* Lost in the shuffle of the 'Regional' Forums *

The 'title' may/may not be the most appropriate: however, at the moment - it is the best that I could come up with. So, please .. refrain from the harpoon shoot, at one of my lackluster inabilities.

There are forums that have long been created and designated for specific subjects .. and now, the greater variety of these other subject material .. seem to be meshed into and lost within the many 'Regional Forums' that currently exist.

Knowing that the 'region-specific' .. (flower and vegetable, etc.) gardening subject material (climate/elevation/zone, etc., associated) is most important to those that share the same - - it is/was easy to see why the origins for the 'regional forums' may have been and continue to be necessary. However .. it seems, that {they} are teaming with valuable info/data/input .. that goes virtually unseen by so many of the rest of us.

Although there have been some folks .. that may and do 'welcome' and 'invite' .. the posts/replies from other folks that are outside their [own] designated 'regions' (and very kind, to say the least) - - but, my point (that I may be having some difficulty in making) .. is > that if we all converge upon these 'regional forums' to find/stumble upon/see & read ALL of the OTHER INFO .. of which, is NOT 'garden' related - - then, one would have to wonder what the purpose is/was .. for the implementation of the 'regional forums' in the first place.

There is no need of anyone possibly allowing themselves to get in a ‘huff’ about my post/thread. For very clearly .. my concern lies most with the vast MIX of subjects that are discussed (other than 'gardening') .. that are being 'confiscated' and 'isolated' into the context and borders .. of the various regional forums.

There are an excessive number of threads that are about/on subjects that are NOT 'regional' specific incidences or subjects. (about pets, livestock, travel, vacations, family, hunting, wildlife, machinery, electronics, jokes, garden tools & equipment, craft ideas, computers, photography/cameras, automobiles, books, health issues) ... and the list goes on.

A few well-intended threads don't even get seen/read and/or acknowledged.. while there are others, that seemingly shouldn't even be mentioned or talked about openly (but, that's a matter of 'opinion', of course).

Perhaps some re-evaluating and/or re-vamping of the regional forums may be in order -?- Would sure seem that if some of these threads were in the more appropriate forum .. the informative and entertaining values, perhaps wouldn’t fall by the wayside quite as easily, and/or be inadvertently missed.

Below; are merely a few examples of such threads ...

Southwest Gardening: Hot enough for ya? > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/619990/
Southwest Gardening: 5-second trellises > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/622964/
Southwest Gardening: Check out my new toy!!! http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/623190/
Southwest Gardening: Bird I.D. Maybe? > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/624027/
Southwest Gardening: About d-mail replies... > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/623810/
Southwest Gardening: A second continuation of Word Association > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/622537/
Southwest Gardening: birdfeeding, birdbaths and trichomoniasis > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/585524/

Canadian Gardening: Happy Birthday Dave > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/475270/
Canadian Gardening: The nerve of them!> http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/473229/
Canadian Gardening: North of Churchill River, Saskatchewan > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/519711/
Canadian Gardening: My first grandchild > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/541325/
Canadian Gardening: Do you do any fall arrangements? > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/552113/
Canadian Gardening: Cooper part 2 > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/553743/
Canadian Gardening: Willow Creek Trail > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/484199/
Canadian Gardening: my winter project > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/484330/
Canadian Gardening: Exceptional Hummer Photos > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/500319/
Canadian Gardening: Norton 2005 > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/481115/
Canadian Gardening: Christmas Pet Picture Contest > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/473785/
Canadian Gardening: Prairie Sentinals for Patischell > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/481630/
Canadian Gardening: Mozilla/Firefox > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/476361/
Canadian Gardening: Ceedub visit with Starzz > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/515236/

European Gardening: Name that Moth > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/623140/
European Gardening: WOULD YOU PUT A DEAD CHIPMUNK IN THE COMPOST? > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/575812/
European Gardening: trip to Edinburgh > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/587275/
European Gardening: UNUSUAL PHEASANT IN THE GARDEN > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/582342/
European Gardening: I sang at Stockton Folk Club! > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/572897/
European Gardening: Upset over Disabilities lesson > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/524001/
European Gardening: First swallows > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/497389/
European Gardening: Discrimination > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/419641/
European Gardening: really odd request!!... > http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/443661/

Mindja, ^ these ^ are a compilation of only a few of the various threads - that I felt were representative: containing a virtuoso of great info, shared tales, touching stories, photos, news, and other tidbits .. of some mitey interesting talents and opportunities .. of so many of DGers, etc., .. that are misplaced, missed, and seem to have fallen by the wayside .. for a large portion of other DG'ers. Perhaps so much so, that it seems somewhat of a fair assessment .. that so many of us may legitimately feel deprived, in seeing and sharing.

