I just got a job in a nursery! But could use some help. Perhaps there's a
computer fix out there?

A customer asks (this one a few days ago) for a tree to replace an Elder
that her neighbours cut down. To grow next to a wall so pretty dry,
evergreen, fast growing, spreading and reasonably dense for privacy. Seems
she wants a tree that would be just about "perfect" in all respects. I was
stumped here... if it exists at all (Photinia "Red Robin" perhaps?)

Anyway, a bit of software that will enable you to enter requirements and
then produce some suggestions would be splendid. Plus the ability to cross
reference Latin names and common names would help too. We only use the Latin
at work, so if asked for, say, a Fig tree if you don't know Ficus your
stuffed!

There is something similar for id'ing mushrooms. Enter characteristics and
it will offer closest matches. Does anything like this for plants exist out
there?

Les

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Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

On 15/9/06 07:30, in article , "Les Hemmings"
wrote:

I just got a job in a nursery! But could use some help. Perhaps there's a
computer fix out there?

A customer asks (this one a few days ago) for a tree to replace an Elder
that her neighbours cut down. To grow next to a wall so pretty dry,
evergreen, fast growing, spreading and reasonably dense for privacy. Seems
she wants a tree that would be just about "perfect" in all respects. I was
stumped here... if it exists at all (Photinia "Red Robin" perhaps?)

It depends on the height she wants but does it have to be a tree, or would a
fairly tall growing shrub do? e.g. Camellia? Aucuba? Azara? Bay? Choisya
ternata Sun Dance.

Anyway, a bit of software that will enable you to enter requirements and
then produce some suggestions would be splendid. Plus the ability to cross
reference Latin names and common names would help too. We only use the Latin
at work, so if asked for, say, a Fig tree if you don't know Ficus your
stuffed!

The RHS encyclopaedia uses both Latin and common names by listing the common
names at the back and I used to have a Reader's Digest book some time ago
that listed plants for 'special purposes'. I don't know of a computer
program that does that, though. But you can get the RHS book on CD.

There is something similar for id'ing mushrooms. Enter characteristics and
it will offer closest matches. Does anything like this for plants exist out
there?

Yes, it's called uk.rec.gardening! ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Yes, it's called uk.rec.gardening! ;-)
--
Sacha

Now if someone created an online plant database searchable by different
criteria as the original poster suggested, how wonderful would that be? So
someone could select a climate type, soil type, degree of exposure to
sunshine, wind etc and whether they want an evergreen or deciduous, growth
habit, flowering etc etc and the software would bring up a list of all
plants matching the criteria - with photos! It could also include extra
information such as care of the plant and even its history etc etc.
Now if it was done along the lines of Wikipedia so plant experts all over
could contribute and benefit also.
It could perhaps be financed by adverts from nurseries etc that sell the
plants looked up. It could also feature adverts for garden centres etc local
to the area the plant is required for.

Now there's a business idea for someone.

If such a thing doesn't already exist I think it will only be a matter of
time...
What is needed is a hybrid between a businessperson, gardener and software
developer!
I'd be up for it? Any other businesspeople/gardeners/developers out there
who would be interested in collaborating on such a project?
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

In reply to David (in Normandy) )
who wrote this in , I, Marvo, say :

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Yes, it's called uk.rec.gardening! ;-)
--
Sacha

Now if someone created an online plant database searchable by
different criteria as the original poster suggested, how wonderful
would that be? So someone could select a climate type, soil type,
degree of exposure to sunshine, wind etc and whether they want an
evergreen or deciduous, growth habit, flowering etc etc and the
software would bring up a list of all plants matching the criteria -
with photos! It could also include extra information such as care of
the plant and even its history etc etc. Now if it was done along the lines
of Wikipedia so plant experts all
over could contribute and benefit also.
It could perhaps be financed by adverts from nurseries etc that sell
the plants looked up. It could also feature adverts for garden
centres etc local to the area the plant is required for.

Now there's a business idea for someone.

If such a thing doesn't already exist I think it will only be a
matter of time...
What is needed is a hybrid between a businessperson, gardener and
software developer!
I'd be up for it? Any other businesspeople/gardeners/developers out
there who would be interested in collaborating on such a project?

