garten

Today, we sit down with Michael to unravel the story behind 0G Labs, a company that's not just participating in the Web3 revolution but actively shaping its future. With groundbreaking solutions that promise to deliver unprecedented speed, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, 0G Labs is positioning itself at the forefront of the next generation of blockchain technology. In this exclusive interview, we'll explore the technical innovations that allow 0G to achieve mind-boggling throughputs of 50 GB/second, dive into the architectural decisions that make their solution 100 times more cost-effective than alternatives, and uncover Heinrich's vision for enabling advanced use cases like on-chain AI and high-frequency DeFi. Ishan Pandey: Hello Michael, welcome to our 'Behind the Startup' series. You've had a successful journey with garten, your previous venture in corporate wellbeing. What inspired you to transition from that space to creating 0G Labs, and how does your experience as a founder inform your approach to Web3 and blockchain technology? Michael Heinrich: Thank you for having me. My journey with Garten taught me the importance of resilience and adaptability, especially during the pandemic. Transitioning to 0G Labs was driven by my passion for cutting-edge technology and a realization of the critical needs in Web3’s growing data and AI infrastructure. By collaborating with other bright minds, such as our CTO Ming Wu, we identified the opportunity to address existing gaps. With 0G Labs, we're aiming to make high-performance on-chain needs such as AI a reality. Ishan Pandey: 0G Labs is positioning itself as a leading Web3 infrastructure provider, focusing on modular AI blockchain solutions. Can you explain the core concept behind 0G's data availability system and how it addresses the scalability and security trade-offs in blockchain systems? Michael Heinrich: 0G Labs' core concept revolves around our novel data availability system, designed to address the scalability and security challenges in blockchain technology. Data availability ensures that data is accessible and verifiable by network participants, which is important for a wide range of use cases in Web3. For example, Layer 2 blockchains like Arbitrum handle transactions off-chain and then publish that to Ethereum, where data must be proven as available. And yet, traditional data availability solutions have limitations in terms of throughput and performance and are inadequate for high-performance applications such as on-chain AI. Our approach with 0G DA involves an architecture comprising of 0G Storage, where data is stored, as well as 0G Consensus which confirms as being “available”. A random group of nodes is then selected from 0G Storage and comes to consensus on data being available. To avoid issues in scaling, we can add infinitely more consensus networks, all managed by a shared set of validators through a process called shared staking. This allows us to handle vast amounts of data with high performance and low cost, enabling advanced use cases like on-chain AI, high-frequency DeFi, and more. Ishan Pandey: 0G claims to achieve throughputs of 50 GB/second, which is significantly faster than competitors. Can you dive into the technical details of how your platform achieves this speed, particularly in the context of decentralized nodes scaling issue? Michael Heinrich: One aspect of our architecture that makes us exceptionally fast is that 0G Storage and 0G Consensus are connected through what’s known as our Data Publishing Lane. This is where, as mentioned, groups of storage nodes are asked to come to consensus on data being available. This means they are part of the same system, which speeds things up, but additionally, we partition data into small data chunks and have many different consensus networks all working in parallel. In aggregate, these make 0G the fastest out there by far. Ishan Pandey: Your platform aims to be 100x more cost-effective than alternatives. How does 0G's unique architecture, separating data storage and publishing, contribute to this cost efficiency while maintaining high performance? Michael Heinrich: 0G's architecture significantly enhances cost efficiency by separating data storage and publishing into two distinct lanes: the Data Storage Lane and the Data Publishing Lane. The Data Storage Lane handles large data transfers, while the Data Publishing Lane focuses on verifying data availability. This separation minimizes the workload on each component, reducing the need for extensive resources and allowing for scalable, parallel processing. By employing shared staking and partitioning data into smaller chunks, we achieve high performance and throughput without the cost overhead typical of traditional solutions. This architecture allows us to deliver a platform that is both cost-effective and capable of supporting high-performance applications like on-chain AI and high-frequency DeFi. Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Today, we sit down with Michael to unravel the story behind 0G Labs , a company that's not just participating in the Web3 revolution but actively shaping its future. With groundbreaking solutions that promise to deliver unprecedented speed, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, 0G Labs is positioning itself at the forefront of the next generation of blockchain technology. 0G Labs In this exclusive interview, we'll explore the technical innovations that allow 0G to achieve mind-boggling throughputs of 50 GB/second, dive into the architectural decisions that make their solution 100 times more cost-effective than alternatives, and uncover Heinrich's vision for enabling advanced use cases like on-chain AI and high-frequency DeFi. Ishan Pandey: Hello Michael, welcome to our 'Behind the Startup' series. You've had a successful journey with garten, your previous venture in corporate wellbeing. What inspired you to transition from that space to creating 0G Labs, and how does your experience as a founder inform your approach to Web3 and blockchain technology? Ishan Pandey: Hello Michael, welcome to our 'Behind the Startup' series. You've had a successful journey with garten, your previous venture in corporate wellbeing. What inspired you to transition from that space to creating 0G Labs, and how does your experience as a founder inform your approach to Web3 and blockchain technology? Ishan Pandey: Hello Michael, welcome to our 'Behind the Startup' series. You've had a successful journey with garten, your previous venture in corporate wellbeing. What inspired you to transition from that space to creating 0G Labs, and how does your experience as a founder inform your approach to Web3 and blockchain technology? Michael Heinrich : Thank you for having me. My journey with Garten taught me the importance of resilience and adaptability, especially during the pandemic. Transitioning to 0G Labs was driven by my passion for cutting-edge technology and a realization of the critical needs in Web3’s growing data and AI infrastructure. By collaborating with other bright minds, such as our CTO Ming Wu, we identified the opportunity to address existing gaps. With 0G Labs, we're aiming to make high-performance on-chain needs such as AI a reality. Michael Heinrich Ishan Pandey: 0G Labs is positioning itself as a leading Web3 infrastructure provider, focusing on modular AI blockchain solutions. Can you explain the core concept behind 0G's data availability system and how it addresses the scalability and security trade-offs in blockchain systems? Ishan Pandey: 0G Labs is positioning itself as a leading Web3 infrastructure provider, focusing on modular AI blockchain solutions. Can you explain the core concept behind 0G's data availability system and how it addresses the scalability and security trade-offs in blockchain systems? Ishan Pandey: 0G Labs is positioning itself as a leading Web3 infrastructure provider, focusing on modular AI blockchain solutions. Can you explain the core concept behind 0G's data availability system and how it addresses the scalability and security trade-offs in blockchain systems? Michael Heinrich: 0G Labs' core concept revolves around our novel data availability system, designed to address the scalability and security challenges in blockchain technology. Data availability ensures that data is accessible and verifiable by network participants, which is important for a wide range of use cases in Web3. For example, Layer 2 blockchains like Arbitrum handle transactions off-chain and then publish that to Ethereum, where data must be proven as available. And yet, traditional data availability solutions have limitations in terms of throughput and performance and are inadequate for high-performance applications such as on-chain AI. Michael Heinrich: Our approach with 0G DA involves an architecture comprising of 0G Storage, where data is stored, as well as 0G Consensus which confirms as being “available”. A random group of nodes is then selected from 0G Storage and comes to consensus on data being available. To avoid issues in scaling, we can add infinitely more consensus networks, all managed by a shared set of validators through a process called shared staking. This allows us to handle vast amounts of data with high performance and low cost, enabling advanced use cases like on-chain AI, high-frequency DeFi, and more. Ishan Pandey: 0G claims to achieve throughputs of 50 GB/second, which is significantly faster than competitors. Can you dive into the technical details of how your platform achieves this speed, particularly in the context of decentralized nodes scaling issue? Ishan Pandey: 0G claims to achieve throughputs of 50 GB/second, which is significantly faster than competitors. Can you dive into the technical details of how your platform achieves this speed, particularly in the context of decentralized nodes scaling issue? Ishan Pandey: 0G claims to achieve throughputs of 50 GB/second, which is significantly faster than competitors. Can you dive into the technical details of how your platform achieves this speed, particularly in the context of decentralized nodes scaling issue? Michael Heinrich: One aspect of our architecture that makes us exceptionally fast is that 0G Storage and 0G Consensus are connected through what’s known as our Data Publishing Lane. This is where, as mentioned, groups of storage nodes are asked to come to consensus on data being available. This means they are part of the same system, which speeds things up, but additionally, we partition data into small data chunks and have many different consensus networks all working in parallel. In aggregate, these make 0G the fastest out there by far. Michael Heinrich: Ishan Pandey: Your platform aims to be 100x more cost-effective than alternatives. How does 0G's unique architecture, separating data storage and publishing, contribute to this cost efficiency while maintaining high performance? Ishan Pandey: Your platform aims to be 100x more cost-effective than alternatives. How does 0G's unique architecture, separating data storage and publishing, contribute to this cost efficiency while maintaining high performance? Ishan Pandey: Your platform aims to be 100x more cost-effective than alternatives. How does 0G's unique architecture, separating data storage and publishing, contribute to this cost efficiency while maintaining high performance? Michael Heinrich: 0G's architecture significantly enhances cost efficiency by separating data storage and publishing into two distinct lanes: the Data Storage Lane and the Data Publishing Lane. The Data Storage Lane handles large data transfers, while the Data Publishing Lane focuses on verifying data availability. This separation minimizes the workload on each component, reducing the need for extensive resources and allowing for scalable, parallel processing. By employing shared staking and partitioning data into smaller chunks, we achieve high performance and throughput without the cost overhead typical of traditional solutions. This architecture allows us to deliver a platform that is both cost-effective and capable of supporting high-performance applications like on-chain AI and high-frequency DeFi. Michael Heinrich: Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program . HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Vested Interest Disclosure: business blogging program business blogging program

