System Requirements: Multimedia PC (MPC) 386SX or higher, MPC compatible CD ROM drive, 2MB RAM (4MB recommended) VGA display with 256 colors or more, Windows 3.1 and Mouse MPC-compatible sound board with speakers or headphones (to listen to audio in film)
Now with The Exotic Garden, a CD-ROM product by VT Productions, you have a window to the world of potted plants. With its library of detailed information on 491 plants, color photographs, and extensive care and propagation advice, even the experienced gardener will benefit from this product. And the disc, designed for IBM compatibles running Windows 3.1, easily installs from the Program Manager.
The Exotic Garden is like an encyclopedia of plants and more. You'll find information for each plant, searchable by common name, genus or family. Or you can even search by other criteria like plant type, ease of growing , flowering period, light, temperature and water preference. Key-word or phrase searches are allowable, and quickly gets you to the plant or care information you're after.
While viewing a plant's statistics you can display its picture in one of two ways: either small scale (about one-third of the screen), or full screen. And the details on plant care are quite complete, covering topics like potting mix and repotting, propagating, fertilizing, damage caused by insects and seasonal care.
You can browse their A-Z Guide (from Abutilon to Zebrina) if you have the time, or just search for the plants that interest you. Or go into the main menu for more plant text topics in greater detail, and print each section if you like. The following subjects, and more, are just a double-click away:
Recreating Native Habitats
Acquiring Plants
Year-round Care
Growing Healthy Plants
Using Latin Names
Effective Placement of Plants
Understanding Plant Growth
Common Propagation Methods
Troubleshooting
About Popular Ornamentals
And you can print any of the text sections, or print the specific plant information from the A-Z Guide. But you can't print the pictures, I tried.
I was impressed with the short video (about 3 minutes or so) called "Why Plants Flower." Not only is it narrated well, it even has time-lapse photographs of flowers opening and seeds growing as well as real-time movies of bees and butterflies pollinating plants. I never realized that the full-grown tomato is just a single mature ovary of the tomato plant. And each seed in the tomato is the just another ovary. It sounds a little odd, but it's true.
I really enjoyed looking up the three carnivorous plants that I know about: the Venus Flytrap, the Sundew and the Pitcher Plant. I've always had a fascination with these plants, and have grown many. Unfortunately, they are difficult plants to sustain (many have died), and The Exotic Garden verified that fact.
The program didn't come with much of a manual, except for the five-page booklet inside the disc holder. But, that was enough, because I had no trouble displaying information on my favorite plants, right from the start. --Howard Berenbon
