Do the individual state forums get more or less traffic than regional forums? Would you be more likely to post in this or a state-specific forum?

Hey, Maryland may not be large, but we're as diverse, if not moreso, than the other states methinks.

So. You are HERE. This is the Maryland forum!

- i for one would like to hear more from folk in other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region. With the mountian elevations to our west and the coast along the east providing such a range of climate, there is little grown in any of these states which can't also be grown in most of the others.

- i just cruised the postings on a couple of the individual state forums. Less traffic than we have. (Well, at least in the middle of February.)

- i have enough keeping up with the MAG forum, Cottage Gardening, and Herb forums that the last thing i would want would be to have to check separate MAG and MD forums. i would be curious to hear form some of those who spend more time in those state forums what they think, and whether they read posts here and in their state forums.

- i really like this NOT have shriveled into just the "Greater DC, oh, and Baltimore too" forum. (It bothers me when TV or radio stations call themselves Maryland when they are really focused just on Greater Wash-imore.)

- If we were going to dice the continent up logically, i think we'd have done it by zone rather than state. Sure, thre's lots of variation in a zone (wet/dry, for example), but most states cover a range of zones, and the zones run through a band of states.

- Unless you're in Hawai'i, which was simply designed as one, big, perfect garden. Yes, even the "rock gardens" of the lava flows.

(- i read some back postings in the Far North forum, as i will be heading to Alaska this summer, tacking a vacation on to a conference. WOW! We zone 7 folk are s-p-o-i-l-e-d!)

- Happy Gardening,
-vlad

I just looked at the State Forums and I see that there are 20. So why does New York have 3 forums (not including this one)?!? I guess Maryland is not the only forum-less state.

- Brent

I agree with Vlad I think it should have been done by zones...But, I wasn't asked when they designed it. I don't mind the Mid-Atlantic Forum - Which technically is heat zone 32/ or most of it- except that it has several USDA zones in it and is too diverse- ala Brent re: VA. I live on the Eastern Shore of MD...By the way I've only heard from three people who live over here. So, we're either truely pathetic for not knowing how to use a forum. Or just too snobby (Think that stirred something up????) Anyway, and it can be very different from the Balt. Metro area and any where else in the M-A region save a very small portion of DE and VA. PLEASE, nobody take personal offense. Those who don't understand, the Bay really IS more than a physical boundary especially if you live on this side...This is not to say either side is better... But M-A is just too broad of an assumtion. Does anybody out there get me? Or, am I just too out there? Where's Earl when you need him? Tomato Forum peeps know who I mean.

And finally, Maybe (Te he he he)....I also would like to see one busy forum instead of four dead ones. -Now, how many of you have not answered my Favorite Tomatos thread??? It's for the good of us all. Or, is that... It's good for all of us? Hmmm? I'm sorry I've been locked up with my 15mo. old for a week and her nap schedule is somewhere in the compost pile. I'm a little STRESSED OUT!... Thanks for the bent ears/eyes. Hope nobody gets too ticked at me.

Sophia
Hope to see everyone at the Spring Swap.

I often hang out in other plant specific forums to ask my questions or contribute, but I think these state or regional forums offer an opportunity to interact with people in our own gardening situation. It is becoming more important to me to actually try to connect with other gardeners than to be an anonymous poster forever.

By the way, I'm in the same zone as Vlad in Md, and his zonal suggestion for separating the forums made a lot of sense to me. I have more in common with Vlad than with mountain-region Virginians. But at any rate, I think the current separation of forums is fine. Both MAG and the Va forum are pretty dead in the middle of the winter - heck, this is the first time I've hopped on here in weeks - but I'm sure they'll perk up as people start turning on fluorescents and breaking out the ProMix.

Now, can anyone tell me why, last year, my Shirley and California poppies did so much better winter-sown in milk jugs on the porch than direct-sown (same time) in the garden? Marauding birds? The reason I ask is that so far this year, I have lazily only direct-sown my (newly acquired by trades) oriental poppy seeds, and haven't gotten around to any winter sowing at all.

Julia

I think it's too bad that more people from other M-A states don't post on this forum anymore. I really miss some of the old timers.

Fannychup

Below is a link to all of this years H & G shows.

Here's the direct link to the show's web site