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How did you find this site? You were probably searching the web for information about a plant, a bug, or maybe just general gardening interest. Or maybe a friend told you about it. However you got here, I'll bet you want to stay. There is something about this place...
Walt Disney, bless his animated heart, had no idea how prophetic he was. When watching some of the earlier Disney classics, like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty or Song of the South, you can’t help but notice how all the major characters have a deep affinity with the natural world. Aurora sings and dances with the animals while smelling all the beautiful flowers she is surrounded by. Bambi – well, enough said. Sing Zipp-a-dee-doo-dah, without envisioning birds and flowers, I dare you.
In this day and age, (oh my, and I promised myself I would not fill this article with hackneyed phrases), with terrorism a constant on TV; violence and gore in the movie theaters; and apathy and isolationism within our neighborhoods, it is so tempting to just play ostrich and pretend it doesn’t mean anything. Many of us escaped into our gardens and let the world go by. Then an Internet gardening site was created. No big deal…. there are dozens of them. Little by little it grew. There was no fan-fare, no trumpets, and no politicians touting its significance to the world at large. It grew.
The vocation/avocation of many people to play in the dirt, to watch flowers grow, to enjoy the fruits and vegetables of our own labors, to enliven our residences with the bountiful beauty of nature, has led to a search for like minded individuals. We ask each other questions, share successes and failures, help the neophyte, pass along the wisdom of our forebears…in other words, we communicate. It grew.
These gardeners discovered that they had similar problems/interests beyond the garden. They had parenting issues, and dilemmas about what to serve for dinner. They enjoyed some of the same books, movies and TV shows. Their tragedies were sympathized with and eased by the concern and empathy of others…and it grew.
Suddenly, yet quietly, a balcony gardener in New Jersey was sharing information with a farmer in New Zealand. A flower expert in Japan was sharing her beautiful arrangements with a doctor/cactus grower in New Mexico. Jokes were exchanged between a Nederlander and a San Franciscan. Computer instructions were passed between Texas and the Pacific Islands. And it grew.
We have 310,964 members from 200 countries. There are five times more people in DG than in the entire country that I live in! That is a lot of people communicating.
Now, when we Dgers watch the news, we connect. We know people there! When a hurricane or tsunami hits somewhere, those are our friends! We want to help! When rain finally falls on an area that had been suffering from severe drought we celebrate right along with them! A war in an unknown country, between unknown combatants is one thing, but a conflict in a country that has the same trees, and plants and climate as our own? Where we know that they are just as frustrated as we are about mealy bugs, or the yucky taste of the tomatoes in the store? We were just talking to folks from there! They were nice folks. Is it really so very far-fetched that literally through grass roots, we eventually get earth and people friendly politicians in place?
Mr. Disney was always in favor of happy endings. People always lived "happily ever after". We all enjoy the natural world as much as Aurora, Snow White and Bambi. Perhaps… just maybe…all the wonderful information, friendships, humor, angst and joy shared on Dave’s Garden from members all over the world will promote oh, I don’t know if I could go so far as to say "world peace", but I sure think it’s a lovely idea. And somehow, on this site…ideas tend to grow.
About Shari Scott
For most of my 53 years I have been an avid traveler, and luckily I married one as well. We are now living (for the 2nd time) on the tiny island of Kwajalein in the middle of the Pacific. I have gardened in places as varied as the Rocky Mountains and the desert of Saudi Arabia, and many points in between. My passions include, but are not limited to: Family, friends, music, good conversation, and the wonders to be found in the oceans of our planet.
Posted by deltaqueen (from Holly Springs, AR) on August 14, 2007 at 5:13 PM:
I just took a 30 minute armchair trip to Kwajalein . It is indeed tiny; a microcosim of garden would be grand (above and below the water). At least there is a drum and pipe band there to keep things intersting ;) Your article was lovely. thanks for sharing.