Might be. But not if it was like Wikipaedia, as that would end up with loads
of misinformation which would be silly.

I can "do" software, my business head is not screwed on.

On 15/9/06 12:06, in article , "Uncle Marvo"
wrote:

In reply to David (in Normandy) )
who wrote this in , I, Marvo, say :

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
Yes, it's called uk.rec.gardening! ;-)
--
Sacha

Now if someone created an online plant database searchable by
different criteria as the original poster suggested, how wonderful
would that be? snip

Might be. But not if it was like Wikipaedia, as that would end up with loads
of misinformation which would be silly.

I can "do" software, my business head is not screwed on.

Isn't this similar to what some American nurseries do using zoning? I think
the problem with UK is going to be the big climate variations within very
small distances. I suppose that could be built in to such a database
though, in terms of a warning.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

pruned

Anyway, a bit of software that will enable you to enter requirements and
then produce some suggestions would be splendid. Plus the ability to cross
reference Latin names and common names would help too.

pruned

To produce such a software package would be very time consuming therefore
expensive to buy. To amortize production costs would need a large market
and there would be very few customers willing to pay many times more than
the cost of the RHS's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers ISBN
0-86318-386-7.

And do not forget that eventually the programme might become unuseable.
Have you tried running a very old software programme only to find that
present day disc operating systems do not like it? Books do not have that
problem!

Geoff

In reply to Geoff ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :


To produce such a software package would be very time consuming
therefore expensive to buy.
This comment written by someone who thinks that the x,000,000 spent by the
dictatorship^Wgovernment is actually representative of real-life? Why would
it be time-consuming to write such a package? And why would one need to buy
it, if it were on t'internet and funded by adverts for nurseries such as
Hill House? :-)

To amortize production costs would need
a large market and there would be very few customers willing to pay
many times more than the cost of the RHS's Encyclopedia of Plants
and Flowers ISBN 0-86318-386-7.

I think that it is meant to be better/easier to cross-reference, rather than
to be a replacement. I suggest that once the indexing etc had been done then
the RHS tome would be a good companion for it. They might even advertise!

And do not forget that eventually the programme might become
unuseable. Have you tried running a very old software programme only
to find that present day disc operating systems do not like it? Books do
not have that problem!

Yes, I've tried that. None of mine have the problem though, because I don't
write in girly languages and try to do things the hard way :-)

Unc (programmer of 30+ years and getting quite lucky at it)

On 15/9/06 12:47, in article , "Uncle Marvo"
wrote:

In reply to Geoff ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :


To produce such a software package would be very time consuming
therefore expensive to buy.
This comment written by someone who thinks that the x,000,000 spent by the
dictatorship^Wgovernment is actually representative of real-life? Why would
it be time-consuming to write such a package? And why would one need to buy
it, if it were on t'internet and funded by adverts for nurseries such as
Hill House? :-)

;-) yourself! I think you'd find it would have to be funded by nurseries
that do mail order!

snip

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

In reply to Sacha ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

On 15/9/06 12:47, in article , "Uncle
Marvo" wrote:

In reply to Geoff ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :


To produce such a software package would be very time consuming
therefore expensive to buy.
This comment written by someone who thinks that the x,000,000 spent
by the dictatorship^Wgovernment is actually representative of
real-life? Why would it be time-consuming to write such a package?
And why would one need to buy it, if it were on t'internet and
funded by adverts for nurseries such as Hill House? :-)

;-) yourself! I think you'd find it would have to be funded by
nurseries that do mail order!

True.

I've just remembered why I don't write packages ... it's because I've never
found one that hadn't already been written. I bet there are at least a dozen
of this one available!

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
pruned

Anyway, a bit of software that will enable you to enter requirements and
then produce some suggestions would be splendid. Plus the ability to
cross
reference Latin names and common names would help too.

pruned

To produce such a software package would be very time consuming

....

Not really. It's only a straightforward database with a maximum of
say ten fields for each record and a maximum of say 10,000 records\plants.
Including images if needs be. Such a database could be accessed by using
standard query tools and a front end perfected in half a day. There are
most likely plenty of such databases already in existence, if not on the
market.

