Barbara wrote:
[...]
Can anyone tell me if you can put smilies within the text or is just
in the post header?

Welcome aboard, Barbara. This group, uk.rec.gardening, is informative
and fun: there are some real experts here as well as motormouths like
me.You may like to try direct access to uk.rec.gardening (which is where
I'm reading you). If you haven't got what's called a "newsreader", you
can get here by clicking:
http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.gardening?hl=en

and then saving the page in your Favourites.

Beware, though: the "Reply" button there is partly broken. If you want
readers to understand what you're replying to, you have to click "Show
options" and then the "Reply" link which appears at bottom left of the
header which comes up. Dead easy when you've tried it once, but we'll
explain more if necessary.

Personally, as an amiable but sometimes grumpy old man, smileys make me
frown! Opinions are mixed, but I know I'm not the only one who hates
them: if people can't tell when I'm joking, it can't have been funny in
the first place!

--
Mike.