Naturally I said "yes" when the Learn2grow.com folks asked me to become the hostess for the Garden Party. Since the site is staffed with some of the best knowbies in the horticulture business, I knew I would be supported by a real knowledge base. In the past I've avoided this kind of thing because so many sites are simply masses of data posted by techies or amateurs. At Learn2grow.com everyone is a pro because the Ferraro family is at the root of the site. The Ferraros have three generations of accomplished garden center operators. They know what gardeners and homeowners need, and avoid meaningless filler designed to attract search engines.

Today folks need solid guidance to help them create gardens with organic home grown food that lessen the grocery bill. Rather than hunt and peck through the wilderness of cyberspace, Learn2grow.com and its professionally written, no-nonsense plant database is ground zero for both consumers and the industry. With thousands of illustrated articles, a fabulous newsletter and access to accredited horticultural education online, there is indeed something for everyone.

Frankly, I've always wanted to share every great flower, plant or garden I've ever grown with the world, but that's hard to do. Now folks in the Learn2grow.com Garden Party community can share their accomplishments online in words, photos and even a home video. Imagine creating a walk through your garden posted on the 'Net for everyone to see!

Don't be surprised if I stop in to take a peek and maybe send the entire community in to see for themselves! After all, you're my guest and I'm here to celebrate your success. For me there is nothing more rewarding than to see a newcomer to gardening jump with joy over their first sweet tomato, the ultimate grilling pepper or a picture perfect rose.

(Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist. Her blog, the MoZone, offers a groundbreaking series of great ideas for cash strapped families to live more richly on less this year. Read the blog at www.MoPlants.com/blog. E-mail her at mogilmer(at)yahoo.com )

SHNS