The Garden Gate: Mailing Lists

When I first started this page back in July of 1994, it was the only source for information of its kind. Nowadays there are several sites which specialize in information on mailing lists. Rather than duplicating their efforts here, I am now providing links to these sites. My old Mailing Lists for Gardeners will remain available as an archive but will no longer be maintained.

Some tips for would-be subscribers.

When searching for mailing lists, you best bet is to find databases that are being kept uptodate. List of links on static Web pages are less likely to be current and may raise your hopes about lists that are now defunct.
Browse or search for mailing lists:

Browse Gardening Lists or search at Liszt. Over 90,000 lists.
Nature: Plants at Liszt.
Nature: Trees at Liszt.
Yahoo Groups: Gardening
Browse Gardening Lists or search Publically Accessible Mailing Lists.
Search Listserv lists
Search tile.net
Search or browse at The List of Lists

Can't find a list that suits you? Start your own! Several sites offer free mailing lists, some even offer additional 'community building' features like online chat, file exchange areas and other common areas for your new (or old) group.

Yahoo groups. (The well-known egroups became part of Yahoo in Fall of 2000.)
E-mail Newsletters and Discussions

Some tips for would-be subscribers:

A constant stream of new gardening mailing lists is being created these days and many seem to appear briefly only to disappear again. Well-established lists, on the other hand, have proven their staying power and have built strong on-line communities. These lists are often most valuable since the level of expertise available among the subscribers is far higher than on the ephemeral 'chatty' lists.
How can you tell if a list will be suitable and worthwhile?

Read the information file. Is it well thought-out? Does it define the scope of the list and establish guidelines for posting? You'll also find out if the list welcomes beginners or if it is aimed more at experts.

Does the list have a homepage? If so, pay a visit. What kind of information does it offer? Some mailing lists support excellent homepages offering mailing list archives, FAQs, and good collection of related links.

What is the overall tone of the list? Spirited disagreements are one thing, but when discussions degenerate into personal attacks, the whole list suffers. Are there signs of ongoing unpleasantness among some members or is the overall tone friendly and helpful?

Does the discussion stay on topic? Some lists mix in a great deal of off-topic chatter among the regulars.

Is the traffic level manageable for your purposes? If you don't check your e-mail daily, that chatty list that lands 100 or more messages in your mailbox may not be for you.
The final test, of course, is whether you enjoy being on the list ;-)

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