~Virginia
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 14, 2007 at 5:59 PM:
Virginia - I'm curious what site did you look at? Not many mention the drum and pipe corps. Glad my article prompted you to take a little virtual trip. Hope you enjoyed it. :-)
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on August 15, 2007 at 6:51 PM:
I took a similar trip after Shari's article about orchids - I spent a lot of time reading posts of folks who were trying to locate other folks who were both on this tiny island at the same time 20 years ago, one person trying to locate her birth parents, a little like those missing persons or "have you seen?" sites that went up after Katrina. Very touching. I didn't explain very well but it's all good. How is one a member and not a paid subscriber?
xxxxx, Carrie
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 15, 2007 at 7:03 PM:
Carrie - didn't understand your question. Here on DG? Or on the "have you seen" site? I am always amazed at the number of sites about Kwaj....more sites than there are people out here! But it is sometimes a transient community, so I guess that explains it, and once you have been here it gets under your skin and you want to share that, but no one understands unless they have been here too, hence all the sites. Funny how that works.
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on August 16, 2007 at 11:05 AM:
Oh, Shari, on DG, totally separate topic, I'm not clear about members vs. paid subscribers. Sorry, shouldn't have let my brain pas gas while posting...
xx, C
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 17, 2007 at 4:13 PM:
Members don't have access to a lot of the things that subscribers do. I have been a subscriber since like the 2nd day of viewing DG....I just can't imagine having all this wonderful information blocked from me....not to worry, my brain goes zooming by allatime.....I need a longer leash!
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on August 19, 2007 at 2:20 PM:
Me either! Why bother being just a member?? DG is a whole person experience!
xx, C
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Subject: Small world, for sure!
Posted by JaxFlaGardener (from Jacksonville, FL) on August 14, 2007 at 9:30 AM:
I had never met Sugarweed (whose birthday happens to be today!), even though she lives just a few blocks from my house. It was only as a result of Dave's Garden that we first shared our mutual passions for plants and gardening, and then realized we lived within hollerin' distance of each other!
I've also met DGers through roundups from other areas of my city and around the state, and even in other states, by exchanging plants and sharing gardening information and interests online.
This is, indeed, a great place to make lasting friends!
I'm curious if anyone else found a friend on DG, only to realize you were practically next door neighbors?
Jeremy
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 14, 2007 at 3:56 PM:
Jeremy, I didn't find a next door friend, but I did - through a friend I met on DG - reconnect with dear friends I had lost touch with years ago in Israel. That is what inspired this article. Oh yes, and I did put next door friends in touch with DG.....that's always fun too!
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Posted by flowerette (from Gulf Coast, TX) on August 14, 2007 at 4:02 PM:
Islandshari,
Your article is well stated and beautifully written. Hope to read more of your thoughts.
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Posted by rjuddharrison (from Houston, TX) on August 20, 2007 at 2:40 PM:
I agree! Such a true article!
I've had a couple DG member events at my home and garden, and there is such a common thread with everyone I've ever met from DG, or in the plant world in general. No pun intended, but everyone really is down to earth, wonderful people. The last plant swap had a melting pot of people from everywhere, backgrounds, religions..enjoying each other and like you said..discovering more of simlarities than differences.
From the headquarters of your friendly "Island hopper"
Continental Airlines/Air Micronesia
Randy Judd
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 20, 2007 at 3:18 PM:
Randy - bless your lil pea pickin heart! Another DG coincidence! I am in the process of planning - well actually its my DH who's doing it - our vacation, and we are trying to figure out how to spend the most time in Houston to visit with some DG friends who are driving from Desoto to meet us! Then on to Brownsville.....
So funny to spend all this discussion with DH about Houston this, and Houston that and times, connections etc....and then here you are! Ha Ha!
Is your hq there at Hobbie, or downtown? I ask cuz it would be a pleasure to meet another DGer in person while we are there around Thanksgiving? So glad you liked the article...it was really fun to write, and very close to my heart.
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Posted by mwperry (from Brandon, MS) on August 20, 2007 at 10:33 PM:
Islandshari, what profound insight you have into humanity!
I joined DG in 2002, but never took interest in it because of limited time. Since retiring, I re-subscribed several weeks ago, and, my goodness, an entire new world has opened up for me. I immediately connected to your words. You placed a name to what DGer's feel about one another. Exquisite! Martha
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 20, 2007 at 11:32 PM:
Martha, so pleased to hear your kind words! Welcome back! This is a world unto itself here in DG, but we are spreading our wings...gardeners make the best friends!
