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Garden Ninja Forum Moderation Policy
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
The Garden Ninja Forum is a welcoming space for gardeners of all experience levels to share knowledge, ask questions, and celebrate the joy of gardening. This community is built on mutual respect, helpfulness, and a shared passion for plants and garden design.
Our forum operates on the principle that every gardening question deserves respect and consideration. Whether you’re a complete beginner wondering about basic plant care or an experienced gardener tackling complex design challenges, you’ll find a supportive environment here. We believe in fostering learning through encouragement rather than criticism.
Garden-Related Content: All posts should relate to gardening, horticulture, garden design, plant care, landscaping, or related outdoor activities. We welcome discussions about everything from houseplants to large garden projects, seasonal gardening tips, plant identification requests, pest and disease problems, tool recommendations, and garden design inspiration.
Respectful Communication: Members are expected to communicate with courtesy and consideration. Disagreements about gardening methods or plant choices are natural and can lead to valuable discussions when handled respectfully. Personal attacks, dismissive comments, or condescending responses to beginners’ questions will not be tolerated.
Helpful Contributions: We encourage members to share their experiences, both successes and failures, as these provide valuable learning opportunities for others. When offering advice, please consider the member’s experience level and local growing conditions. If you’re unsure about an answer, it’s perfectly acceptable to say so or suggest they seek additional opinions.
Photo Sharing: We welcome garden photos, plant pictures, and progress updates. When sharing images, please ensure they are your own or that you have proper permission to post them. Photos that help illustrate problems or showcase results are particularly valuable to the community.
Commercial Activity: The forum is not a marketplace. Selling plants, garden products, or services is prohibited. This includes subtle promotion disguised as advice or recommendations. Members with commercial interests in gardening are welcome to participate in discussions but must not use the forum for business promotion.
Spam and Irrelevant Content: Posts unrelated to gardening, repeated messages, or content clearly intended to drive traffic elsewhere will be removed. This includes political discussions, controversial social topics unrelated to gardening, and general chat that doesn’t serve the gardening community.
Inappropriate Material: Sexual content, illegal content, explicit material, offensive language, discriminatory comments, or anything that would be unsuitable for a family-friendly environment is strictly prohibited. The forum maintains a standard where all content should be appropriate for gardeners of all ages.
Misinformation: While we encourage sharing personal experiences and traditional gardening wisdom, please avoid spreading information that could be harmful to plants, people, or the environment. This includes dangerous pest control methods, unsafe plant handling advice, or misleading claims about plant care.
Multiple Accounts and Identity Issues: Members should maintain only one account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent moderation actions or to artificially support one’s own posts is prohibited.
Question Etiquette: When asking questions, please provide as much relevant information as possible, including your location, soil type, climate conditions, and clear photos when helpful. This enables other members to provide more accurate and useful advice.
Response Quality: When answering questions, strive to be thorough and helpful. If you’re sharing advice based on personal experience rather than established horticultural practice, please make this distinction clear.
Regional Considerations: Gardening advice can vary significantly based on climate, soil conditions, and local regulations. When offering advice, please consider mentioning if your suggestions are specific to certain conditions or regions.
Following Up: If you’ve asked for help and received useful advice, we encourage you to update the community on your results. This helps others learn and shows appreciation for the help you’ve received.
Warning System: Members who violate community guidelines will typically receive a private warning explaining the issue and how to avoid it in future. Most problems arise from misunderstanding rather than malicious intent, and we prefer education over punishment.
Content Removal: Posts that violate these guidelines will be removed, usually with an explanation. In cases where content is borderline but could lead to community problems, moderators may edit posts or move discussions to more appropriate sections.
Account Restrictions: Repeated violations or serious breaches of community standards may result in temporary restrictions on posting privileges. These measures are always taken reluctantly and with the goal of maintaining a positive environment for all members.
Permanent Removal: In extreme cases where members consistently disrupt the community, ignore warnings, or engage in behaviour that threatens the safety and welcoming nature of our forum, permanent account suspension may be necessary.
Plant Identification Safety: When requesting plant identification, particularly for foraged or unknown plants, members should never consume or handle unidentified plants based solely on forum advice. Professional identification should always be sought for anything intended for consumption or if there are safety concerns.
Pesticide and Chemical Discussion: Discussions about pest control methods and garden chemicals should always prioritise safety and environmental responsibility. Members should follow all local regulations and manufacturer instructions when discussing or recommending any treatments.
Child Safety: Any discussions involving gardening activities with children should emphasise appropriate supervision and safety measures. Plants that may be toxic to children or pets should be clearly identified when discussed.
If you encounter content or behaviour that violates these guidelines, please report it promptly. You can contact the moderation team directly or use the forum’s reporting features.
Primary Contact: For serious moderation issues, policy questions, or appeals regarding moderation decisions, please contact [email protected]
Response Times: We aim to address reported issues within 24-48 hours, though response times may vary during busy periods or weekends.
Appeals Process: If you believe a moderation decision was made in error, you may appeal by contacting the moderation team with a clear explanation of your concerns. All appeals are reviewed fairly and thoroughly.
Suggestions Welcome: We value member input on how to improve the forum experience. Suggestions for new features, policy adjustments, or community initiatives are always welcome.
Volunteer Opportunities: Experienced members who are interested in helping moderate discussions or contributing to forum development are encouraged to express their interest through the contact email.
Seasonal Considerations: The forum may implement seasonal posting guidelines or featured topics to help members make the most of gardening opportunities throughout the year.
This policy aims to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their gardening journey, regardless of their experience level. We believe that gardening brings people together and that this forum should reflect the generous, supportive spirit that characterises the best gardening communities.
The Garden Ninja Forum is more than just a question and answer platform; it’s a community where friendships form over shared plant failures and successes, where experienced gardeners pass on their wisdom, and where beginners can learn without fear of judgement.
These guidelines may be updated periodically to reflect the evolving needs of our community. All members will be notified of any significant changes to ensure everyone understands the expectations for participation.
Remember, if you wouldn’t say something to your mum’s face, don’t post it here. Let’s keep our community as lovely as the gardens we’re all working to create.
Last Updated: August 2025
Contact: [email protected]
Forum: https://www.gardenninja.co.uk/forum/
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