Redefining Data Availability for the Next Generation of Blockchain Applications with 0G Labs

0G ল্যাবগুলির সাথে ব্লকচেইন অ্যাপ্লিকেশনগুলির পরবর্তী প্রজন্মের জন্য ডেটা উপলব্ধতা পুনরায় সংজ্ঞায়িত করা

Neudefinition der Datenverfügbarkeit für die nächste Generation von Blockchain-Anwendungen mit 0G Labs

Redefiniendo la disponibilidad de datos para la próxima generación de aplicaciones Blockchain con 0G Labs

Redéfinir la disponibilité des données pour la prochaine génération d'applications Blockchain avec 0G Labs

0G लैब्स के साथ ब्लॉकचेन अनुप्रयोगों की अगली पीढ़ी के लिए डेटा उपलब्धता को पुनर्परिभाषित करना

0G Labs による次世代ブロックチェーン アプリケーションのデータ可用性の再定義

0G Labs를 통해 차세대 블록체인 애플리케이션을 위한 데이터 가용성 재정의

Redefinindo a disponibilidade de dados para a próxima geração de aplicações Blockchain com 0G Labs

Переосмысление доступности данных для следующего поколения блокчейн-приложений с помощью 0G Labs

0G Laboratuvarları ile Yeni Nesil Blockchain Uygulamaları için Veri Kullanılabilirliğini Yeniden Tanımlamak

Xác định lại tính khả dụng của dữ liệu cho thế hệ ứng dụng Blockchain tiếp theo với Phòng thí nghiệm 0G

利用 0G Labs 重新定义下一代区块链应用的数据可用性

GENERAL A SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

A lesson in human nature from scaling a global fitness app to 40 million people. A brief history in time… Tony Robbins “10% of people that purchase a non-fiction book make it past the first chapter.” — May 2019. I run my morning route through the Englischer Garten in Munich. Tony Robbins finishes that sentence, and I open my notes, writing it down. It’s a bold statement, and it feels true. Months pass, and it is now December 2019. I reflect on the year. I’ve learned many things, but there’s one insight that I can’t let go of: failure is the default. Mining for insight December 2017. I know nothing about what makes a fitness app great and aim to change this by interviewing over 40 people. I want to know what they like dislike about their current fitness routine. and I listen to people that use competitor apps and some that quit apps completely. Listening to their stories, I spot the tension between autonomy and variety, and a desire for accountability. Those with no routine celebrate the freedom but complain that they’re not making progress. Those with a set routine complain of monotony. Everyone has their own motivation, or at least the one they’re willing to admit to a stranger. Young men want muscles and aim to show them off. New mothers want a moment for themselves when their newborn is napping. Women want to feel good and avoid high school acquaintances staring at them in the town gym. The digital gym I spend the next two years building a team of 21 product managers, designers, and researchers. We come face-to-face with the contradictory nature of human intent and reality. We experiment, tailoring the first fifteen minutes of the experience using data from ads and answers to questions like experience level, fitness goal, and gender. We learn from millions of people. We empirically learn the obvious: people like pictures of people like them, helpful default settings rarely get changed, and personalized wins over generic. Most sales happen in these first minutes, and like all good salespeople, we get better at making it easy for people to say yes. But the easier we make it to say yes, the less likely the customer is to start their fitness habit. Another chart tells a similar story: 50% never return to training after month one. We ran a digital gym. We assume these customers will cancel their subscriptions. We’re wrong. The majority keep their subscription because they intend to get started. They just haven’t started . yet Building the habit We throw reminders, stats, community, and other gamification tricks into the app to help people on their journey. Seventy-two experiments later, nearly 70% of customers start a workout in their first week. It’s an achievement. But, after years of experimentation, here’s the reality: 10% of new people will start working out with the app — for free or with a subscription — and you work tirelessly to shift the mix of free to paid Of those people, only 15% will finish a 12-week fitness program Said differently: for every 1,000 people that sign up for your fitness app, only 15 will finish a 12-week training plan. I who trains in waves. He’s fit, successful, and French. He trains with the app 3–6 months out of the year. Every year, for years. The rest of the time, he climbs mountains and enjoys the beach. He always comes back and never cancels his subscription. Being someone who trains is part of his identity, even when he isn’t consistently working out. interview a loyal customer And he likes discovering new features when he comes back the following year. The game isn’t a . perfect workout retention chart The game is keeping the dream alive. But sweating is hard I wonder if it’s just us. I reach out to others in the business of self-development apps. Learning a new language, playing a new instrument, or learning new skills for work. It turns out it’s all the same. We all see the highly seasonal patterns — New Years — followed by drops in activity. The narrative is the same: people intend to start something new but find it difficult keeping the habit. We all share stories of throwing the kitchen sink of behavior change tricks to attempt the seemingly impossible. hello But social media is easy I learn of similar engagement patterns on Reddit and . While it varies by platform, it is said that: other social media platforms 1% of people generate the most engaging content 9% of people generate the majority of content engagement, and 90% of people just lurk Posting content on the internet is hard too. Inertia in play I never find any corroborating evidence to support Tony Robbins’ quote, but I never doubt its accuracy. It fits the narrative built from other data points I have accumulated over the years. New Years Resolutions — 92% of people don’t achieve their goal Open Online Courses — 87% of students don’t complete the class Savings — 69% of Americans have less than $1,000 saved Gym Memberships — 67% (or more) go unused The Digital Gym — 85% of people won’t finish a 12-week training plan We tend to relegate inertia to physics, but it’s evident in human behavior. It takes a lot of energy to build momentum on both the cellular and psychological level. Often, it’s easier to keep doing what we’re already doing: nothing. A world (or at least, a nation) of contradiction Americans spent $67 billion on gym memberships and supplements, and the per American was $286. average monthly health and fitness spend If you only analyze spending, you might conclude that Americans are the healthiest, most fit inhabitants of this planet. Unfortunately, CDC data shows 74% are overweight, and 43% are obese. Doing hard things is hard, and most people don’t do hard things. Or at least, they don’t finish them. Sometimes — — you’re going to fail. . most likely The default is failure Just don’t give up.

