Plangarden’s Vegetable Gardening Software Expands Web 2.0 Social Networking Features
HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — Plangarden enhances its drag-and-drop online vegetable gardening software by expanding features for its rapidly growing community of vegetable gardeners. The new Web 2.0 social networking features enable vegetable garden enthusiasts from all over the world to interact over a “virtual backyard fence” where they can ask or swap advice. On a Google Maps mash-up you can visually find fellow gardeners in your area or type in locations around the world that you are interested in.
With the enhanced “Shared Garden” feature of the Plangarden Web site, gardeners can now leave comments, rate, and put a “watch” on other shared gardens, allotments and small farms. These community features complement Plangarden’s award-winning Web-based layout and design tool that has appealed to many vegetable gardeners who can quickly create a virtual on-line garden.
“I found myself not only viewing my garden from work and at home (Macintosh and Windows), but when the opportunity presented itself, I was able to use this incredible program to show off what I was growing to friends – on their computer. Now that is cool!” comments Karl Mueller, a Plangarden user since 2006.
The expanded Shared Garden features include “GardenComments,” “GardenWatch” and “GardenRating.”
GardenComments is a great way to communicate, share and learn from fellow gardeners. Like many social networking sites, this feature creates a friendly, interactive way for gardeners to exchange ideas and tips in the Plangarden community. The Google Maps mash-up lets gardeners visually find Plangarden users in their area (represented as ladybug icons) who opt to share their garden plan. Clicking on a ladybug icon will allow gardeners to view that particular Plangarden user’s layout, vegetables, and garden journal. If they desire, they can add a comment or ask a question to the garden owner. Any comment sends an automatic email alert to the Plangarden user.
GardenWatch lets gardeners build up a “buddy list” of gardeners. Buddy gardeners can be alerted by email or RSS feed when a Plangarden user makes changes to her plan.
GardenRating allows vegetable gardeners to give star ratings to plans of Plangarden users. This fun option allows people to give kudos to interesting and creative garden layouts. And while users may focus on gardens in their area, they are also free to explore the world and rate gardens in faraway places!
About Plangarden
Over 12,000 users from all over the world have discovered Plangarden, the first Web-based vegetable garden design application, that assists gardeners in visualizing, planning and recording gardening activities. Plangarden has been member-tested and recommended by the National Home Gardening Club. Users can sign up for a free 45-day trial. A full year subscription is available for $20 per year, or $36 for 3-years.
More information: www.plangarden.com .
All trademarks acknowledged.
[tags]online vegetable gardening software, Plangarden social network, GardenRating GardenWatch, garden allotment software[/tags]
