Come one, come all! Join me and my online community to discuss the diverse subject of backyard landscaping. Whether you're a new homeowner in need of help or an advanced professional who enjoys offering help, the Backyard Landscaping forum is the place to come to talk some "yard talk." The designation "backyard" landscaping is not meant to exclude work on the front yard; rather, I use the term in an affectionate manner, as a salute to the do-it-yourselfer.
Many of us find backyard landscaping relaxing: it can provide solitude and a getaway from everyday stress. In addition, effective backyard landscaping increases property value. Let's see if we can't help you -- on both counts!
There is a strong do-it-yourself element uniting the participants in the Backyard Landscaping forum. But you needn't feel all alone, just because you're a "do-it-yourselfer." When you need landscaping help and ideas, they should be readily available to you. The Backyard Landscaping forum is a wonderful source for such help and ideas.
Backyard landscaping is a diverse topic. Feel free to talk about any outdoor work to be done on a property other than work on the house itself. Backyard landscaping encompasses work on plantings (trees, shrubs, ground covers, annuals, perennials, etc.), patios, decks, outdoor walls and fences, driveways and pathways, lawns, water gardens and rock gardens, etc.
F.A.Q.
Q. What if I do not have a specific question about landscaping? May I still come to the Backyard Landscaping forum and just kind of "hang out?"
A. Sure! You'll see there are 4 sections, and 1 is named, "General Discussion." Its purpose is to be a place for us outdoorsy folks to come and just talk. The discussion can be very general. For instance, we may want to talk about how beautiful certain plants turned out this year. In other words, this is the section where you can most feel that you're part of an online community. As folks get to know each other here, I would expect the discussion to get even more personal, and I encourage that.
Q. Is the Backyard Landscaping forum monitored?
A. It's monitored in the sense that it gets checked. But there's no "Big Brother" watching over it 24 hours/day. If you're easily offended, Web forums may not be the ideal venue for you. Posts won't be deleted just because someone writes with a complaint; deletions occur solely at the my discretion. Users intent on hurling expletives may be gagged, but no one has been gagged in the forum on backyard landscaping yet, nor has a post ever been deemed so offensive that it had to be deleted.
Q. What about posting links in the Backyard Landscaping forum?
A. No spam in the forum on backyard landscaping! Although the topic is "backyard landscaping," posts from professional landscapers are fine, as long as it's clear that their main intent is to be helpful, not gain publicity. Out of respect for the forum, pros may not post links to their businesses in the body of any message in the discussion threads. Such links may be posted in the Yellow Pages as long as your business is service-oriented, not Web-oriented (i.e., this isn't a Web directory).
Q. May I post a commercial link both in the Yellow Pages and in one of the discussion forums?
A. No! What makes this underhanded ploy especially reprehensible is that, by posting in the Yellow Pages, you're showing that you do know of the existence of the proper place in which to post links. Therefore, you can't plead ignorance -- you are simply and blatantly breaking the rules! Such posters will have their links deleted from both the Yellow Pages and the discussion forum in question. Post these links only in the Yellow Pages.
Q. What other "Netiquette" issues should I be aware of?
A. When you post a question, please don't supply your email address and request that the answer be emailed to you, privately. When participating on Web message boards, expect the answer to be furnished right there, on the message board. The reason emailed responses are discouraged is simple: only the email recipient benefits from the response. If responses are posted on the forum, instead, then everyone tuning in gets to read the answers. Someone else with a similar question can profit that way.
Q. What is the general tone in the Backyard Landscaping forum?
A. Two words come to mind: friendly and helpful. Typically, a discussion is launched when a participant posts a question (less frequently, a comment, although comments are invited). Anyone with any information at all on that topic is encouraged to reply, even if it means providing only a partial "answer." In fact, many of our best discussions on backyard landscaping result from folks responding to a question with yet another question!
Q. Do I have to register to use the Backyard Landscaping forum?
A. You can enter as a guest and read posts, but you must register before you can post or answer a post that's already there. Registering is quick, simple, and free. Please join us by clicking the "Register for FREE!" link above.
Q. You addressed the issue of links posted by professional landscapers, but what about links posted by other Webmasters or garden writers to drive traffic to their sites?
A. The Landscaping forum isn't the appropriate place for such links. But feel free to contact me regarding reciprocal links. To that end, see the FAQ on my Landscaping Questions page regarding reciprocal links.
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