The Default State is Failure - Don't Give Up!

Not so long ago my life was an exercise in excel spreadsheets, over-scheduled phone calls, and constant emails. I was working in a high-pressure venture capital job, and putting myself in a state of mental fragmentation. I was also medicating for ADHD, which seemed to worsen during this period.  Something had to change. I wondered: "What would my life be like without all of the chaos and distractions?" To find out, I left my job and traveled to Bali, Indonesia to meditate for 300 hours in a month with yogis and monks. No phone, Internet, or even books during this time - a complete information fast. In essence, I traded 70 hours a week in the cubicle for 70 hours of meditation in silence to see what effects this would have on my mind. What I found was a rush of profound focus, vitality, and joy. As I lessened the high-dopamine, low-value inputs, my mental output increased dramatically; this was the happiest I had ever felt. I was also astounded to find that I no longer needed medication for my ADHD, as the symptoms disappeared entirely. Based on my subsequent research in the fields of neuroscience and psychology ( : ), I'd like to suggest five antidotes to today's distraction crisis that use modern technology and don't require moving to Bali and living like a monk. Disclaimer I run a mental health tech company, FitMind.co , and am completing a Master of Science in Applied Neuroscience Here's the list up front, and then we'll dive into each one individually. Biofeedback Devices Sensory Deprivation Tanks Mobile Apps Lucid Dreaming Tech Screenomics & Mental Dieting 1. Biofeedback Devices Meditation biofeedback is useful insofar as it actually helps you train your mind. I've found two technologies to be most effective in this area. The first is called , a wearable electroencephalograph (EEG) that costs $150-250. The Muse headband provides real-time feedback on your levels of concentration during meditation. Using large swaths of data on expert meditators, they determined the brainwave patterns correlated with focused attention (primarily alpha waves). Muse The founder, Ariel Garten and talked about the studies being done on monks in the Himalayas using Muse. Although the device seems to be scientifically valid, Garten openly admitted that it is only currently useful in attentional types of meditation (one meditation category, of many) and so cannot provide feedback on open monitoring (e.g. Vipassana), constructive (e.g. Metta) or deconstructive (e.g. Self-Inquiry) styles. [Please excuse the jargon if you're not an avid meditator.] came on my podcast a few months ago Second, is the , which provides biofeedback based on heart rate variability (HRV). I have spoken to their Chief Scientist and , who have a lot of research to share from decades of studies into the relationship between one's nervous system and certain mental states. HeartMath emWave2 their CEO They claim that mental states and emotions are meaningfully captured in HRV patterns. At the very least, it's a good indicator of general parasympathetic, rest-and-digest activation. In other words, the HeartMath device can at the very least tell you how relaxed you get while meditating. In the age of the "quantified self," it's nice to make something as potentially intangible as meditation actually measurable, even if those measurements are still rudimentary. 2. Sensory Deprivation Tanks It seems every biohacker out there is using these devices, including professional athletes and Navy SEALs. A sensory deprivation tank, or "float tank," as they're often called, consists of a large bathtub-like chamber without light, sound, or sensation. The water is set to body temperature with enough salt to make you float effortlessly. Basically, all senses are gone and you become just a brain in a jar without external mental inputs. While in this environment, your brain enters a theta wave state, just like deep meditation, and the “rest-and-digest” parasympathetic nervous system gets activated. Physician and neuroscientist John Lilly invented the first float tank in 1954 to study the origins of consciousness. He believed that depriving a human of sensory data would reveal what the mind was like in its primordial state. Lilly also thought he could talk to dolphins using his flotation tank, which inspired the movie Altered States. Regardless of Lilly’s quirks, his invention does likely provide therapeutic value. Although more research is needed, sensory deprivation sessions also show promise for reducing stress, improving recovery time, enhancing sleep, and potentially mitigating mental disorders. 3. Mobile Apps There are two obvious companies that come to mind when people think of mobile meditation apps, Headspace and Calm. But while these companies have raised a lot of money (Calm has raised $88m and is valued at $1B unicorn status), they are also trying to be "meditation for the masses," and so I think the quality has suffered. Matthew McConaughey reading you a sleep story and Lebron James giving a pep talk are cool and all, but it's a stretch to call this meditation. I'd like to suggest two other guided mobile apps that you might find useful. One is an app by neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris, called . Pros: good instruction and top meditation teachers interviewed on the app. Cons: a bit repetitive once you've done the initial training course. Waking Up Another is called , made by two of the leading neuroscience researchers of meditation, Richie Davidson and Cortland Dahl at University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center Healthy Minds. Pros: expert instruction and scientific explanations. Cons: long surveys that you have to fill out to track your progress. Healthy Minds Please beware of the "brain training" apps that make some big claims. For example, Lumosity recently paid $2 million to settle an FTC deceptive advertising charge. There are also some interesting hypnotherapy apps on the market, which I admittedly have not tried yet. Finally, I'd be remiss not to put in a personal plug here. When I first started meditating I wasn't happy with the often shallow "McMindfulness" approach of apps out there. Either they just taught a single technique or they were dumbed-down relaxation apps. So my team created an in-depth meditation app, called , with 25+ beginner to advanced techniques, explanations of the neuroscience, and a quantified progress tracker (see image below) that charts your mental fitness over time. FitMind 4. Lucid Dreaming Tech I'm excited about lucid dreaming technology, which seems on the cusp of finally delivering its promise. By using EEG technology to determine when you're in the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage in which you dream, these devices shine lights on your eyelids to trigger lucidity, whereby you can awaken in your dream while remaining asleep. [For more on the topic: .] Why We Dream The majority of the scientific community didn’t think that lucid dreaming was possible until Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Stephen LaBerge in 1981. proved it in the Stanford Sleep Lab There are many parallels between lucid dreaming (a.k.a. conscious dreaming), perhaps one of the most under-utilized psychological tools. For example, being mindful vs. mindless is directly analogous to conscious dreaming vs. unconscious dreaming. In waking life, you come out of your stories and virtual simulations by remembering to be mindful in the present moment. Similarly, when you become lucid in a dream you come out of your stories using that same metacognitive mechanism. Two devices, which may or may not deliver and received large backing on crowdfunding campaigns, are and . The most scientifically validated device according to in "Frontiers in Neuroscience" is called which is primarily available for research. However, I emailed the team and they said their device is $1000 and will be in stock for consumer purchase in the next month "hopefully," so feel free to reach out on their website if you're into this stuff. iBand Neuroon this study ZMax 5. Screenomics & Mental Dieting Although a lot of people are starting to pay attention to how much time they spend in front of a screen (which has been ), less are concerned with the way in which they interact with those screens. But research suggests that it's not only but also that shapes your brain. causally linked to depression what you pay attention to how you pay attention Screenomics is the study of how people view and interact with screens over time. There's some cool . Apparently, people are switching content on their screens every 20 seconds. This wires a short attention span primed for instant gratification. research going on at Stanford In this case, I'm not talking about using specifical technological tools, but rather paying attention to the way in which you use technology. If meditation is self-directed neuroplasticity, shaping the brain by directing your attention in a certain way, then our use of technology can broadly be thought of as experience-dependent neuroplasticity. A "mental diet" involves cutting out high-dopamine, low-value inputs that wire our brains for instant gratification, such as clickbait, gossipy news, and social media. It really does matter what we feed our minds, just the same as our bodies, and yet often we opt for mental junk food. You are shaping your brain in each moment depending on what is entering your field of awareness and also the quality of attention that you hold. So keeping the Twitter scrolling and tab-switching to a minimum can build more focus and tranquility. Thankfully, we don't need to meditate for 10 hours per day in the mountains with monks to achieve optimal mental states. With the right tools and habits, anyone can enjoy a vigorous mind while enjoying everyday western life. If we start to view attention as a valuable and limited resource, and if we are deliberate about how and where we direct our attention, the world can be a much happier and more productive place. We might summarize this last point by saying: use technology deliberately, don't let technology use you. As Dr. Yuval Harari puts it in : 21 Lessons for the 21st Century "Technology isn’t bad. If you know what you want in life, technology can help you get it. But if you don’t know what you want in life, it will be all too easy for technology to shape your aims for you and take control of your life. Especially as technology gets better at understanding humans, you might increasingly find yourself serving it, instead of it serving you." It's an exciting time to be alive for those interesting in the intersection of technology and the mind. That's because western psychology, neuroscience, and technology are now complementing Eastern techniques for enhancing the mind. But while science will continue to give us great tools, it's also most important how we apply them, and when it comes to training the mind there are few shortcuts. Any other tools or technologies you'd add to this list? or in the comments. Let me know on Twitter And if you'd like to receive science-based tips for optimizing your mind twice per month, . All quality content, no spam :) please sign up for my newsletter

Mind Hacking: Using Technology to Rewire Your Brain Like a Monk

Steve Jobs Quote from tweet by @Gartenberg Every product or business leader understands the importance of having the right strategy. This includes being deeply aware of your competitive landscape, understanding your customers and how they use your product and ensuring you have the right plan to continue to make your customers happy while moving your business forward. However few take into account the importance of the alignment of your current strategy and your organization’s culture. This is especially important as strategies may evolve time as the marketplace changes while organizational cultures are fairly stagnant. In today’s technology landscape the only constant is change. Companies that are impervious one day are dwarfed by upstarts seemingly the next day. Whether it is Uber leading to in San Francisco, Netflix or Apple’s iPhone leading to there are multiple examples in recent memory of established products that seemed to be a permanent fixture of the world that were bested by others that gave customers a better experience. In all of these cases, there are examples of the incumbent struggling and failing to adapt to the new world. Yellow Cab companies created mobile apps like and Blockbuster tried and Blackberry eventually offered . A key problem for all of these disrupted companies was that they tried to switch strategies but could not surmount the handicaps of their organizational cultures and fundamental approach to doing business. the bankruptcy of Yellow Cab eclipsing Blockbuster the decline Blackberry YoTaxi offering DVDs by mail touch screen phones like the Storm Culture Shock: How Blackberry Failed to Respond to the iPhone There is a great overview of the downfall of Blackberry in the Globe & Mail article titled which is excerpted below Inside the fall of BlackBerry: How the smartphone inventor failed to adapt RIM executives figured they had time to reinvent the company. For years they had successfully fended off a host of challengers. Apple’s aggressive negotiating tactics had alienated many carriers, and the iPhone didn’t seem like a threat to RIM’s most loyal base of customers — businesses and governments. They would sustain RIM while it fixed its technology issues. But smartphone users were rapidly shifting their focus to software applications, rather than choosing devices based solely on hardware. RIM found it difficult to make the transition, said Neeraj Monga, director of research with Veritas Investment Research Corp. The company’s engineering culture had served it well when it delivered efficient, low-power devices to enterprise customers. But features that suited corporate chief information officers weren’t what appealed to the general public. “The problem wasn’t that we stopped listening to customers,” said one former RIM insider. “We believed we knew better what customers needed long term than they did. Consumers would say, ‘I want a faster browser.’ We might say, ‘You might think you want a faster browser, but you don’t want to pay overage on your bill.’ ‘Well, I want a super big very responsive touchscreen.’ ‘Well, you might think you want that, but you don’t want your phone to die at 2 p.m.’ “We would say, ‘We know better, and they’ll eventually figure it out.’ ” In reading the article it is clear that the Blackberry leadership decided that it was important for them strategically to address the rise of the iPhone. However as the unnamed insider makes clear above, their organizational culture was simply not set up to make the mental shift to view their product and needs customers differently after the iPhone launched. There is a great quote from Upton Sinclair “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” Blackberry considered its primary customers to be carriers and businesses since they were the ones paying for devices and services. Carriers did not want phones with capable browsers because they didn’t want high cellular data usage to overwhelm their network while businesses who bought phones for their employees did not want to have said employees goofing off in apps. This is why there was a strong disincentive to not listen to what users of their phones were saying when asked what they actually wanted. On the other hand, Apple approached the problem by thinking about how to provide the very best experience to users of their phones with the confidence that people would happily pay a premium for it. Blockbuster faced a similar challenge with Netflix. A key part of Blockbuster’s business . This meant that Blockbuster was literally making money off of the inconvenience of their product experience. This meant that as an organization competing with Netflix on customer experience would have meant attacking one of their cash cows and there was a strong disincentive not to do that. was charging people late fees These are just two of many examples that highlight the point that when your strategy changes then your entire organizational culture will have to change as well. Your organizational culture is defined by what positive behaviors you encourage and what negative behaviors you tolerate. Blackberry couldn’t compete with Apple when teams were still motivated & rewarded for keeping corporate CIOs happy and there was no way Blockbuster could compete with Netflix when . they fundamentally saw themselves as a classic retail video rental store and ignored the power of online experiences Cultural Appropriation: How Google’s Android Project Responded to the iPhone There are examples of other companies adjusting their strategies and engineering culture when faced with dramatic change in their industry. My favorite is taken from this excerpt from the article which is excerpted below The Day Google Had to ‘Start Over’ on Android In 2005, on Google’s sprawling, college-like campus, the most secret and ambitious of many, many teams was Google’s own smartphone effort — the Android project. Tucked in a first-floor corner of Google’s Building 44, surrounded by Google ad reps, its four dozen engineers thought that they were on track to deliver a revolutionary device that would change the mobile phone industry forever. As a consumer I was blown away. I wanted one immediately. But as a Google engineer, I thought ‘We’re going to have to start over.’ By January 2007, they’d all worked sixty-to-eighty-hour weeks for fifteen months — some for more than two years — writing and testing code, negotiating soft­ware licenses, and flying all over the world to find the right parts, suppliers, and manufacturers. They had been working with proto­types for six months and had planned a launch by the end of the year . . . until Jobs took the stage to unveil the iPhone. Chris DeSalvo’s reaction to the iPhone was immediate and visceral. “As a consumer I was blown away. I wanted one immediately. But as a Google engineer, I thought ‘We’re going to have to start over.’” The way Google reacted to the iPhone is quite telling especially when contrasted with the Blackberry story. The Android team spent two years working 60–80 hours a week to deliver a new phone operating system but once they saw that Apple had raised the bar they decided they needed to go back to the drawing board. It is quite stark to compare what Android prototypes looked like before the launch of the iPhone and what consumers associate with Android . after it launched Android before iPhone launch Android after iPhone launch It would have been really easy for the team working on Android to continue down their current path at the time. They’d already spent 2 years working hard on a Blackberry-style phone and knew that was already a proven lucrative market. However with a culture focused on customer experience, they realized that Apple’s path and not Blackberry’s was the future and they reimagined their product. Facebook: An Upstart Becomes an Incumbent and Avoids a Culture of Complacency. Facebook and the going on to displace the majority of the regionally popular social networks from around the world like Bebo, Orkut and Mixi is a good example of an upstart dethroning incumbents. On the other hand what has been even more impressive is how Facebook evolved as smartphones became more popular. dethroning MySpace as the top social network in the US A few years ago it was commonplace to read articles like which argued the following Here’s Why Google and Facebook Might Completely Disappear in the Next 5 Years “I suspect that Facebook will try to address that issue [of the shift to mobile] by breaking up its various features into separate apps or HTML5 sites: one for messaging, one for the news feed, one for photos, and, perhaps, one for an address book. But that fragments the core product, probably to its detriment.” Facebook is also probably facing a tough road ahead as this shift to mobile happens. As Hamish McKenzie said last week , Considering how long Facebook dragged its feet to get into mobile in the first place , the data suggests they will be exactly as slow to change as Google was to social. Does the Instagram acquisition change that? Not really, in my view. It shows they’re really fearful of being displaced by a mobile upstart. However, why would bolting on a mobile app to a Web 2.0 platform (and a very good one at that) change any of the underlying dynamics we’re discussing here? I doubt it. At the time there was significant belief that since Facebook was dominant on the desktop and quite dependent on desktop-based revenue from , it would act like a typical incumbent and double down on where it was making money while an upstart beat them on mobile. So where the pundits right? Facebook games like Farmville for a huge chunk of its revenue Here’s which proclaims a report from 3 years after the one above The world’s largest social network said nearly 84 percent of the 890 million people who used its service daily did so on a mobile phone. Nearly 86 percent of the 1.39 billion people who accessed Facebook each month did so on a mobile device as well, a new record for the company. Advertisers followed those numbers. Mobile ads accounted for about 69 percent of the company’s $3.85 billion in revenue. Overall, the company’s sales jumped nearly 49 percent from the same time a year ago. Those numbers underscore the Menlo Park, Calif., company’s increasing reliance on mobile devices for its business. Much of the technology industry has become fixated on smartphones and tablets, as people throughout the world switch from desktop computers. Investors are now paying more attention to the mobile aspects of Facebook and its competitors. Few companies have successfully navigated the switch to mobile devices as effectively as social networks, like Facebook and Twitter. In 3 years, Facebook went from a dead man walking due to the rise of the smartphone to becoming the biggest success story on mobile by making the most money and having the most users of any other mobile app. Facebook has done this by having a culture that comes across as almost paranoid when it comes to losing users to competitors which is why they do things like , copying features like mad from startups as diverse as , and , and even though the usage of their core apps is still growing like crazy. forcing employees to use Android (the most popular mobile OS) Medium Timehop Twitter seemingly overspends to acquire mobile startups like Instagram & WhatsApp Other companies, , have tried to unseat Facebook from its perch on top of the social networking world but none has been able to match their paranoid frenzied approach of building or buying every interesting thing happening in social media. This aspect of Facebook’s culture and approach to their business has proven hard to copy or defeat. most notably Google How This Applies to Your Organization As mentioned earlier, your organizations culture is defined by the positive behavior you reward and the negative behaviors you tolerate. When you define your strategy you have to also take a hard look at the behaviors you reward within your organization to ensure that the culture you have created aligns with your strategy. My current employer, Microsoft, is in the midst of a and as I write this and it’s been interesting to see the big and small changes that have occurred. From how sales teams are compensated & how performance reviews across the company have been tweaked to which engineering projects are now approved & celebrated, there have been numerous changes made with the goal of ensuring the company’s culture doesn’t conflict with its new strategy. strategic redefinition culture change So far the stock market has been very receptive to these changes over the past 2 years which is a testament to how well things can go if your new strategy & corporate culture align. Now Playing: — Young Thug Power

