Well, they tried. Editors and researchers at the Paper of Record compiled gardening resources and that’s a good thing, but look what they included:
Lots of sites that are article mills and nothing more. That’s easily determined by the lack of author bio, or even the identification of who’s behind the website itself. Some corporation, one assumes, not gardening authorities. One of them DOES tell us their gardening information is written by a “crack team featuring gardening enthusiasts just like you. Some of us can barely maintain cacti.” Bet you can’t wait to read their advice! The other tip-off to the illegitimacy of the sites is the abundance of ads.
Oh, yeah, and P. Allen Smith.
On the plus side, they managed to unearth the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, the National Gardening Association, Garden Voices and Kitchen Gardeners International. But where’s Dave’s Garden? Where are the outstanding Extension Services sites, like Cornell or Maryland? And where’s the Renegade Gardener or Rainyside Gardeners)
But gee, you’d think that if anybody knows that Google searches do not automatically yield the most credible sources, it would be editors and researchers at the Times. And like me, you’re surprised they didn’t put a little more effort into this otherwise laudable project.
So readers, what sites would you have included?
I DO appreciate that that NYT link also includes a compilation of gardening articles from the Times itself and there I found some promising pieces that I missed. That’s because I read the paper online and only look for gardening articles in the Home & Garden section, which usually disappoints. But lo and behold, the best gardening stuff is tucked away in “The City,” “In the Region,” “Escapes” (which covered garden coaching waaay back in June of ’07!) and the Magazine.
Um, does the NYT realize that they own this little company called About.com, where they hire people to write about gardening?
Just a thought. I mean, say what you want about About.com (as long as you don’t rip their organic gardening coverage…) but their gardening coverage is WAY better than some of the crap in that article.
I’m sure they’re trying to be unbiased, but since they linked to some of their own articles, it does make one wonder.
Colleen, they listed About.com number one~!
Mine! 😉
Didn’t see it….nevermind…..
Working for a newspaper I recognize the tone of the content. The resource list was compiled, I’m guessing, by their marketing department. And not so much because they have back room deals going on, but because marketing always thinks they “get it”. when anyone who does knows they don’t.
I’m glad Colleen spoke up to remind us that they had the good sense to hire her as their organic gardening writer! Lots of good gardening info over on About.
It must be getting really bad that the NYT cannot hire real writers to write about gardening. Just goes to show you that tabloid jouranlism is creeping into what was once a very good LIBEARAL paper. Not a good paper in general but the mastehead for the liberal movement. I mean $5 for the Sunday issue in Albany NY and NOTHING worth reading. But for some reason I feel I am missing something when the NYC weekend gays or liberals in their Volvos are standing in line at Stewarts’ with coffee in one hand the times in the other and a head of hair that needs combing, clothes wrinkled, no socks, untied shoes……….they look like the locals but they drive Volvos and are looking at everyone else without the NYT as “how can you not read the Times what is with you.”
Just goes to show you they do not care abouy $4 gas and high food costs. Just cover enough of the garden realm with fake articles to make the do gooders feel “gooder” about themselves.
At least the locals are spending $5 on loteery tickets that may pay off. Much better bet than the sunday NYT in my neighborhood