The biggest problem would probably be preventing copying and piracy.

....

therefore
expensive to buy. To amortize production costs would need a large
market
and there would be very few customers willing to pay many times more than
the cost of the RHS's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers ISBN
0-86318-386-7.

And do not forget that eventually the programme might become unuseable.

....

So long as the core database is written in comma separated ASCII, that
won't actually matter. That format will be around until after the planet
melts, along with programming instructions in whatever language that comes
along, which are capable of reading sequential files, which can then be
converted to random access for speed in the actual implementation. The
core database can be transferred onto each new storage medium in whatever
new formats become available, as the need arises. While rewriting the front
end every few years would again be no big deal.


michael adams

....


Have you tried running a very old software programme only to find that
present day disc operating systems do not like it?


Books do not have that
problem!

Geoff

LOL

Yes there are quite a number of pachages available, however, none of them do what you want. We ended up doing our own because you can never get specifics, however the database ended up with over 120 fields and get very complex.

http://www.pfaf.org/ used to sell their database, it's not bad, we bought it and added some of their data to ours.

"Les Hemmings" wrote in message
...
I just got a job in a nursery! But could use some help. Perhaps there's a
computer fix out there?

A customer asks (this one a few days ago) for a tree to replace an Elder
that her neighbours cut down. To grow next to a wall so pretty dry,
evergreen, fast growing, spreading and reasonably dense for privacy. Seems
she wants a tree that would be just about "perfect" in all respects. I was
stumped here... if it exists at all (Photinia "Red Robin" perhaps?)

Anyway, a bit of software that will enable you to enter requirements and
then produce some suggestions would be splendid.

Try:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/default.aspx
http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/

Plus the ability to cross reference Latin names and common names would help
too. We only use the Latin at work, so if asked for, say, a Fig tree if you
don't know Ficus your stuffed!

http://www.pp.clinet.fi/~mygarden/diction2.htm


There is something similar for id'ing mushrooms. Enter characteristics and
it will offer closest matches. Does anything like this for plants exist
out there?
Les

Jenny

JennyC wrote:

Try:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/default.aspx
http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/

Plus the ability to cross reference Latin names and common names
would help too. We only use the Latin at work, so if asked for, say,
a Fig tree if you don't know Ficus your stuffed!

http://www.pp.clinet.fi/~mygarden/diction2.htm


Jenny

Cheers Jenny.. just mailed the links in to work to be picked up in the
morning. The boss is on holiday for three weeks and it's just us minions
looking after the place. He's a walking reference library, perhaps I should
"expert system" him and upload him to a website. Much less hassle as a flow
chart than a real boss...

Les


--
Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct.

http://armsofmorpheus.blogspot.com/

http://www.xenu.net/

http://www.venganza.org/index.htm

Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

"Les Hemmings" wrote in message
...
JennyC wrote:
Try:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/default.aspx
http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/

Plus the ability to cross reference Latin names and common names
would help too. We only use the Latin at work, so if asked for, say,
a Fig tree if you don't know Ficus your stuffed!

http://www.pp.clinet.fi/~mygarden/diction2.htm
Jenny

Cheers Jenny.. just mailed the links in to work to be picked up in the
morning. The boss is on holiday for three weeks and it's just us minions
looking after the place. He's a walking reference library, perhaps I
should "expert system" him and upload him to a website. Much less hassle
as a flow chart than a real boss...
Les

tell me about it, mine is a nightmare :~(

Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct.
http://armsofmorpheus.blogspot.com/
http://www.xenu.net/
http://www.venganza.org/index.htm
Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

HA I see we have a couple of things in common-sci fi, Steeleye Span
and.............
http://www.ljconline.nl/indexjennyreligion.htm

:~)
Jenny

JennyC wrote:

Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct.
http://armsofmorpheus.blogspot.com/
http://www.xenu.net/
http://www.venganza.org/index.htm
Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

HA I see we have a couple of things in common-sci fi, Steeleye Span
and.............
http://www.ljconline.nl/indexjennyreligion.htm

:~)
Jenny

Nice to meet a kindred spirit Jenny )

L


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Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA