Welcome to the new forum

For "reasonably local" ... I simply joined my local Gardening Group
I listen to my County radio gardening programme and they give out a list of County Gardening Group diary dates each week. I'm inclined to go to a different group next week (as a visitor) and will no doubt have a good natter with like minded others on the night

For "reasonably friendly" but with a degree of anonymity ... I joined an internet forum!

I think this is the fourth, or fifth, post of yours promoting a particular website and, to my mind, in internet terms, could be considered as bordering on spamming? No one can doubt your enthusiasm to want to meet up with fellow, local, gardeners but, to be honest, the very best way of doing that begins very much in the traditional method of joining a LOCAL gardening society!

The vast majority of GC members could not be considered "local" to you which further suggests you are not really as interested in "local" for meet ups/seed swaps, just more focussed on promoting that website (which, for the record, I am not interested in adding my name to just to be another name on a database held by who knows who and for who knows what in this day and age of who knows what next!)

Wishing you every success in meeting up with like minded others in your locality and hoping you enjoy many a swap along the way.

 

Hi M, I have messaged you personally to apologise for any annoyance which I seem to have caused you. I have also attempted to clarify what my intentions of posting were (not to promote or spam), the extent to which my wife and I had gone to in trying to find local societies, clubs, etc., and having followed the suggestions you made.
Not only do I offer you my apologies, I obviously extend that to any others who I may have irritated or caused misunderstandings.

 

I've tried this - full of 'serious' people quoting latin names and trying to out do each other. Not my cup of tea at all - much better an internet forum - more people from different walks of life with varying levels of knowledge.

I'm a member of a couple of motoring related forums where they have more location based threads - arranging meet ups etc - they don't have many postings - so I'm not at all convinced that they are much use.

As has been said, we can place holiday pic's in the gallery - and we have a 'general' forum for other bits and bobs.

 

Latin?!! I've been accused of struggling with English, sometimes!

 

I've never joined a local gardening or otherwise club, it's just not my kind of thing to be honest.
Been on GC for quite a while though, as it's the kind of thing where you can come and go and nobody takes much notice.

If you wanted to have a meet with people in your area it would be quite easy to arrange, maybe at a large garden centre or RHS gardens.

But I think you need to build up a bit of rapport and get people interested.
Some people are prepared to travel quite a way for a meet up, but you need to get to know them first.

 

Lovely cathedral in Salford.

 

Never been much of a joiner myself, with work and other stuff, I find this forum has the right level of knowledge and range of interests for me. Although I'm thinking of going to a couple of talks at the local gardening society that seem interesting.
As for Latin names there aren't enough English names to go round. Generally you don't need to worry about the meaning of them just use as if it was the English name. Don't let the Latin name put you off growing a plant you like.

 

We're more or less forced to use latin here....some of the Swedish names for plants are plain weird. Anybody got any Goat Rice in their garden?

 

Thank you

That wouldn't be my cup of tea either (although one of the groups does make delicious homemade cakes to help wash the tea down ).
My local one has some excellent speakers and I've learned quite a bit from the talks and talking to other members. If it was at all stuffy I wouldn't be seen for dust

 

The Gävlebocken usually gets burned down before Christmas. Probably someone tried to make the risgrynsgröt on it!

Goat Rice is a plant...not one I would eat either!