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

Gauteng, South Africa - October 7, 2024 - HackerNoon, the independent technology publishing platform, is pleased to announce the nominees for its annual “Startups of The Year” award, featuring the most promising and innovative companies in the Gaugent startup ecosystem. The list, compiled by the HackerNoon team, showcases 30 startups making significant contributions to the Gauteng economy and driving innovation in their respective industries. https://youtu.be/XOpG6B4AKPU?embedable=true Nominations are open - learn more here.
You can nominate your company as the Startup of The Year in Gauteng here. The Startups in Gauteng nominated for Startups of The Year 2024 include: DoubleShift
Suitcase & Chardonnay
Maru Towers
AlgoAtWork
Kiffkak
Popping
Agricultural Development Agency - AGDA
VitruvianMD
MetropolitanRepublic
Innovative Manganese Technologies SA
Omar Stone Consulting
Gene Vantage
Cirrus AI
Cbre Excellerate
Solar Hub SA - BESS
Wits Healthcare Innovation
Osmotic Engineering Group
Africa Cannabis Advisory Group
The Experiences Hub
SuperSport Schools
Hamba Bamba Funda
The Breadwinner
Africa Legal
Oracle HR
Dynamix Consulting
Inkosazana Studios
FundrFLO
Mega- T Expo
AfroFuture Tech
The Impact Catalyst “We are thrilled to recognize the top startups in Guateng and celebrate their achievements,” said David Smooke, HackerNoon Founder & CEO. “Starting and sustaining a company is difficult. We’re honored to showcase their work and impact.” Why It Pays Off to Be Nominated Startups of The Year 2024 is a 100% community-driven voting event recognizing startups transforming technology and the world for the better. Starting October 1st, 2024, the internet can nominate and vote for the best ventures in their city and industry. People can nominate their favorite startups until October 31st, and vote once per day per award for who they think should be Startup of The Year up to March 31st, 2025. Winners will be announced in April 2025, after a comprehensive evaluation by the HackerNoon team. Apart from validation from the world's greenest tech publication, all nominees get free interviews relevant to their region and industry. They will also receive curated startup-friendly packages and a free version of their very own Evergreen Tech Company News Page on HackerNoon. In sum, being nominated gives you major credibility as one of the top startups globally and an expert in your industry, meaning even without winning, you still gain tons of exposure. Nominations are open - learn more here.  You can nominate your company as the Startup of The Year in Gauteng here. About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many stories have been written about these daring and rising startups. The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company News page. Visit our FAQ page to learn more. Download our design assets here. Check out the Startups of The Year Merch Shop here. HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packages to solve your marketing challenges. Meet our sponsors: Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community. At Wellfound, we're not just a job board—we're the place where top startup talent and the world's most exciting companies connect to build the future. Notion: Notion is trusted and loved by thousands of startups as their connected workspace—from building product roadmaps to tracking fundraising. Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months, to build and scale your company with one powerful tool. Get your offer now! Hubspot: If you’re looking for a smart CRM platform that meets the needs of small businesses, look no further than HubSpot. Seamlessly connect your data, teams and customers in one easy-to-use scalable platform that grows with your business. Get started for free. Bright Data: Startups that leverage public web data can make faster, data-driven decisions, giving them a competitive edge. With Bright Data’s scalable web data collection, businesses can grow from a small operation to an enterprise by harnessing insights at every stage. Algolia: Algolia NeuralSearch is the world's only AI end-to-end Search and Discovery Platform combining powerful keyword and natural language processing in a single API. Gauteng, South Africa - October 7, 2024 - HackerNoon, the independent technology publishing platform, is pleased to announce the nominees for its annual “Startups of The Year” award, featuring the most promising and innovative companies in the Gaugent startup ecosystem. Gauteng, South Africa - October 7, 2024 - HackerNoon, the independent technology publishing platform, is pleased to announce the nominees for its annual “Startups of The Year” award, featuring the most promising and innovative companies in the Gaugent startup ecosystem. Gauteng, South Africa - October 7, 2024 Gauteng, South Africa - October 7, 2024 - HackerNoon, the independent technology publishing platform, is pleased to announce the nominees for its annual “ Startups of The Year ” award, featuring the most promising and innovative companies in the Gaugent startup ecosystem. Startups of The Year The list, compiled by the HackerNoon team, showcases 30 startups making significant contributions to the Gauteng economy and driving innovation in their respective industries. https://youtu.be/XOpG6B4AKPU?embedable=true https://youtu.be/XOpG6B4AKPU?embedable=true Nominations are open - learn more here. You can nominate your company as the Startup of The Year in Gauteng here. Nominations are open - learn more here . here You can nominate your company as the Startup of The Year in Gauteng here . Startup of The Year in Gauteng here Startup of The Year in Gauteng here The Startups in Gauteng nominated for Startups of The Year 2024 include: Startups in Gauteng nominated Startups in Gauteng Startups in Gauteng DoubleShift Suitcase & Chardonnay Maru Towers AlgoAtWork Kiffkak Popping Agricultural Development Agency - AGDA VitruvianMD MetropolitanRepublic Innovative Manganese Technologies SA Omar Stone Consulting Gene Vantage Cirrus AI Cbre Excellerate Solar Hub SA - BESS Wits Healthcare Innovation Osmotic Engineering Group Africa Cannabis Advisory Group The Experiences Hub SuperSport Schools Hamba Bamba Funda The Breadwinner Africa Legal Oracle HR Dynamix Consulting Inkosazana Studios FundrFLO Mega- T Expo AfroFuture Tech The Impact Catalyst DoubleShift Suitcase & Chardonnay Maru Towers AlgoAtWork Kiffkak Popping Agricultural Development Agency - AGDA VitruvianMD MetropolitanRepublic Innovative Manganese Technologies SA Omar Stone Consulting Gene Vantage Cirrus AI Cbre Excellerate Solar Hub SA - BESS Wits Healthcare Innovation Osmotic Engineering Group Africa Cannabis Advisory Group The Experiences Hub SuperSport Schools Hamba Bamba Funda The Breadwinner Africa Legal Oracle HR Dynamix Consulting Inkosazana Studios FundrFLO Mega- T Expo AfroFuture Tech The Impact Catalyst “We are thrilled to recognize the top startups in Guateng and celebrate their achievements,” said David Smooke, HackerNoon Founder & CEO. “Starting and sustaining a company is difficult. We’re honored to showcase their work and impact.” “We are thrilled to recognize the top startups in Guateng and celebrate their achievements,” said David Smooke, HackerNoon Founder & CEO. “Starting and sustaining a company is difficult. We’re honored to showcase their work and impact.” “We are thrilled to recognize the top startups in Guateng and celebrate their achievements,” said David Smooke, HackerNoon Founder & CEO . “Starting and sustaining a company is difficult. We’re honored to showcase their work and impact.” David Smooke, HackerNoon Founder & CEO Why It Pays Off to Be Nominated Startups of The Year 2024 is a 100% community-driven voting event recognizing startups transforming technology and the world for the better. Starting October 1st, 2024, the internet can nominate and vote for the best ventures in their city and industry. People can nominate their favorite startups until October 31st , and vote once per day per award for who they think should be Startup of The Year up to March 31st, 2025. Winners will be announced in April 2025, after a comprehensive evaluation by the HackerNoon team. Startups of The Year 2024 nominate their favorite startups until October 31st nominate their favorite startups Apart from validation from the world's greenest tech publication, all nominees get free interviews relevant to their region and industry. They will also receive curated startup-friendly packages and a free version of their very own Evergreen Tech Company News Page on HackerNoon. get free interviews startup-friendly packages startup-friendly packages Evergreen Tech Company News Evergreen Tech Company News In sum, being nominated gives you major credibility as one of the top startups globally and an expert in your industry, meaning even without winning, you still gain tons of exposure. Nominations are open - learn more here.  You can nominate your company as the Startup of The Year in Gauteng here. Nominations are open - learn more here .  You can nominate your company as the Startup of The Year in Gauteng here . here Startup of The Year in Gauteng here Startup of The Year in Gauteng here About HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year Startups of The Year 2024 is HackerNoon’s flagship community-driven event celebrating startups, technology, and the spirit of innovation. Currently in its third iteration, the prestigious Internet award recognizes and celebrates tech startups of all shapes and sizes. This year, over 150,000 entities across 4200+ cities, 6 continents, and 100+ industries will participate in a bid to be crowned the best startup of the year! Millions of votes have been cast over the past few years, and many stories have been written about these daring and rising startups. Startups of The Year 2024 Startups of The Year 2024 many stories many stories The winners will get a free interview on HackerNoon and an Evergreen Tech Company News page. free interview on HackerNoon Evergreen Tech Company News Evergreen Tech Company News Visit our FAQ page to learn more. FAQ FAQ Download our design assets here . here here Check out the Startups of The Year Merch Shop here . here here HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year is a branding opportunity unlike any other. Whether your goal is brand awareness or lead generation, HackerNoon has curated startup-friendly packages to solve your marketing challenges. startup-friendly packages startup-friendly packages Meet our sponsors: Meet our sponsors: Meet our sponsors: Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community . At Wellfound, we're not just a job board—we're the place where top startup talent and the world's most exciting companies connect to build the future. Wellfound: Join the #1 global, startup-focused community Join the #1 global, startup-focused community Notion: Notion is trusted and loved by thousands of startups as their connected workspace—from building product roadmaps to tracking fundraising. Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months , to build and scale your company with one powerful tool. Get your offer now ! Notion: Try Notion with unlimited AI, FREE for up to 6 months Get your offer now ! Hubspot: If you’re looking for a smart CRM platform that meets the needs of small businesses, look no further than HubSpot. Seamlessly connect your data, teams and customers in one easy-to-use scalable platform that grows with your business. Get started for free . Hubspot: Get started for free Get started for free Bright Data: Startups that leverage public web data can make faster, data-driven decisions, giving them a competitive edge. With Bright Data’s scalable web data collection , businesses can grow from a small operation to an enterprise by harnessing insights at every stage. Bright Data: Bright Data’s scalable web data collection Bright Data’s scalable web data collection Algolia: Algolia NeuralSearch is the world's only AI end-to-end Search and Discovery Platform combining powerful keyword and natural language processing in a single API. Algolia: AI end-to-end Search and Discovery Platform AI end-to-end Search and Discovery Platform

Startups of The Year 2024: 496 Startups Nominated in Gauteng, South Africa

شركات ناشئة للعام 2024: 496 شركة ناشئة مرشحة في جوتنج، جنوب أفريقيا

2024-cü ilin startapları: Cənubi Afrikanın Gauteng şəhərində 496 startap namizəd oldu

Startups del año 2024: 496 startups nominadas en Gauteng, Sudáfrica

استارت‌آپ‌های سال ۲۰۲۴: ۴۹۶ استارت‌آپ نامزد شده در گوتنگ، آفریقای جنوبی

Startupovi godine 2024.: 496 startupova nominiranih u Gautengu, Južnoafrička Republika

Az év startupjai 2024: 496 startup jelölt a dél-afrikai Gautengben

2024 年のスタートアップ オブ ザ イヤー: 南アフリカのハウテン州で 496 社のスタートアップがノミネート

Startups of the Year 2024: 496 Startups ត្រូវបានតែងតាំងនៅ Gauteng ប្រទេសអាហ្វ្រិកខាងត្បូង

د 2024 کال پیل: 496 د سویلي افریقا په ګوتینګ کې نومول شوي

Стартапҳои сол 2024: 496 стартапҳо дар Гаутенг, Африқои Ҷанубӣ пешбарӣ шудаанд

Masungulo ya Lembe ra 2024: 496 wa Masungulo ya Hlawuriwile eGauteng, Afrika-Dzonga

