Published in Internet Newsroom.

At the first sign of the ground thawing in the spring, gardeners rush outside to work in their flowerbeds or vegetable gardens. Though considered "work" by many, to a gardener, there's nothing more relaxing than piddling around in the dirt and working with tender new plants or watching the miracle of a seed first sprouting growth. Journalists who write articles for gardening publications will be sure to find a myriad of resources on the Internet.

Let's begin this tour with an impressive site, the National Gardening Association. At their Easy Seed-Starting Guide, you can "get your garden off to a good start" with their step-by-step instructions and tips from the pros. Learn the germination temperature, the number of days to germinate, plant spacing, and the amount of sunlight required. Access the National Gardening Magazine to learn about new vegetables, fruit, or roses for 1998, or learn how to prune or graft fruit trees.

By far, one of the best gardening sites on the Web is GardenGuides, where you'll discover anything and everything "green." Learn how to prepare herbs, how to force bulbs, and how to grow gardens in a container. Learn about succession planting or rock gardens. At this site, you'll also find sections on storing and freezing vegetables. Access the herb, vegetable, or flower guide, share a tip of your own with others, or sign up to receive a free gardening newsletter by e-mail. The site even features a gardening forum where you can discuss your hobby with others. Honestly, you could easily spend hours at this fabulous site.

At Pathfinder's Virtual Garden, another excellent gardening site, you can access articles such as "How to Pick out Houseplants," or click on Armchair Gardener for the best gardening articles from publications such as SOUTHERN LIVING or SUNSET magazines. If you don't have a lot of time for gardening, maybe the Weekend Projects section would be perfect for you, where you can access categories such as Instant Gardening, Gardening Basics, or Backyard Builder. Under Toolshed, you can talk to a gardener, check your weather, or look up a plant.

Another site for busy people is the Weekend Gardener - Your Weekly Electronic Gardening Guide, Practical Horticulture for Busy People. Click on Fast Facts for quick garden readings, such as information about hummingbirds or what causes potatoes to turn green. The Seed Starting Page offers advice and tips on flower, vegetable, and herb seeds.

Fine Gardening Online Magazine offers a guided web tour of their favorite seed starting resources. Or, learn that every year, the Heirloom Daffodils signal the return of spring. Under Design, you can learn how to have a great garden in just one year, or learn how to have spring-to-fall color in a shady spot. Access a flower bloom chart, or learn how to design a water garden. Do gnats bother you in your garden? Under Techniques, you can learn how to solve the problem with a bug-repellent hat. This is an excellent site that's sure to keep you busy for a long time.

Do you enjoy perennials? At the Perennial Primer, you can learn how to grow perennials by reading their question and answer format. Discover what tools you will need, how much it will cost, and how you can tell if a plant is a perennial.

Typical of their outstanding magazine, Better Homes & Gardens offers a Gardening Home Page full of helpful features such as Gardening Maps, where you can check out the most detailed plant hardiness maps on the Internet. Did you know that a pawpaw tree produces a banana-strawberry-custard fruit? Read the article, The Return of the Pawpaw, to see if you might want to try your hand at growing one. Learn tips and gardening suggestions from BH&G editors, join a discussion group, or access their commonly asked questions and answers section.

Are you having problems with your garden? Visit the no-nonsense Problem Identification Aids and see if you can find a solution. Categories are flowers, ground covers, shrubs, and trees.

When you're relaxing in your easy chair, it's hard to find the energy to rush off to a store to buy your gardening supplies. No problem! Gardensources offers a listing of seed companies galore.

Here's another superb site: Gardening: Regional and International from Amaryllis to Zucchini. This site offers information for regional gardens, such as Midwest Gardener or Northern Gardening. Additional categories include Kid's Garden, Indoor Gardening, Living with Ornamental Grasses, Bonsai, or Garden Design. Impressive!

The Plants National Database Home Page is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture and is the "single source of standardized information about plants." The database features standardized plant names, symbols and other plant attribute information. Access the image gallery that features over 1000 plants.

If you're interested in flowers, Flowerbase is the place for you. The database offers over 7,000 pictures of flowers, plants, and garden plants.

Would you like to learn more about worm composting? At Composting with Red Wiggler Worms, you can learn the advantage of composting with worms as well as how to get started.

Master Gardener Information, sponsored by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, is a no-nonsense site devoted to the home production of fruits and nuts, flowering plants, ornamental trees and shrubs, turf grasses, and vegetables. If you're having problems with any of your plants, this is a good place to look for possible causes.

Rose gardeners need to stop by the Rose Resource page. Find the perfect award-winning rose for your garden, or learn rose gardening tips.

We'll close with a comprehensive listing of gardening sites, Internet Gardening, where you'll find links to publications, other gardeners, reference sites, gardening discussion groups, and a listing of impressive gardens to visit. If you travel, be sure to click to the Calendar of Garden Events to learn of gardening happenings in areas where you might visit.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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