sealPurdue News
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March 25, 2003

Vegetable gardening CD a helpful tool

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University has an award winning gardening CD that could be a handy tool for beginning gardeners. And while it might not be a rake or a hoe, the "Beginner's Guide to Vegetable Gardening" CD-ROM deserves a place in every new gardener's tool caddie, says B. Rosie Lerner, an Extension horticulture specialist.

"This product is aimed at the beginning gardener, though there are certainly things that are of interest to even the most seasoned gardener," she said. "It's also a unique format, it's like a book, but because it's interactive, it's more than a book."

The CD features video and voice clips, animation, pictures and text, as well as links to Web sites and publications. It guides the user through planning a vegetable garden, planting seeds and seedlings, and growing 30 of the most popular garden vegetables.

"It's packed with more than 100 photographs, graphics, video clips, Web links and an entertaining quiz," Lerner said. "By developing this CD-ROM instead of a Web site we were able to use large and interesting graphics without the long download time."

Video and PDF viewers are included on the CD and it works on Macintosh and PC platforms. A "hot-linked" index and glossary makes access to anything on the CD a click away, Lerner said. The guide includes planting charts and suggestions that are useful for every gardener, she said.

"The guide was specifically written with the Midwest in mind, especially Indiana," Lerner said. "But we've included links to other states' Extension Web sites."

To purchase the program, call (888) 398-4636 and ask for product number CD-HO-2. The cost is $10.95. Order forms also are available online.

A "Beginner's Guide to Vegetable Gardening" received The American Society for Horticultural Science's outstanding Extension publication award for CD-ROMs and the Agricultural Communicators in Education interactive media program silver award.

Writer: Kay Hostetler, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu

Source: B. Rosie Lerner, (765) 494-1311 rosie@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu; https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgComm/public/agnews/

Related Web sites:
Purdue's Consumer Horticulture page
GardenTIPS


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