Iziqalo zoNyaka ka-2024: Iziqalo ezingama-496 zonyuliweyo eGauteng, eMzantsi Afrika

The Noonification: What Is a Digital Garden? (9/2/2024)

The topic of note-taking remains relevant today. We know the benefits it provides to the author. We are familiar with various approaches to note-taking and tools that can be used, and we have choices. Imagine you have found your approach, your tool, and your note base is growing and pleasing to the eye. What next? I want to discuss one path of development in this area. This article is dedicated to the concept of a digital garden — the philosophy of publicly maintaining personal notes. My Path For the past 20 years, I have kept notes using methods that lacked systematization, reliability, or usefulness: paper notebooks, text files, Evernote, and other applications whose names have faded from memory. Three years ago, I started using the Zettelkasten style (as I understood and adapted it for myself). I learned about this approach from Rob Muhlestein whom I encountered on Twitch. Experiments led me to my current note-taking method: in the form of Markdown files stored in a Git repository. On my computer, I work with them in VSCode, and on my phone, I use the default "Notes" app. Why not Obsidian? I tried it and decided to stick with VSCode for the following reasons: VSCode is a basic editor that is always open and used for work files.


I could not set up Obsidian synchronization via Git, and iCloud synchronization caused app crashes on my phone.


I need a quickly accessible app on my phone to jot down fleeting thoughts before, for example, reaching for a roll of toilet paper and experiencing discomfort from waiting. At the same time, I need the note base on my phone much less frequently than the need to urgently write something down. Separating apps for sudden thoughts and the main base has an advantage: it creates a ritual of transferring notes from the phone app to the main base. I review fresh notes, tag them, and add details. This allows me to revisit the recorded thought and increase the chances of not forgetting it. What Is a Digital Garden? The phrase "digital garden" is a metaphor describing an approach to note-taking. It is not just a set of tools like WordPress plugins or Jekyll templates. The idea of a garden is familiar to all of us — it is a place where something grows. Gardens can be very personal and filled with gnome figurines, or they can be sources of food and vitality. And who knows what a sudden visitor to your garden might see? You in a lovely pajama with a glass of fresh juice under an apple tree? Or perhaps standing upside down, trying to bring a bit of order and pull out weeds? The digital gardening metaphor emphasizes the slow growth of ideas through writing, rewriting, editing, and revisiting thoughts in a public space. Instead of fixed opinions that never change, this approach allows ideas to develop over time. The goal of digital gardening is to use the collective intelligence of your network to create constructive feedback loops. If done right, you will have an accessible representation of your thoughts that can be "sent out" into the world, and people will be able to respond to it. Even for the most raw ideas, it helps to create a feedback loop to strengthen and fully develop the idea. Core principles of gardening: Connections over timelines. Gardens are organized around contextual and associative connections; concepts and themes within each note define how they relate to others. The publication date is not the most important aspect of the text.


Continuous growth. Gardens never end; they are constantly growing, evolving, and changing, like a real garden.


Imperfection. Gardens are inherently imperfect. They do not hide their rough edges and do not claim to be a permanent source of truth.


Learning in public. To create constructive feedback loops.


Personal and experimental. Gardens are inherently heterogeneous. You may plant the same seeds as your neighbor but get a different arrangement of plants. You organize the garden around ideas and means that fit your way of thinking rather than a standard template.