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Posted by rjuddharrison (from Houston, TX) on August 22, 2007 at 9:49 PM:
HOW cool!...I've been away from DG because we've been working hard with Hurricanes and floods in the midwest.. I always vow...that one day I'll have a job that I don't have to care about what the weather is doing in anywhereville!
It would be great to visit while your here. Our headquarters is downtown, and if your interested, I'd be pleased to take you and your friends thru a tour of our headquarters. I work in System Operations Control Center...briefly it's like Nasa Mission Control, only 2,139 more vessels in the air...always a fine dance. On the floor I work on, the departments are aircraft routing , maintenance control, Crew Control, Dispatchers Load Planners (yours truly) Operations Managers and Customer service coordinators-- 24 hours every day of the year. The Houston Chronicle was just here - they wrote an article on how we prepare for the hurricanes and marveled at the great technology we have for tools..
okay..now back to plants...! LOL...
I live in the Heights, if your familiar with Houston...not too far from down town...I love it..come visit the garden too...hopefully it won't be too cold yet. I grew up in Liberia W. Africa, so my garden is modeled after the Jungle.
I did love the article..it is sooooooooo very true.
Rj
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 22, 2007 at 10:43 PM:
Randy it is so very nice of you to offer the tour...I just don't know how its going to work, though, because I don't know Houston at all! We will be there only for 6-8 hours on the 14th of November....meeting friends - they know the area - we do not. But if we can work it out I would love to meet another DG friend! If your garden is modeled after the jungle of Liberia you should come over to Tropical Gardening once in a while...we have some jungles there! Just spent the last week on himmicane Dean watch with some friends in the Caymans, so I can't even IMAGINE trying to do it for all those planes!
I have a dear, dear friend from Zambia, now a doctor in US. Loving plants and animals like I do, it is hard for me to understand leaving Africa, though from economic and political standpoints I guess I can. Daily I am reminded of how small a world it really truly is.
Yokwe,
Shari
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Posted by rjuddharrison (from Houston, TX) on August 23, 2007 at 10:59 AM:
I see, sort of a lay over...that is certainly a brief visit. Well the invitation is open should plans change, and who knows you might be back again.
Africa certainly was my inspiration! We lived far up country in Nimba county...it took 4 hours over a horrible semblence of a road we called the river bed. You know when you have arived to Yekepa, as a modern very mini city arises out of the bush with paved roads, mall, theatre..It is an Iron ore mining town, and all of the houses are identical, but very neat. We lived on the Lutheran missionary compound, and our back yard was literally the jungle. It was boy heaven! I remember I built my first garden and pond in Monrovia when I was in Junior High. Todays garden is more modeled after the worlds jungles, so have a bit of it all. It is amazing how similar the plants are in tropical places. I have visited from time to time on the tropicals, but this summer has left little time for computer, but the bright side of it is that I've had more physical visits and good times with local DG members.
Yes Africa can be a wonderful place to live. I've not been to Zambia, but rhyming-- our last residence in Africa was The Gambia. I pretty much visited the western countries, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone or whaterver they're callling it these days Ivory coast and Liberia..Liberians are the best people and I share frustrations with their recent history. Interestingly it was a catalyst for all of us kids who went to The American Cooperative School in Monrovia. We all still are in contact with one another, and have reunions frequently as most of us are in the states now. That bond is quite like the one you wrote about, as we are all from different countries..Pakistan, Lebanon, England, Africa, US, Australia, Canada, France...and when we're together reminiscing we are all oblivious to nationalities,,,because we all became Liberians long ago.
I'll send you a couple of pictures I just took.
Rj
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 23, 2007 at 5:15 PM:
Randy, if for no other reason I am glad I wrote the article because it helped me to meet you. Your life sounds full and fascinating. I can imagine those reunions are lively discussions indeed! Thanks so much for sharing that.
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Posted by rjuddharrison (from Houston, TX) on August 23, 2007 at 6:01 PM:
Likewise!
I do hope your visit expands by 8 hours or so...:)
Do you have other articles to read?
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 23, 2007 at 6:05 PM:
I think there is a link to the other articles in each days article....the only other one I have published here so far is on orchids....but I would say that all the articles are wonderful...some just more pertinent to certain locations than others. Enjoy!
