Tools

GARDEN DESIGN             

  

Better Homes and Gardens: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/

The Scoop: the only catch is that you have to register, which is free, but once you do, so are all of the downloadable garden plans! It also has container garden plans as well as a very helpful tool where you can create a mock-up, directly on the site, of the garden that you envision. Register first, though, because you cannot proceed on the site without it. (It also has content on house and home). If nothing else, it will give you ideas of which plants ”go together.”

 

HELPFUL TOOLS: SPECIFIC

 

Toxic Plant List: http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/poisplant/tox-com.htm

The Scoop: this very helpful site provides good information on poisonous or toxic plants. Some of the toxicity can be mild, all the way to severe.

Help Me Find: http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/index.php?tab=5

 

The Scoop:  this helpful site provides good information on rose care, digital images of roses, a search engine for you to look up information about a particular rose, and other great stuff on roses. I refer to this site often.

 

 

 

 

Martindale’s Calculators On-Line Center: http://www.martindalecenter.com/Calculators.html

The Scoop: this site provides several types of calculators – very useful for garden design.

 

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-sw1.html

The Scoop: this is invaluable information and will determine whether plants will be available or shippable to your area. Find your zone and your wish list of plants for your garden can be more focused.

 

National Gardening Association: http://www.garden.org/home

The Scoop: This is a good website with useful gardening articles and reference tools, as well as links to regional gardening information.

 

HELPFUL TOOLS: GENERAL

 

Contractors and Licensing Information:

The Scoop: this is incomplete; it will be updated as new information becomes available. The states that do not have an obvious searchable database with licensing information (to me) are designated with the default Better Business Bureau (http://www.welcome.bbb.org) website. It’s better to check out a contractor’s licensing information in addition to their BBB information.  

 

1	Alabama	http://www.genconbd.state.al.us/
2	Alaska	http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/occ/home.htm
3	Arizona	http://www.azroc.gov/
4	Arkansas	http://www.state.ar.us/clb/search.html
5	California	http://www.cslb.ca.gov/
6	Colorado	http://welcome.bbb.org/
7	Connecticut	http://www.ct-clic.com/#27519
8	Delaware	http://welcome.bbb.org/
	District of Colombia	http://dcra.dc.gov/dcra/cwp/view,a,1343,q,601933,dcraNav_GID,1691,dcraNav,%7C33408%7C,.asp
9	Florida	https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=1&SID=&brd=&typ=
10	Georgia	http://www.sos.georgia.gov/plb/construct/
11	Hawaii	http://hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/pvl/boards/contractor/
12	Idaho	http://www.ibol.idaho.gov/cont.htm
13	Illinois	http://welcome.bbb.org/
14	Indiana	http://welcome.bbb.org/
15	Iowa	https://eservices.iowa.gov/licensediniowa/index.php?pgname=pubsearch
16	Kansas	http://welcome.bbb.org/
17	Kentucky	http://welcome.bbb.org/
18	Louisiana	http://www.lslbc.louisiana.gov/
19	Maine	http://welcome.bbb.org/
20	Maryland	http://welcome.bbb.org/
21	Massachusetts	http://welcome.bbb.org/
22	Michigan	http://www.cis.state.mi.us/verify.htm
23	Minnesota	http://welcome.bbb.org/
24	Mississippi	http://www.msboc.us/
25	Missouri	http://welcome.bbb.org/
26	Montana	http://welcome.bbb.org/
27	Nebraska	http://welcome.bbb.org/
28	Nevada	http://www.nvcontractorsboard.com/
29	New Hampshire	http://welcome.bbb.org/
30	New Jersey	http://welcome.bbb.org/
31	New Mexico	http://www.rld.state.nm.us/index.html
32	New York	http://www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/licenses/100.shtml
33	North Carolina	http://www.nclicensing.org/OnlineReg.htm
34	North Dakota	http://welcome.bbb.org/
35	Ohio	http://welcome.bbb.org/
36	Oklahoma	http://welcome.bbb.org/
37	Oregon	http://www.ccb.state.or.us/
38	Pennsylvania	http://welcome.bbb.org/
39	Rhode Island	http://www.crb.ri.gov/default.php
40	South Carolina	http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Contractors/
41	South Dakota	http://welcome.bbb.org/
42	Tennessee	http://www.tennessee.gov/commerce/boards/contractors/
43	Texas	http://www.license.state.tx.us/
44	Utah	http://dopl.utah.gov/
45	Vermont	http://welcome.bbb.org/
46	Virginia	http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/dporweb/dpormainwelcome.cfm
47	Washington	http://www.lni.wa.gov/
48	West Virginia	http://welcome.bbb.org/
49	Wisconsin	http://welcome.bbb.org/
50	Wyoming	http://welcome.bbb.org/