Tis no argument requested nor desired, from anyone. Am merely wondering if perhaps some may agree ...

((huggs))

- Magpye

I agree with you Magpye. And it got even more obvious today when I got to the """Gardening""" for wildlife" now I know why the Wildlife forum has slowed down so much. I hadnt been to G.f.W forum at all but because of a tread on a certaine topic came up I went and checked.
Almost every single tread in there belongs to the Wildlife Forum. The reason from what I understood Dave made the other forum was that it should only have been about the actual "Gardening" (seeds, plants and trees) to attract certaine birds/bees etc. As it is now its just another wildlife forum and I think I found about 5 treads in there that belongs there, the rest should be moved.
Janett

Magpye, I understand and agree, and that's all I can say, as you said it well enough, and I'm not able to add more to support my agreement, nor offer suggestions. :-)

(What would a harpoon be for?)

I'm not much of a Regional Gardening fan myself. I much prefer hearing from and being heard from a larger audience. To take this to extremes to find the extent of this...suppose there was a seperate forum for my county. Great, huh? Yeah, I would be posting to myself!! I don't 100% fit into any of the Regional forums. They are primarily north of me, west of me, south of me, or I am just not in the clique.

Regional forums are intended to help our (very large) DG community find places to connect with other subscribers or members with similar issues and questions. That is often with those nearest them, geographically speaking. I can't fully defend the existence of regional forums, but I won't argue against them, either - it's obvious we've grown beyond having everyone congregate in a few "general" forums.

As to where any specific thread *should* be posted. Anytime you come upon a particular thread that would be better suited to another forum, you can drop us a note at the "Contact Us" link and let us know which thread it is (a link, if you please) AND where you think it should have been posted. (I'm afraid it's past my bedtime and my contacts are glued to my eyeballs, so I'm not going to wade through the compilation of links above.)

So now that you've got the inside scoop on how the thread moving process generally works, two things to keep in mind:

1) Please balance your enthusiasm for moving threads with the knowledge that the person who posted it where they did may have done so for good and deliberate reasons (which are not always clear to the rest of us), so "we moved your thread" notes are not always well-received by the original poster.

2) I will not be back online until next weekend - I'm off to camp (as a counselor) for the week. So please don't drown poor Dave and Trish with a sudden deluge of "move this thread" requests in my absence. (And if you can find it in your hearts to be patient with me when I return, I'd truly appreciate a trickle instead of a flood myself ;o)

I take the occasional scan of/thru some of the Regional Forums .. to see where some folks that I've been missing, may have gotten off to. [They] seem to serve the intended purposes very well ..

Sounds like a heapin' helpin' of counseling 'fun' you'll be havin', Terry ... Enjoy.

Rest assured; there's no desire to attempt to submerge anyone, needlessly .. (hee)

- Magpye

Hi Magpye, don't know if I agree or disagree with your perspective or not , but will support your right to confuse me at any time. I questioned the need for Regional Forums at first, and the plethora of forums on so many individual things as well. What's next ? a Forum on left handed weed pullers ? lol There's all of DG for us to browse through and as I browsed I found that by going to the PNW Forum I could see what Gwendalou, Pixeydish and others were up to. Then going to the Calif Forum it was easy to pick up on drdon and a stadium of other fascinating folks. Well shucks Magpye, I aint missing a thing by having all them regional thangs to go thru, and I even like the Petunia,pansy and mozzarella forum too. Even if they don't stay with regional-specific horticultural/botanical threads there is plenty of "local" stuff I wouldn't see otherwise. Maybe "5 second trellises" isn't a specifically "Southwest Gardening" feature, but it was posted in the SW and is in a SW garden, and thats good enough for me. I apologize for runnin off at the mouth so much, but I haven't 'talked' to you for so long. How's things in the hills ? There are so many new houses and condos surrounding us now that driving anywhere at anytime means fighting gridlock. A couple acres in the mountains would sure be nice. Stay warm and dry and drink lots of water.

Well, I just read through the fall decorating thread and it was wonderful! Fall is my favorite time of year and I wish I would have seen that thread last fall. I would have taken pictures of my decorating too.

Appreciate all of your comments and input to the thread. As is generally expected, the concerns will fall by the wayside also ...

With DG growing so large .. there are more cyber-streets to cruise. Means missing a good bit of some truly informative and entertaining 'shtuff' that's in the back yard of the furtherest street over in that other neighborhoood in the suburbs that's on the outskirts there, behind the shed you can't see for the over grown bushes on the back side of the property of 'dunno-community' somewhere near 'ougtabeentherebynow', in Hardtofind County, in 'forlandsakes'! .. LOL ..

