One of the things I like a lot about the way things happen on the PBS forum is that I see all messages at one place. That makes it really easy to decide right away which ones I want to read and which I want to ignore. It also means that should one of the ones I ignored turn hot, I’m likely to notice the volume of responses and then check out what the excitement is all about. If we were to break down into smaller groups focused on specialized topics, it would be a lot harder to keep up with it. Chit chat responses posted to the entire group drive me crazy; if people have to do it, why can’t they respond privately to the party in question? Another thing I like very much about the current way things happen on the PBS list is the way a topic will begin focused on one thing and then wander over a wide range of usually very interesting other topics. I’ve been very pleasantly surprised over the years at what different perspectives bring to these discussions. I think Mary Sue has taken just the right approach when it comes to discussions wandering off topic - mostly hands off except in those rare occasions when things are about to ignite. I wish more people would post more often about the things which are happening in their gardening lives. I’ve often posted on the blooming of particular plants, mundane plants, just to get the ball rolling and prod others into giving their versions. The discussions which grew out of mentioning the blooming of Eranthis hyemalis or Sternbergia lutea, for instance, were varied and interesting. Neither of those is a rare plant, no expertise was involved in growing them, and I learned a thing or two from the many responses. If it’s true that there over 400 people who receive the PBS postings, then it would be nice to hear something about what those of you who don’t post regularly – and that’s the majority of the group - are growing. I’m particularly interested in what young people who might still be in university and who don’t have a real garden are growing. When I was that age, I was sharply focused on certain unusual plants which I could grow under lights indoors. What went on in real gardens was largely irrelevant to me. One simple thing which I wish more people would do is to post brief messages about what is blooming for them: if everyone posted once a week on this topic it would provide lots of entertainment. I don’t care a bit about the quality of your English prose, but do please make an effort to spell the names of the plants correctly. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7, where we are trying to dry out from yet another down pour. My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/