Independent ownership. Gardening is about creating your own little corner of the internet that you fully control. Learning in Public This point may raise questions, as it suggests sharing something for free. The approach implies that you publicly document your steps, thoughts, mistakes, and successes in mastering a new topic or skill. This allows you not only to share the result but also to demonstrate the thinking and learning process, which can be useful to others. Besides altruistic motives, personal interest is worth noting. Sometimes I am too lazy to clearly formulate thoughts in notes, which then backfires — I can't understand what I meant. It's amusing how I always rely on my future superpower to decipher my own nonsensical notes — a belief that remains unshakable, though entirely unfounded. But when it comes to others, I don’t allow such naivety. Knowing that my note might not only attract attention but also genuinely help someone motivates me to make an effort and articulate the thought properly. How to Share Today, convenient tools have made creating a fully customizable website much easier. Services like Netlify and Vercel have removed deployment complexities. Static site generators like Jekyll, Gatsby, 11ty, and Next simplify creating complex sites that automatically generate pages and handle load time, image optimization, and SEO. Obsidian offers the ability to publish notes through its subscription platform. Using this service does not feel like "independent ownership." I chose Quartz for myself. It is a free static generator based on Markdown content. Quartz is designed primarily as a tool for publishing digital gardens on the internet. It is simple enough for people without technical experience but powerful enough for customization by experienced developers. My Digital Garden As mentioned, I store my notes in a public Git repository. Most of it is in Russian, with some in English. Changes are automatically published on GitHub Pages and available on my digital garden page. The design, solution scheme, and GitHub Actions scripts are available for review in this note if you want to create something similar. Some use RSS for updates, while I use a Telegram channel for this purpose. It is specifically an update channel, messages are not posted separately. Materials for Further Study The concept has a philosophy and history; I won't retell them but will provide links where you can read more: https://maggieappleton.com. Examples of digital gardens can be found at https://github.com/MaggieAppleton/digital-gardeners and https://github.com/jackyzha0/quartz/blob/v4/docs/showcase.md, as well as through GitHub search if the repository is tagged with the relevant topic — https://github.com/topics/digital-garden. Conclusion Establishing a digital garden has been a logical continuation of my journey, starting with the Zettelkasten method. How has it affected me? After the initial effort to set up and deploy the system, I hardly maintain it except for occasional issues. And now I continue to push my notes to Git. The only thing is, I have started to make them more understandable. Thank you for reading the article, and good luck in your quest for organizing thoughts and creating an effective space for ideas! The topic of note-taking remains relevant today. We know the benefits it provides to the author. We are familiar with various approaches to note-taking and tools that can be used, and we have choices. Imagine you have found your approach, your tool, and your note base is growing and pleasing to the eye. What next? I want to discuss one path of development in this area. This article is dedicated to the concept of a digital garden — the philosophy of publicly maintaining personal notes. My Path For the past 20 years, I have kept notes using methods that lacked systematization, reliability, or usefulness: paper notebooks, text files, Evernote, and other applications whose names have faded from memory. Three years ago, I started using the Zettelkasten style (as I understood and adapted it for myself). I learned about this approach from Rob Muhlestein whom I encountered on Twitch. Rob Muhlestein Experiments led me to my current note-taking method: in the form of Markdown files stored in a Git repository. On my computer, I work with them in VSCode, and on my phone, I use the default "Notes" app. Why not Obsidian? I tried it and decided to stick with VSCode for the following reasons: VSCode is a basic editor that is always open and used for work files. I could not set up Obsidian synchronization via Git, and iCloud synchronization caused app crashes on my phone. I need a quickly accessible app on my phone to jot down fleeting thoughts before, for example, reaching for a roll of toilet paper and experiencing discomfort from waiting. At the same time, I need the note base on my phone much less frequently than the need to urgently write something down. VSCode is a basic editor that is always open and used for work files. VSCode is a basic editor that is always open and used for work files. I could not set up Obsidian synchronization via Git, and iCloud synchronization caused app crashes on my phone. I could not set up Obsidian synchronization via Git, and iCloud synchronization caused app crashes on my phone. I need a quickly accessible app on my phone to jot down fleeting thoughts before, for example, reaching for a roll of toilet paper and experiencing discomfort from waiting. At the same time, I need the note base on my phone much less frequently than the need to urgently write something down. I need a quickly accessible app on my phone to jot down fleeting thoughts before, for example, reaching for a roll of toilet paper and experiencing discomfort from waiting. At the same time, I need the note base on my phone much less frequently than the need to urgently write something down. Separating apps for sudden thoughts and the main base has an advantage: it creates a ritual of transferring notes from the phone app to the main base. I review fresh notes, tag them, and add details. This allows me to revisit the recorded thought and increase the chances of not forgetting it. What Is a Digital Garden? The phrase "digital garden" is a metaphor describing an approach to note-taking. It is not just a set of tools like WordPress plugins or Jekyll templates. The idea of a garden is familiar to all of us — it is a place where something grows. Gardens can be very personal and filled with gnome figurines, or they can be sources of food and vitality. And who knows what a sudden visitor to your garden might see? You in a lovely pajama with a glass of fresh juice under an apple tree? Or perhaps standing upside down, trying to bring a bit of order and pull out weeds? The digital gardening metaphor emphasizes the slow growth of ideas through writing, rewriting, editing, and revisiting thoughts in a public space. Instead of fixed opinions that never change, this approach allows ideas to develop over time. The goal of digital gardening is to use the collective intelligence of your network to create constructive feedback loops. If done right, you will have an accessible representation of your thoughts that can be "sent out" into the world, and people will be able to respond to it. Even for the most raw ideas, it helps to create a feedback loop to strengthen and fully develop the idea. Core principles of gardening: Connections over timelines. Gardens are organized around contextual and associative connections; concepts and themes within each note define how they relate to others. The publication date is not the