Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there a website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

Bob

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

Bob


I would suggest a few good books. On our shelf we have amongst others

The Complete British Wildlife. - Collins
The Macmillan Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe
The AA book to the British Countryside
and the RHS Encyclopaedia of Plants and Flowers

plus lots of other books including the series 'The Gardening Expert', books
on building gardens and garden themes such as Cottage Garden, Water features
etc.

The trouble with a web site is that you cannot take it out into the garden
to compare with what you have growing or to answer a neighbours questions,
you can with a book

Hope that helps

Mike

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

Bob


i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers.

The message e0TEc.38$JG6.13@newsfe4-gui
from "Just Molly" contains these words:

i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers.

Do courts accept that?

Janet

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

On the other hand its always interesting to see what other people have
growing in their gardens and what the birds give to them (as it were).

And your requests for infor keep us on our toes. I for one like such
requests.

By the way, the birds gave me a very nice Leycestria formosa which I had had
in my previous garden and forgotten to bring a bit of. It was such a
delightful surprise.

regards
Don

"Janet Baraclough.." wrote in message
...
The message e0TEc.38$JG6.13@newsfe4-gui
from "Just Molly" contains these words:

i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers.

Do courts accept that?

Well as it is my bible, they would HAVE to wouldn't they lol.

"Just Molly" wrote in message
news:e0TEc.38$JG6.13@newsfe4-gui...

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there
a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

Bob


i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers.

It is good if you know a name and you want to see what it looks like.
If you've seen the plant but don't know the name. it is hard work
identifying it from the Encyclopedia.

Franz

The message
from "Don" contains these words:

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

On the other hand its always interesting to see what other people have
growing in their gardens and what the birds give to them (as it were).

And your requests for infor keep us on our toes. I for one like such
requests.

Most of us use the group to find ID's. You're welcome to ask; it's not
putting anybody out at all, because those who aren't interested or don't
know won't respond anyway.

When someone comes up with suggestions, I find google/images really
useful for looking them up to see what they look like.

Janet.

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...

"Just Molly" wrote in message
news:e0TEc.38$JG6.13@newsfe4-gui...

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there
a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

Bob


i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers.

It is good if you know a name and you want to see what it looks like.
If you've seen the plant but don't know the name. it is hard work
identifying it from the Encyclopedia.

Franz
_________
I agree with Franz. The very best texts for identifying wild
plants use a comprehensive key and very few illustrations. No cultivated
flower key seems to exist. The more comprehensive the encyclopaedia then the
greater effort involved, if it is identity needed.
Brian.

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...

"Just Molly" wrote in message
news:e0TEc.38$JG6.13@newsfe4-gui...

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there
a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

Bob


i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers.

It is good if you know a name and you want to see what it looks like.
If you've seen the plant but don't know the name. it is hard work
identifying it from the Encyclopedia.
I don't think it is. If I see a small blue flower in late summer, I just go
to late summer small plants and look in the blue flowered section. Simple.

In article , Franz Heymann
writes

"Just Molly" wrote in message
news:e0TEc.38$JG6.13@newsfe4-gui...

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there
a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

Bob


i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers.

It is good if you know a name and you want to see what it looks like.
If you've seen the plant but don't know the name. it is hard work
identifying it from the Encyclopedia.

the encyclopaedia is better than the A-Z for identification becuase it
groups according to growth (tree, shrub etc) then within that by season
and colour.

Otoh the A-Z is handy when you want to look at all the species of a
genus together.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , Brian
writes

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...

"Just Molly" wrote in message
news:e0TEc.38$JG6.13@newsfe4-gui...

"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there
a
website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers.

It is good if you know a name and you want to see what it looks like.
If you've seen the plant but don't know the name. it is hard work
identifying it from the Encyclopedia.

Franz
_________
I agree with Franz. The very best texts for identifying wild
plants use a comprehensive key and very few illustrations.

Depends a bit on your knowledge level! You have to be a fairly
enthusiastic amateur botanist to use Stace, for example. I tend to use
Fitter et al, and give up with getting any closer identification than
eyebright, dandelion or hawkweed ;-)

For garden plants, I use the Roger Phillips and Martin Rix books becuase
their photos are close up and therefore better for identification - many
of the RHS photos give you an overall picture, but without a close up.
But they're a good start.

No cultivated
flower key seems to exist.

It'd be a bit difficult, wouldn't it, with all the new varieties being
developed. Addition of a new variety isn't necessarily a matter of
adding a new question at the end - it may mess up one of the dichotomies
further up the key.

Long, long ago, in the days before PCs, I remember helping a colleague
with a program that took a key, added in your new species in the middle,
and checked all the consequences all the way through the key. It was not
a simple process.

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

".......... i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers."

"Do courts accept that?"

" Well as it is my bible, they would HAVE to wouldn't they lol......... "

No they wouldn't unless you swear ON it
--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
".......... i swear by my RHS enyclopadia of plants and flowers."

"Do courts accept that?"

" Well as it is my bible, they would HAVE to wouldn't they lol......... "

No they wouldn't unless you swear ON it
--

A person's 'Volume of the Sacred Law' does not have to be a Bible.

Mike
--
British Pacific Fleet Reunion Birmingham September 17th - 20th
H.M.S.Collingwood Assoc. Mini Reunion Weekend at Coventry Sept 24th - 27th
Nat. Service (RAF) Assoc. AGM & Reunion Hayling Island 8th - 11th October

On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 10:07:32 +0100, "Bob Smith" wrote:

Hi,

I don't really like asking "what's this" all the time, so is there a website
or piece of software for me to identify things myself?

Bob

If I have an idea about a possible name I have a look on the MAVICA
site where they have photos and desciptions of over 4000 plants.
Not relevant really but in the last couple of years I have grown two
perennials from un-named seeds of the HPS. I liked them both very
much. When the first one was in flower I came across it in the
gardening section of the Sunday Times magazine it was
verbena bonariensis. The next one I spotted just as I walked into the
small garden centre I use; it is erysium helveticum. Great to get a
name. Diana