Planning a vegetable garden software is one year old

Congratulations first of all to Jeremy Dore and his team and his brilliant Gowveg.com site for making the first anniversary.

Jeremy had been going for a couple of months when I discovered the site and I quickly realised how much passion and care exists behind the front page and it is Jeremy's dedication that is making the site a great success.

Monthly newsletters keeps users up to date on site developments and importantly, Jeremy is prepared to listen to what is needed by his vegetable growing community.

After digging up the front lawn so they could grow vegetables and the kids could kick around in the back garden, Jeremy, and Jayne his wife, realised that there might well be a need for other busy families to plan their limited space and set about writing a computer program.

It has not all been plain sailing though and Jeremy reveals how he came close to giving up after he found a rival software called Plangarden.com, that is available in the United Sates and say: "My first reaction was to give up – it seemed to be aimed at exactly the same solutions I had set out to produce. Plan Garden is well produced software and the site owner, Roy Stahl, works hard to continually improve the service he offers.

"But it became apparent to me that there were significant differences in what we were doing and I wanted GrowVeg.com to become more of a visual design tool, rather than a diary-like planner."

But this next bit I like best and I think it is why the GrowVeg ethos, by that I mean the people behind it, is compelling. Jeremy continued: "Sometimes it takes a good competitor to help you see what is unique in your own ideas."

Jeremy, not only realises that there is pace for more than one vegetable planning tool in the on-line space but he, unlike so many other businesses, is willing to discuss, link and even praise the other products.

Since I first reported on GrowVeg, Jeremy and I have kept in touch and even bounced ideas off of each other. Jeremy giving me pointers on good press releases and some marketing tips and me popping some thoughts into the GrowVeg pot too.

For more information on the vegetable planning tool and how the GrowVeg company ticks, visit their website.