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New Feature on GardenStew: Plant Search Tool
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Frank
Happy Gardening
 Administrator
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Posts: 8712
PlantStew: 465 |
| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:14 pm Post subject: New Feature on GardenStew: Plant Search Tool |
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Hi all,
We have a new feature on the site which I think you all will find very useful. It's called the Plant Search Tool and it allows you to look up any plant you desire and research it. Basically if you need to find out information about any plant this will be the only tool you will ever need, and the best thing is that it is here on GardenStew!
- No need to look up any plant in a search engine because the Plant Search Tool gives links to results on Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines. Why search on one when you can search on several at the same time!
- The tool returns links to the plant in various plant databases around the Web including Dave's Garden, GardenWeb, BBC, Wikipedia and more. A mountain of information at your fingertips!.
- If you need to look up images of the plant then search using the Plant Search tool and you will be given links to websites including images of the plant including PhotoBucket, Google, Flickr and more.
- Perform Latin/Common name conversions using the link to the PlantPress converter.
I am using it all of the time now and I can't tell you how amazing it is to have something like this. My research speed has dramatically increased. I encourage everyone to use it, if fact you may be crazy not to 
Please if you have any feedback whatsoever let me know. I want this tool to grow and grow and to become a really integral part of GardenStew. And if you want to tell your gardening buddies about it also I would be most grateful.
Thanks for reading and happy researching!
// Frank
P.S Did you know you can search the Plant Search Tool from the search box in the main menu? Just enter your plant name in the search box, select the 'Plants' option and then click 'Search' 
P.P.S Even more information about the tool here
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Last edited by Frank on Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:23 am; edited 1 time in total
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
Moderator
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 4517
PlantStew: 466 |
| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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That is going to be lots of fun and a place where the latin name will get you accurate info, but the common name could perpetuate mislabeling of lots of plants.
The first plant I looked up had four errors on the photobucket photo image section tho.
I entered Texas Sage and got 7 pics----got 3 of Texas Sage, one of a Cedar Salvia (mislabeled by the pic owner), one of a Mexican Sage(labeled as such but pic taken at the Texas State Fair), one of a University of Texas football player and a sage with what appear to be pink flowers whereas the Texas Sage has purple (mislabeled by the pic owner)
Even in the five pics from flickr, only two are correct.
All the pics at Dave's Garden were labeled wrong.
Looking up the latin name got me what I was looking for. Texas Sage is not in the salvia family but the word Sage in it's name makes it appear to be.
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Frank
Happy Gardening
Administrator
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Posts: 8712
PlantStew: 465 |
| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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Yes Toni unfortunately we are at the mercy of the other sites when it come to searching my common names. Latin names will return more accurate results. I will be linking any common names that I find mentioned in posts here to their corresponding Latin name search in the Plant Research Tool i.e. Snowdrop
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Frank
Happy Gardening
Administrator
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Posts: 8712
PlantStew: 465 |
| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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Also if you yourself want to link to the Plant Research tool within posts surround the plant name with the text
[info]
before the plant name and the text
[/info]
after it, similar to when you add an image to a post (there is also a new 'Info' button above where you write posts for this function, like the button 'Img'). This will link straight to the tool with the plant name already searched for. I will add this formatted text into the tool for each plant search very shortly e.g. when you search for 'hydrangea' there will be a box with
[info]hydrangea[/info]
already created for you to simply copy into your post. Sorry if this got a bit technical 
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
Moderator
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 4517
PlantStew: 466 |
| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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That will be really helpful. It means a lot more work for you, thanks for doing it.
I had to go to my old standby, the Weston Gardens website
http://www.westongardens.com/wgib%20starting%20page.htm
to their search a plant option to find the latin name for Texas Sage because the conversion feature on the plant finder didn't have it on file.
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bethie
Highly Skillful
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Location: WestTennessee (Map)
Posts: 1588
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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I am having no luck with this search so any help would be appreciated. I want to find the US hardiness of manettia cordifolia, common name Brazilian firecracker vine. The only things I can find are very vague. 
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
Moderator
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 4517
PlantStew: 466 |
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Frank
Happy Gardening
Administrator
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Posts: 8712
PlantStew: 465 |
| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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I searched for both and the Dave's Garden and GardenWeb links returned 1 result each. Some specific plants will be harder to find information on. I suggest trying all the links and even the links to the various search engines listed. Unfortunately we are limited to the information that is on the external sites. But be assured if the information about a plant exists out there you have a great chance of finding it through this tool. If no information exists then no tool will find it 
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bethie
Highly Skillful
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Location: WestTennessee (Map)
Posts: 1588
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for looking Toni. That is a manettia too and I have it also but it's not hardy here. So many things are called "firecracker vine". 
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