Junior Gardeners World

Woundnt be such a bad idea to let the kids have a thread of there own too chat about what there doing in the garden and how there doing things  got this link (not sure i dont have kids )   http://www.juniorgardenersworld.co.uk/galleries/bbc-gardeners-world-live-2013-i-cant-wait/

yes I agree,lots of kids really enjoy gardening and could learn a lot from each other and better than some of those chat sites they have.

I agree too. It's better to look in the nature's future than in a dark (another Internet-pages-)future...What is a nature, what is a future without lovers of our green world...ThaiGer.

I think many time children and our future. I wrote a pdf on my website, now I see, what I have forgotten : Learn TOGETHER in garden...I must create a new...look in the old PDF: happy children , ThaiGer

Yaaay, free child labour..

Nooo!, I mean not "hard labour" for children! I men TOGETHER-MADE-EXPERIENCES...ThaiGer.

I'm puzzled by that website. It tries to give an impression that it is, in some way, part of Gardeners' World. The website uses a very similar logo, which may be a trademark.

The website also tries to give an impression that it is the work of some kiddy 'Harry'. "I’m Harry and I’d like to welcome you to my website.... The ideas are all mine".

A little bit of research reveals that website is not what it seems to be. It is in fact owned by one Erica Ward. She was an exhibitor at Gardeners World Live in 2012. It's possible that she has obtained some licencing arrangement with the official GW, though that's not apparent from the website.

Aside from issues about deception, and the legitimacy of the website, the question of involving children with nature and gardening is a separate question, and there are numerous public and official initiatives.

Young gardeners have posted on this forum, occasionally. Though the reception they received from 'expert' gardeners has not been entirely encouraging. I can recall a few instances where children have posted on here and have virtually been ignored. Example on this thread, a person called Cody:
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/plants/lifting-lily-bulbs/5590.html

There was an ealier case (possibly the same person) who posted several YouTube videos of his garden, and almost got a cold shoulder from most other posters. He certainly didn't get much encouragement.

There was this recently

http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/the-potting-shed/teenage-gardeners/69705.html

I think the problem maybe be that in this age that we live in some people are wary of engaging with "children" over the internet-there a few dodgy characters about-I would prefer to see some parental guidance on that site-what actual precautions are there in place to deter any unsavoury element?

Has that been looked into?

At least the website at the top of this thread is run by someone's mum, so is unlikely to be a front for a paedophile ring.

But there's certainly need for caution.

That wasn't my thought-my thought was what precautions are there in place to stop adults posting on a site dedicated to childrens gardening-and posing as children

The CBBC site takes precautions on there message board that precludes anyone over the age of 16 registering.

oh! not sure here wat!! i posted here i thought this was a genu.. site it looks real to me if not lets ask Daniel and see wat he says.My only intrest in posting this link is i think its about the new generation that carries our knowlogde own and so on and on to the next new gardeners

Chances are it is genuine-but it always wise to show a bit of caution-especially where a site involving children is concerned you have no idea who is behind a cyber-identity.

i know stongeoff  oi just think lets get them intreasted like  my dad did thats al l(ps this bloody keeyboard _)

Lyon Greene wrote (see)

At least the website at the top of this thread is run by someone's mum, so is unlikely to be a front for a paedophile ring.

But there's certainly need for caution.

Sadly not true  

And yes, caution is needed.

And how do we know it's 'someone's mum'?

And why should children's queries be fenced off in a ghetto all of their own?  Where are they going to get the answers to their questions from if not from those of us who have years of experience?  If they want somewhere to show off their gardening pictures to their friends they're probably doing that on Facebook  or Youtube or something already, but if they want to know how to grow something or why their plant doesn't look healthy etc we should be just as willing to help them as anyone else.

I'll hold my hand up here - I remember some posts from Cody and I think originally I was a little 'terse' with him about something - when he pointed out that he was a youngster I remember apologising and going into more detail and trying to be encouraging - he appreciated it .  Hopefully he'll be back with some more queries when the growing season starts again. 

Dovefromabove wrote (see)

Sadly not true ... how do we know it's 'someone's mum'?

The website at the top of this thread is owned by Erica Ward. The website purports to be owned by 'Harry'. The very first item on the website is a video where Harry interviews Erica Ward. It seemed to me that they were mother and son, or at least have some close relationship. I could be wrong.

Dovefromabove wrote (see)

I'll hold my hand up here - I remember some posts from Cody and I think originally I was a little 'terse' with him about something ..

You were not the only person, Dove. There were several others.

Harry's new website seems to me to be entirely fake. I don't believe that a child could build a website as professional as that.

On the other hand, there was another child who posted on this forum (it may have been Cody) whose 'website' was obviously the work of an amateur. You could tell it was genuine, and all his own work. He was a clever kid, and had gone to a lot of trouble.

My impression was that some of the 'experts' on here thought that the child was getting above himself. There are very few adults on this forum who have the ability, or would be able, to build their own websites. This child was innovative and enterprising, both in the use of his computer, and his gardening.

Sadly, many adults dislike, or fear, kids who are smarter than they are. But that is where innovation, and the future of horticulture lies.

Sorry, I wasn't clear - my comment "Sadly not true" referred to the statement that because it was run by 'someone's mum' meant that it was unlikely to be the front for a paedophile ring.  My line of work provides evidence that women, and even mothers, may be involved in child abuse. 

Understood!

My impression was that website is 'safe' in that respect.

But my main observation was the difference between that website, and Cody's efforts. Children are the future of horticulture. There is a growing world that needs to be fed and we need bright kids to get involved, to become interested in plants, botany, and molecular biology, and to experiment.

Absolutely agree!

 But I feel that on this Forum, where the main focus is to ask for and offer advice, all gardeners are equal and to point them in the direction of a Junior Version wouldn't be helpful.  

Although it might be useful if there was a space in the Personal Details bit where people could put either their age (if they dare!) or how long they'd been gardening (in some cases the number would be similar) to give us a bit of a clue about how much basic information to give without  appearing patronising.

I agree Dove, if kids had their own threads who would snswer their questions. We should make them welcome and treat them with the same respect as all forum members. 

...I absolutely agree too...,ThaiGer