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One of my biggest groans about utility programs is that some are a poor alternative to the thing they are trying to replace. Such as desk diary when it's quicker to write in the book than load the program every time.

Well, at last I've found the reverse for once. This program is ideal if you're a bit of a 'dimbo' (like me) when it comes to garden plants. The directory holds 350 flowers and shrubs and are listed in their common and Latin names and gives details of each one.

You can use the program in two ways. Either to identify a flower you have by inputing all it's characteristics or to help you choose a particular flower that you want but don't know the name. For instance, say you wanted to plant some flowers but didn't know what type to get. You simply type in the characteristics you want i.e.: colour, height, spread, annual, bi-annual, when you want it to flower, etc, etc., and it will look through its criteria and try and find you a flower to match your needs. Great if you are just planning out your garden. There is also great room for improvement though.

First, the program runs very slowly (still gardner's don't move very fast either), and secondly 350 plants and shrubs is really a drop in the ocean to the number of plants there are. Quite often it will find nothing in file even when given the simplest of requests. I think they should have divided the shrubs and plants onto different tapes to make a larger directory. Still, a very useful program and worth a look at - Note: 48K version only.