Sorry, Balvenie/Robert ...
Sure haven't meant to confuse anyone at the start of this thread .. (or, just now .. either!) .. heehee

I'm finding fungus growing from the warmth of my chair and my feet are extending roots to the floor .. from sitting for such long periods of time .. trying to take-in the info and photos of so many wonderful folks that post. 'Spose I need to find and use (or, request) a 'condensed' version of DG. (hee) Ahh, taint nobodys' fault but my own, I reckon.

Mitey sweet of you, to drop by to leave a note and to inquire.

The surrounding area is growing by leaps and bounds here also, Bal. 'Things in the hills' are jes wonderful. With a few wooded acres, it pretty much secures that we'll never have neighbors within 'spittin' distance.

You mentioned gridlock . . . around here, it's generally associated to a family of deer or a herd of Elk crossing the hi-way, and the annual Elk Festival in the county seat .. with the occasional influx of folks that drive up or thru the area over the week-ends. Ya might oughta wanna consider checkin' into your share of 'further from the grid', soon. No harm in checkin', and hope you know there's no harm intended with my 'persuading' you either.

We've not regretted leaving the fire ants, the mosquitoes, the noise, the filth, the crowds, the crime, the stale air, the hurricanes, the flooding, and the stuffed-shirt nimcompoopusville. (lol) We generally can manage to trip, stumble, or step .. into some internet web site poop on some occasion, and get a dose of 'fixins' to quickly yank us back to our senses. We're turning more grey headed every day & loosin' more also. Natchurly, we recycle those .. by puttin' 'em out in the yard, for the bird nesting supplies. Life @ the Roost is jes fine and plum dandy ...

((huggs))

- Magpye

This message was edited Jul 17, 2006 11:26 AM

Hi Magpye. I'm sort of a neighbor - we live in the woods about 30 miles outside Little Rock. You mentioned the annual Elk Festival, and as we're always looking for places to see and ways to get away from the crowds, not to mention how gorgeous your neck of the woods is, it peaked my interest. When is it held?

Paula

Gee, Mag, it sounds as if you used to live in lovely urban-sprawling Florida!

Re the diversity of threads: I don't think it will ever be humanly possible to keep threads totally forum specific, so I just enjoy browsing, lurking and participating in various areas. If someone in the PNW decides, solely because he/she lives there, to put trellis design in that geographic forum, who's gonna say, "You VILL move zat tread!" I certainly get your point, but doubt it would be easy to implement, let alone stick to forum specificity.


Case in point is this present thread...It seems to have veered slightly from what it started out to be. Give it another week, and people might be discussing the tadpoles in their ponds, without ever realizing that you might feel your thread has been hijacked. I find that threads are very much like real conversations: They digress and evolve into other subjects.

Hi, Balvenie. I'm waiting to see your finished arbor!

'Howdy' Paula ..

The '9th' annual (Buffalo River) Elk Festival just wrapped up for this year .. on June 23rd & 24th.

The web site for the Jasper/Newton County Chamber of Commerce > http://theozarkmountains.com/ .. is an ideal site for the area, and provides the links for the Elk Festival (and more) .. just below the title.

If you ever want to 'rough' it in luxury .. get with some other family & folks and book yourselves a reservation at this place. It's relatively new, and is spectacularly beautiful. Cedar Crest Lodge @ Ponca, Arkansas > http://www.cedarcrest-lodge.com/index.html
^ Cedar Crest, is one of many other lodges & resorts, that are listed here - for the entire state. http://www.arkansas.com/places-to-stay/lodges-resorts/

There's a mess of other sights and things to do (canoeing on or hiking along the Buffalo, horseback riding, etc.) is literally next door or within a half-hour to an hour drive.

- - - -

I'm sure you've heard and/or know of our own, Tim Ernst .. ? .. a tireless gentleman and a super talented fella. He's a neighbor also .. jes a few ozark mountains over a piece. Hawksbill Crag, of the Upper Buffalo Wilderness area .. is a portion of his front yard/playground rightly named, 'Cloudland', up on Cave Mountain.

His wilderness photography, publishing company, and book web sites and on-line journals .. provide some superb scenery and virtual tours of the area. Tim hosts/teaches a variety of photography and hiking/trail workshops also.

A sampling of his skills & talent > http://www.cloudland.net/photogalleries/APIIgallery/index.htm

Try to take a look for yourself, sometime (at your leisure) at his current journal entries and photos > http://timernst.com/currentjournal.html .. and the numerous journal archives, at > http://timernst.com/cloudland_journal_archive.html I don't think you'll regret the 'look-see'.

