I agree with everyone. Tulips, daffodils, Iris, what does it matter? The important point is to connect the young people with plants, animals, and nature in general. But Children are a long term project. We need to be working on them, but how do we get their parents involved? Or even those grandparents that seem a necessary key to the puzzle. These are questions I agonize over daily since I work as PR person for the American Iris Society. The stalwart venerable plant societies have generally been in decline for about 20 years, some less than others. It seems the older they are, the more they have declined. The internet has removed the need to join to discover sources, and learn about cultivation. Is the plant society a vanishing species? I keep hoping that if we bring plant societies into the digital age they will begin to prosper once again. I work as hard trying to make AIS and for that matter all plant societies prosper as I would at a full time paid job, maybe more so. But I hear many saying what’s the use, that the world is changing away from gardening. Is this true? I have seen all sorts of data that says gardening is the number one activity but the parameters often seem skewed. It seems if you plant a petunia or mow the lawn you are counted. Although I argue continually against this decline, I sometimes have doubts. I am curious as to what this forum thinks about the prospects of gardening for the future. It a rainy day and maybe i am just down. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/