Re: [SG] Organization

For Christmas you need to ask someone special to get you a digital camera.
My dear husband bought me one Xmas of 96 and it has paid for itself in so
many ways I can't count.  No more film to buy, no more film to pay to
develop ever!  I have used my camera in countless ways--now I using it to
photograph my garden (my first real garden), and I pull in the pictures into
a computer gardening journal that enables me to capture the whole or part of
the garden or plants then watch it develop.  It is such fun.  Of all the
gifts I have received, I love the camera the best.  Before I was not a
picture taker, cause I am too impatient--didn't want to wait for whole roll
to be taken, then developed--- now I can take one picture, run to my
computer and download it and manipulate it, etc.  This is an expensive way -
certainly --but your camera can be used for soooooo much.  I could take
pictures of plants at my local nursery, (having already taken pictures of
the house), then take the plants I haven't purchased yet using a very
inexpensive program like Adobe Photo Deluxe(which often comes with a
camera), and cut around the plant, delete the background, then place the
plants on my picture of my house/or elsewhere in my garden!
Pauline Botelho
Wilmington, NC
gnp@wilmington.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Jackie <shine@MEDIAONE.NET>
To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Date: Thursday, June 03, 1999 11:26 PM
Subject: Re: [SG] Organization


>Sorry about the last one - now trying again .....
>
>I've tried out a few of the commercially available computer-based
>garden design packages with pretty graphics to show what the plants
>look like at various ages, and from different views etc. And they're
>all pretty much useless because they have such a restrictive list of
>plants available. They're also quite difficult to use if you like
>things unusual - like curved borders and ponds that aren't round :).
>Now I haven't tried anything above $50 - maybe I'm getting a little
>cynical here - but I read the covers of the latest offerings from time
>to time and I've seen nothing yet that looks really useful so far.
>
>However a low-tech (?!) solution for the pc is to use Microsoft Paint
>and Powerpoint - many people get them installed on their machine "for
>free" as part of a Microsoft Office suite. Although the software can
>take a while to sort out, Paint (in windows, bottom left corner button
>- start - programs - accessories - paint) is a pretty easy to use
>free-hand drawing package (in color) much like drawing on a piece of
>paper. And has the ever-useful eraser function!
>So having done a beautiful sketch of your garden in Paint, save it as
>a bitmap file.
>Now go to Powerpoint (open a blank presentation) and import the bitmap
>file (pick the commands insert - picture - from file, then you can
>browse your files and select your new garden bitmap).
>Size your bitmap to fit the screen and now you can add the labels. I
>use the smallest font size so that I can get them all in - you can
>always zoom in to that region to read them better.
>And there you have your own garden design with labels.
>To update your garden you can change the bitmap image in Paint again.
>Back in Powerpoint delete the old bitmap and insert the new one. Then
>just change the necessary labels. The only thing to watch for is
>sizing it right - but there are a number of easy ways of doing that
>ask me if you get stuck - I don't want to bore everyone here!:)
>
>As for label longevity - make sure you backup your pc from time to
>time, otherwise they're pretty impervious! :D
>
>If you have a large garden, then it's best to create a different
>bitmap for each border or area.
>
>Good luck!
>Jackie Halliday
>Burlington MA, zone 6a
>
>Peggy L Kinnetz wrote:
>>
>> Folks,
>>
>> I have two related problems that I would like others' input.  When I buy
>> plants, I sometimes get the plants mixed up after a while (a year or two
>> later) and can't remember what I've really got.  I usually stick the
>> label stick that comes with the plant in the ground when there is one,
>> but after a time these tend to come out, break, get lost, etc.  But even
>> when they don't disappear, that doesn't help when there is more than one
>> plant, and only one label, or there is none.  Invariably, the one that
>> has the label will die and leave the labelless one by itself.  I can't
>> see sticking a label by each plant, that is just too obtrusive.  I know
>> there are good durable labels out there, but most are pretty expensive (
>> I always translate the cost of the label into how many little plants I
>> could buy instead).  I'd like to figure out some other less costly way
>> that isn't too obtrusive.  How do others remember what they have?
>>
>> I'd like to keep a list of the plants on my computer, with the botanical
>> name and common name, but haven't figured out a good way to tell exactly
>> where I've planted what.  Do you all have some system that you'd share
>> with me?
>>
>> Peggy
>> Louisville, Zone 6a
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