articles have been well received, so I must be on the right track in the topics I've chosen. You can look through the large list of articles and see which ones got the most thumbs up to help you determine what topics seem to be popular or see what the writing style is of the author of the articles. Sharon is an amazing writer ... if you haven't read any of her articles, I suggest you do so!

I see all kinds of articles and writing styles that get published here on ATP. Don't be afraid to give it a try. If it doesn't get accept for publishing, then ask Trish why. Her answer many help you get published the next time you write an article.

I too, have sent a few articles. I stopped because I don't find the idea site user friendly, and there are no directions. I know 99% of the ATP members have no problem, but I do. Also, I never get any feedback, so I dont know if my idea has been done, boring, or useless because I can't use the site correctly. Myself, I like putting my ideas in the appropriate thread, then the interested people see it, and its in season.

tk - I am sorry to hear that you find the idea site hard to use. It took me a short time to figure it out with my very first article, but once I did, I have no problem using it now.

Honestly, tree-mailing Trish is a good idea before writing any article. (I hope she sees this and is ok with me telling folks to email her first.) I would sure dislike hearing about members spending time writing an article that has already been done or writing an article on a topic that is not something that would be published. Best to ask the person, managing the articles, beforehand.

I am sure that just about every member on ATP has an article in them .... that they "could" write .... and would likely be published if it was done to expectations. It's those expectations you need to clarify with Trish.

That's a good idea. Maybe, that should be published!

Maybe ....

Speaking of Trish and articles...Trish will often give a shout out for articles that are needed for certain plant week celebrations.
Check the 'Upcoming ATP Events' page and see if Trish needs articles and ideas for those.

If you're not sure about writing articles/ideas, or you don't want in the queue, you could write a blog post here on ATP. Very easy and no pressure. Once you publish the blog post the members will most likely give you some and some folks give It's a good way to practice writing.

Also - putting the ideas in certain threads would not work for the article of the day. And how would you know that the right people are seeing it? It could be you reach others (not on that particular forum or thread) that ARE interested.

Some of the articles that I have written involved projects that others had never even considered until they read my article. So you don't really know for sure who might actually find your article to be of interest. I read a lot of articles that I am very impressed with and many give me some good ideas to use in my own garden or here on ATP.