.. (forgive my exuberance, if you will - I'm kindly fond of this speck o' hills & hollers) ..

- Magpye

This message was edited Jul 13, 2006 1:33 PM

Magpye, That fellows photos are wonderful. Thanks for the links. Makes me want to have a Gallery so there would be room to hang a million pieces of art. Trouble is I wouldn't want to sell any of them.

I've been "looking" for something further out, something quieter and less congested. The trouble be moving DW further away from the GD's , then finding some place already built with the shop area I need, and the horrendous problem of moving all my 'stuff', and doing it on what we could afford. Looks like I'm here till they carry me away! But I can dream of places like your Roost and make believe the garden is in the wilderness. Life ain't too bad.

Better be careful with those feet taking root in the floor. Before you know it you might have to get repotted. lol

Your exuberance is understandable, Magpye, I've seen your neck of the woods. Thanks for the response and info. Try to stay cool!

Paula

Unfortunately, they don't have a Rocky Mountain area forum.

And those of us in the mid-south didn't have a place we "belonged". Since March, we've been happy as a pig in a mudpuddle, talking "mid-south" stuff with each other. We've even had a round-up, and plan one for the fall... I am SO THANKFUL for our very own little mid-south forum!!

Hi Mags.
I'm in agreement about the regional forums. Issues get too fragmented and lost to many DGers unless he/she is willing to subscribe to more and more forums.
I rarely visit 'plant specific' forums unless I have a question or message to post.
I just don't have the time to visit 180 forums every time I log on.
I also find myself posting a pic or comment on two forums. My regional forum and the "Issue specific" forum. I know this is frowned on but I want to share with my neighbors as well as the rest of the DGers who would not likely visit the North East forum.
On top of that, there are other sites out there. There is only so much time I can spend on-line. I don't want to become a "Mouse Potato".
Andy P

((thank you, Andy P))
That is most similar to what I've been tryin' to get across. It's not been anything related to the miscellany that may/not come to exist/reside within any ‘threads’ ..

Appreciate all of your continued input, folks.

- Magpye

This message was edited Jul 19, 2006 8:30 AM

Another interesting perspective. Thanks, for your input ...

- Magpye

I've just realized the clear solution to my query . . .

Cloning!! .. LOL ..

- Magpye

A passable idea Magpie, but what would get cloned, you or the computer ? I's a bit fuzzy on these sorta things.

LOL, Bal ..

(I shoulda known that you'd want the specifics 'splained! .. hee) Ahh, jes luvinly teasin' ya, again ..

Cloning myself, of course .. for cloning the computer, or obtaining any more units .. would be utterly useless.

The original (moi') .. to sit and enjoy the threads that I currently watch (which, BTW, is still too many!) .. and, one replica to sit (while *I* rest and sleep) to sift thru all of the 'regional' forums for any other goodies that she knows the original would truly enjoy the reads and pitters ..

Hmmm .. I mite as well go for the two-for-one deal, and fetch a 2nd clone .. to do the housekeeping; since the original already can't find the time to dedicate to much else these days! .. LOL

Even my digital cam'ra .. is going into withdrawals. (heehee)

Things are sure lookin' mitey dandy there, in your neck of the woods, Bal. Your lil bog spot with the walkway looks wonderful! I wouldn't dispose of any of the 'rubble' piles 'till you're absolutely sure that there's NO place that you may could use them for 'filler', or, some other brilliant project design. Looks like you may need to expand your project list - what, with your getting so many 'wrapped up' nowadays! Love that lush green lawn ya got there. We're working on one in our backyard. So far, so good .. You, jes take care of yourself - k?

((huggs))

- Magpye

Mags--I'm in agreement about the regional forums, too. And the plethora of 'topic specific' forums, too.

Sadly I never hear from some of the best DG gardeners anymore because they are hiding out in their regional and/or topic specific forums. And I am hiding out in mine.

For instance it was much more fun in the 'Perennials' forum to have all the Canadians (great gardeners) posting along with all the heuchera, fern, begonia, geraniaciae, violet, hydrangea, and peony gardeners posting there too. Much more fun and more lively discussions then.

Just today I was speaking with another DGer about just this problem. Surprisingly to me, she totally agreed. I thought I was the only 'geezer' who wasn't 'getting' the new set-up.

And about moving the threads to more /topic related' forums--sometimes I post in a different forum because I'm interested in hearing from a wider audience or different opinions.

thanks for bringing this up. t.

Ahh-hah!
The truth is out now! ... Ever-body's been hidin' !!
(ROFL&F maniacally)

Yep, t .. there's benefits to seeking an expanded audience, to enable the rendering of somewhat better consult and needed advice - just as you've stated. However .. for with much of the 'expansion' taking place; it creates far too many 'theaters' to visit to TRY to get the better seats for the show. .. heehee ..

Ohh, I reckon that I can only chalk it up, to being .. that, non-conformist .. tryin' to wiggle out on me, again. (LOL)

Know that I appreciate your valuable input, t ...

((huggs))

- Magpye

I've been following along, and understanding and agreeing in what's been said, since I find myself in very few forums and not running into the same folks I was first running into....

Anyway, what does the last F in your "ROTF&F" mean, Magpye? I have an idea, but that just can't be right....!

I don't know where to go!!! I'm not Mid-South, and I'm not Florida! Gahhhh!!! :-/

Yours,
David

Ahh, heck .. speckledpig .. ya don't hafta 'go' anywhere - 'lessen ya want to.

This is where the old adage; 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do' .. jes mite apply. (hee)

The entire site is gardening and/or garden related - so, have a sit-down where ever ya take a likin' ...

I'd reckon that the sense of 'belonging' .. is where ever ya opt to hang yer hat (& garden gloves)! .. LOL

You're here (DG) .. and that's all that matters.

((huggs))

- Magpye

Aw...thanks Magpye. Nice to feel welcome (I'm still pretty new around here).

See ya'll round!


Regards,
David

David, we would love to have you with us in mid south - lots of Alabama people here. Pull up a chair over there and chat awhile! Then you can hide under the table while we do a tug - o - war with the Floridians over you!

Mag, after reading all of this thread, I had to laugh! I *do* agree that a lot of good info gets lost, but I have to tell you that had I *not* read it here, I would not have known about those links you posted about AR places and events. They, by the way, have nothing to do with the original concept of this thread. (just lovin' teasin' ya!) Oh, by the way, thanks for those links! See, we all get off the track. I have wandered around all over the Garden and found so many wonderful things and great info. I just cannot think of a feasable way to keep all of us chatty DGers on track all the time. We are *going* to wander.

My only solution has been the search. If I think of something I want to read up on and, knowing that the info is all over the site, I search. Otherwise, I just wander and happily find all sorts of things that interest me. Some I put on watch for later digestion, some I just read and hope that if I want it again I can remember a good key word to search on. Failing that, I start a thread in an appropriate forum asking who, what, where, and by golly, someone has always been there to point me in the right direction.

ginni - ya'll come set a spell!

Ahhh, padoodles, ginni .. (heehee)
Long been known that the subject (or, topic) can get way off-course, and then some .. and, on some occasions, 'lost' completely within many a thread - but, it's the many threads containing some pertinent and/or influential info that are getting weaved into the fabric of the regional forums .. that has been the core of my concerns.

Gosh doggit .. If I find myself being forced to do a search; then it only extends the 'to do' list and lengthens the time I sit {here} .. and shortens (and/or further limits) the time to dedicate to the other 'portant matters. (LOL) Things could sure nuff be far worse, of course.

It just gets a bit 'cumbersome' (for lack of a better word at the moment).

I think I'll just continue to pop-a-squat comfortably in a few lil molting haunts on DG .. and continue humming an old Doris Day tune, "Que Sera Sera". ( .. LOL .. )

Besides, I'm quite the optimist, at heart ..

- Magpye

Geez, Mags. Now you are making me feel bad that I started a "Daily Musings" thread in the Northeast forum instead of say, Garden Talk.

I wholly agree with you on the splitting up of all the 'old gang'. I was just getting to know many of you, then I lost track of most.
I'm lousy with searches so that's out for me.
Andy P

You should know that such 'taint & haint' been my intention in any way .. now, dontcha, Andy P ?!?

((huggerooners))

- Magpye

Yes 'em, I know.

'man, I don't get most this jargon!

I just go where a caption catches my eye. I've been all over and find myself interested in specific forums. By the time I catch up with watched threads, I need to get off and get some work done. But thanks for the eye opener Magpye! Sometimes it helps to have things pointed out and we can expand our horizons, or not.

speckledpig/David: I'd like to echo ginni's sentiments... You're welcome in the MidSouth forum... mid-south covers you if you think you're in the mid-south!!

Close enough! Thanks again for the warm welcome.

And a warm weekend it was here on the gulf coast!! :)

David

How far are you from Orange Beach? My son's father lives in Destin... That's a beautiful part of the U.S.

I have a handful or two of the different regional forums as some of my favorites. I enjoy these different forums and am sure I'd be welcomed at them if or when I posted.

Marilyn