"How does one find it other than clicking a link like above?"
I agree that is a problem...
In the case of the "Welcome" forum, If you click on forums in the left-hand sidebar, to order things by forum type and name instead of most recent activity, and then scroll way down to near the end, you will find the welcome forum. I think it's also helpful to look at the list that way just to become familiar with the different types of forums... the general gardening group, a group devoted to specific types of plants, another for specific geographical regions, and so on.