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Posted by rjuddharrison (from Houston, TX) on August 23, 2007 at 7:04 PM:
oh good..I'll check out orchids...I noticed that 3 of my neglected orchids outside are blooming...I discovered that is the secret of all plants...ignore it...LOL
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 23, 2007 at 7:13 PM:
Too true!
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Subject: It really is a grand garden here !
Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on August 14, 2007 at 8:02 AM:
Your article said what has run through my mind many times; you said it well !
Dea
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Posted by melody (from Benton, KY) on August 14, 2007 at 9:00 AM:
Well said Shari! Some folks never 'get it'...but you had us figured out from the 'get go'.
From one of the oldest members, to one of the newest....you did good, my friend.
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Posted by peony01 (from Prattville, AL) on August 14, 2007 at 10:47 AM:
Thanks, Shari. Having lived in other nations with different cultures, I share your beliefs.
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Posted by LouC (from Desoto, TX) on August 14, 2007 at 11:07 AM:
Haven't traveled very far from home.....until......I found DG. Thank you, Shari, for leading me on a trip around the world. Thank you being my friend.
Christi
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Posted by Hyblaean (from Niles, IL) on August 14, 2007 at 11:26 AM:
Thank you, that was beautifully said. Your article made me tear up :) We do come together on DG. I wish that for all the world.
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 14, 2007 at 4:10 PM:
Melody - humbly, I thank you. But for so much more than your kind words. It is the work of you and Dave and Trish and all the administrators, the Ubers, the subscribers, and the members that make DG the unique and wonderful site that it is.
To those I don't know, thank you for reading my little article. I hope to get to know you through the Garden.
To my dear friends - thank you for being so.
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Subject: Well said!!
Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on August 14, 2007 at 8:02 AM:
Wonderful message.
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Posted by jadajoy (from Newport News, VA) on August 14, 2007 at 8:17 AM:
This reminds me of a great song, "From a Distance" by Bette Midler. Well written.
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Posted by crashbandiscoot (from Springfield, OH) on August 14, 2007 at 8:42 AM:
My sentiments exactly! I am very proud to be a member of Daves Garden! So much information and wonderful people here. Nice article, thank you.
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Posted by bolino (from Toledo, OH) on August 14, 2007 at 9:45 AM:
I have no idea how I got here, but here I am and here I stay. I even pay money to read here, and wouldn't do that at any of the other forums I frequent!
I love Dave's Garden!!!
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Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on August 14, 2007 at 1:59 PM:
Well said, indeed! I said in one of my forum posts, that DG renews my faith in humans. You just never know how and where you will touch another's life in some great or small way. It's a beautiful thing.
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on August 14, 2007 at 2:13 PM:
Excellent article Shari. Thank you for putting into word just how I feel about Dave's. It IS the most friendly, well built site on the internet today.
I'm so happy to have met you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing me and the rest of Dave's that there is a whole 'nother garden out there under the sea! I can't believe you didn't include Ariel in your analogy. Oh Boy! Now I'll have Sebastien singing in my head the rest of the day.... "Under de sea..." HAHAHA
Many hugs to one of my favorite folks on Dave's!
Janet
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Posted by june_nmexico (from Albuquerque, NM) on August 14, 2007 at 2:56 PM:
Oddly, I discovered DG when doing a Google search for "correct hem length for jeans". That brought me to the sewing forum on DG and I proceeded to explore, enjoy and to join up as a member. I truly enjoy ever bit of DG, from gardening to home repairs and everything in between. And yes, I did get an answer to my hemming question!
June
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Posted by andycdn (from Ottawa, ON) on August 14, 2007 at 3:15 PM:
Shari, I've felt this so many times without articulating it even to myself. Thanks for putting into words what many of us experience through DG and our community.
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on August 14, 2007 at 4:00 PM:
How could I have left out Ariel??!! She is GD's bestest friend! I'm gonna hear about it now.....and I also love "From a Distance". Thank you all for the kind words, I'm glad my little article touched some hearts, since DG has touched mine many, many times.
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Posted by paulgrow (from Allen Park, MI) on August 14, 2007 at 4:11 PM:
There are five times more people in DG than in the entire country that I live in! That is a lot of people communicating.
