The internet provides a home for many national and state nursery and landscape associations. Somewhat surprisingly, we could not find any such really international associations [such as the International Plant Propagators: [www.ipps.org/international] and this was after considerable internet surfing to Green Industry related directories and visits to search engines. It also appears that only five countries have national organizations in this sphere of the industry: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and, of course, the U.S.A.

There are many similarities between the sites. They usually include information about the organization and it's purpose/goals, an explanation of membership benefits and application form, calendar of events, a website store where you can order publications, videos, etc., links to other websites, and information on the organization's awards program. Some also include information on certification/accreditation, and job/employment opportunities. Many also list their membership with links to member's websites and or e-mail addresses. Another helpful feature of some is the capability for online registration for courses, workshops, and conferences.

While some of the organizational sites restrict access to many site features to registered members, many do have information accessible to anyone with a computer.

Rather than describing each site in detail, something that would become boring and repetitive, we've decided to focus on some special or unique features.

The Canadian site [www.canadanursery.com] has links to provincial associations, a database where you can search for plants, companies, services and supplies. A rather unique feature of the site is a "leasing centre" to help members find "quality and affordable financing." It provides a financial overview, reasons for leasing, common questions and answers, terms and loan structures, an option for an online quote, and an online application form.

The Aussies [Nursery and Garden Industry of Australia [www.NGIA.com.au/] also have included something not seen on other sites - a page on export opportunities, and another page on the organization's marketing and R&D plans; this is a site well worth visiting.

The export pages has a "Beginner's Guide" on how to get started in the nursery export business and offer market 'intelligence' - export statistics, profiles of prospective export markets, and technical/compliance information. These pages also enable one to apply for financial assistance from Australia's Export Market Development Grant Scheme.

The marketing and R&D pages report on work managed by the Horticultural Research and Development Corporation on behalf of the country's gardening industry. One report, "Financial Benchmarking Report and Software" lets you download a report and software that can help you analyze your business' efficiency, profitability and offers comparisons to similar enterprises. Another downloadable report looks at "Optimum Work Methods in the Nursery Potting Process," with emphasis on reducing labor costs.

The site of the American Nursery and Landscape Association [www.anla.org/] has something different - a poll where members are asked to vote; when we visited the site, the question was "What would you like to see at the ANLA Convention and Executive Retreat?" The site also has "legislative center" and newsletter archives. However, many of the site's other pages - compliance center, staff contacts, resources -- can be accessed by registered members only.

The site of the California Association of Nurserymen [www.can-online.org/] has a Buyer's Guide where you can click on a 'category' and you are brought to a page showing company names/weblinks where the item can be purchased. It also has a Public Library where you can find the location of retail outlets, a video library for nursery owners/managers, garden news releases and pest/disease alerts for home owners, as well as a K-6 curriculum for teachers, scholarship/career information for students, and information on grants/awards for researchers and educators. The page for the organization's publications offers general descriptions but makes no archives available to the public.

The Maryland Nurserymen Association [www.mdnurserymen.org/] ] also features a buyer's guide where you can look up locally popular plants by common or scientific name and the site then shows you which nursery sells them; in some cases more detailed plant descriptions are included.

While it's understandable that these membership organizations restrict access to some of their pages, it would be helpful to the public if they'd reconsider their 'privacy' policies and make as make as much information as possible to all visitors.