If you’re new to online communities it would be helpful to understand what a forum is and how to use it.

A forum (also called a message board) is a major part of any online community. It basically provides a place to type in messages to others viewing the site. But what is particularly nice about a forum is that it organizes these into "threads" and "posts" so there is a logical and well organized "discussion" about a topic which everyone can participate in. So, instead of hundreds of people all conversing about different topics at the same time (kind of how a chat room would work), you have "threads" of discussion each with its own title and all the discussion ("posts") about that topic within it. You decide what threads (discussions) to create and can participate in any that you like. Bottom line... it’s a fun way to get to know others with similar interests and participate in the exchange of knowledge and experiences about gardening.

An example will really help. Let’s say you’ve recently noticed a strange dusting on your rose bushes. You can start a new "thread" to talk about this by selecting the New Thread button and giving it a title of "Strange dusting on rose bush??. In the body of your message you would include a description of your issue. You may even include pictures from your digital camera. Others in the community will see your new thread and respond by "posting" their comments. As more people respond, your thread gets longer by each post. You too can respond by adding a new "post" to your own thread to answer questions others may ask you about the problem you’re having.

As you browse and read other threads on these forums you may find you have knowledge or experience that can help others... please share by posting your comments. As the community grows and the number of threads increases you will find the search function of this web site very useful. For example, you can search for "rose disease" and find all past discussions related to this topic... you may find that someone else had the same issue you have and quickly get an answer to your question.

We’re here to help you get started... if you have any problems at all don’t hesitate to e-mail questions to:

The first step is to register and pick a username. Registration is free. You simply fill out a form by clicking the Registration button near the top of the home page (or click HERE). Once you're registerd you can start posting messages in the forums, use the calendar of events, participate in photo contests, meet new gardening friends and so much more.

After you have registered you will want to check out the forums and try out posting messages. Here are some steps to get you going:

Tip: Print out this page so you can easily follow along.
1. Go to the main website www.MichiganGardenClub.com.
2. Click on the FORUMS link in the Main Menu near the top left of the page.
3. You will see a list of forums – these are like folders holding discussions related to the forum topic. For example, there is a “General Gardening” forum for general discussion but also forums like “Inside the Home” and “Lawn and Landscaping” for more specific topics. Each of these is a container to hold discussions.
4. Now click on the "General Gardening” forum title and that will take you to a list of all the discussions going on in that forum (the discussions are also called threads).
5. Now click on one of the discussions in the list (just click it’s name) and it will take you to all the replies to that discussion – these are called Posts. Scroll down to see and read all the posts that have been made in this discussion.
6. You can add your own thoughts and comments to the discussion by clicking on the big green “Post Reply” button. Your comments will appear as a new post at the end of the discussion for everyone else to see.
7. Now lets say you want to start your own discussion to talk about a problem you're having with your roses: So, first get into the "General Gardening" forum by following steps 1 thru 4 above.
8. Now you should be looking at the list of discussions. If you wanted to create a new discussion thread you would click on the big green “New Thread” button. Your new discussion would appear at the top of the list. Go ahead and try it right now.
9. And finally, you might have noticed a forum in the list called "Test Forum". You can go there and experiment all you want without hurting anything - your own little sandbox to play in and try things out.

First, we will never share or distribute your e-mail address to anyone and during registration you can decide if it’s okay for us to send you important announcements about this site. The reason we need an e-mail address is to better control any inappropriate content being posted on our family-safe web site. When someone is found posting adult type content or any unlawful, abusive, harassing, obscene, or otherwise objectionable material of any kind we are able to then block them from logging in or even re-registering by blocking their IP address. This ensures a safe and fun environment for the rest of us. When you register we send you an e-mail with a link in it which you have to click on to activate your new account. This makes sure we have your correct e-mail address and the ability to block out those that "don’t play nice".

Go ahead and register by clicking HERE.