most important aspect of the text. Continuous growth. Gardens never end; they are constantly growing, evolving, and changing, like a real garden. Imperfection. Gardens are inherently imperfect. They do not hide their rough edges and do not claim to be a permanent source of truth. Learning in public. To create constructive feedback loops. Personal and experimental. Gardens are inherently heterogeneous. You may plant the same seeds as your neighbor but get a different arrangement of plants. You organize the garden around ideas and means that fit your way of thinking rather than a standard template. Independent ownership. Gardening is about creating your own little corner of the internet that you fully control. Connections over timelines. Gardens are organized around contextual and associative connections; concepts and themes within each note define how they relate to others. The publication date is not the most important aspect of the text. Connections over timelines. Gardens are organized around contextual and associative connections; concepts and themes within each note define how they relate to others. The publication date is not the most important aspect of the text. Continuous growth. Gardens never end; they are constantly growing, evolving, and changing, like a real garden. Continuous growth. Gardens never end; they are constantly growing, evolving, and changing, like a real garden. Imperfection. Gardens are inherently imperfect. They do not hide their rough edges and do not claim to be a permanent source of truth. Imperfection. Gardens are inherently imperfect. They do not hide their rough edges and do not claim to be a permanent source of truth. Learning in public. To create constructive feedback loops. Learning in public. To create constructive feedback loops. Personal and experimental. Gardens are inherently heterogeneous. You may plant the same seeds as your neighbor but get a different arrangement of plants. You organize the garden around ideas and means that fit your way of thinking rather than a standard template. Personal and experimental. Gardens are inherently heterogeneous. You may plant the same seeds as your neighbor but get a different arrangement of plants. You organize the garden around ideas and means that fit your way of thinking rather than a standard template. Independent ownership. Gardening is about creating your own little corner of the internet that you fully control. Independent ownership. Gardening is about creating your own little corner of the internet that you fully control. Learning in Public This point may raise questions, as it suggests sharing something for free. The approach implies that you publicly document your steps, thoughts, mistakes, and successes in mastering a new topic or skill. This allows you not only to share the result but also to demonstrate the thinking and learning process, which can be useful to others. Besides altruistic motives, personal interest is worth noting. Sometimes I am too lazy to clearly formulate thoughts in notes, which then backfires — I can't understand what I meant. It's amusing how I always rely on my future superpower to decipher my own nonsensical notes — a belief that remains unshakable, though entirely unfounded. But when it comes to others, I don’t allow such naivety. Knowing that my note might not only attract attention but also genuinely help someone motivates me to make an effort and articulate the thought properly. How to Share Today, convenient tools have made creating a fully customizable website much easier. Services like Netlify and Vercel have removed deployment complexities. Static site generators like Jekyll, Gatsby, 11ty, and Next simplify creating complex sites that automatically generate pages and handle load time, image optimization, and SEO. Obsidian offers the ability to publish notes through its subscription platform. Using this service does not feel like "independent ownership." I chose Quartz for myself. It is a free static generator based on Markdown content. Quartz is designed primarily as a tool for publishing digital gardens on the internet. It is simple enough for people without technical experience but powerful enough for customization by experienced developers. Quartz My Digital Garden As mentioned, I store my notes in a public Git repository. Most of it is in Russian, with some in English. Changes are automatically published on GitHub Pages and available on my digital garden page . The design, solution scheme, and GitHub Actions scripts are available for review in this note if you want to create something similar. Some use RSS for updates, while I use a Telegram channel for this purpose. It is specifically an update channel, messages are not posted separately. my digital garden page this note Materials for Further Study The concept has a philosophy and history; I won't retell them but will provide links where you can read more: https://maggieappleton.com . https://maggieappleton.com Examples of digital gardens can be found at https://github.com/MaggieAppleton/digital-gardeners and https://github.com/jackyzha0/quartz/blob/v4/docs/showcase.md , as well as through GitHub search if the repository is tagged with the relevant topic — https://github.com/topics/digital-garden . https://github.com/MaggieAppleton/digital-gardeners https://github.com/jackyzha0/quartz/blob/v4/docs/showcase.md https://github.com/topics/digital-garden Conclusion Establishing a digital garden has been a logical continuation of my journey, starting with the Zettelkasten method. How has it affected me? After the initial effort to set up and deploy the system, I hardly maintain it except for occasional issues. And now I continue to push my notes to Git. The only thing is, I have started to make them more understandable. Thank you for reading the article, and good luck in your quest for organizing thoughts and creating an effective space for ideas!

What Is a Digital Garden?

Rəqəmsal bağ nədir?

Какво е цифрова градина?

Co je digitální zahrada?

¿Qué es un jardín digital?

מהו גן דיגיטלי?

デジタルガーデンとは何ですか?

Jardin numérique Ezali Nini?

Wat is een digitale tuin?

ډیجیټل باغ څه شی دی؟

O que é um jardim digital?

டிஜிட்டல் கார்டன் என்றால் என்ன?

Ano ang Digital Garden?

A Treatise on Domestic Economy; For the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School by Catharine Esther Beecher, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . ON THE CARE OF YARDS AND GARDENS. here CHAPTER XXXIV. ON THE CARE OF YARDS AND GARDENS. The authorities consulted in the preparation of this and kindred chapters, are, Loudon's Encyclopædia of Gardening, Bridgeman's Young Gardener, Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture, the writings of Judge Buel, and Downing's Landscape Gardening. [T] On the Preparation of Soil. If the garden soil be clayey, and adhesive, put on a covering of sand, three inches thick, and the same depth of well-rotted manure. Spade it in, as deep as possible, and mix it well. If the soil be sandy and loose, spade in clay and ashes. Ashes are good for all kinds of soil, as they loosen those which are close, hold moisture in those which are sandy, and destroy insects. The best kind of soil, is that, which will hold water the longest, without becoming hard, when dry. , take one fourth part of common soil, one fourth part of well-decayed manure, and one half of vegetable mould, from the woods, or from a chip-yard. Break up the manure, fine, and sift it through a lime-screen, (or coarse wire sieve.) These materials must be thoroughly mixed. When the common soil which is used, is adhesive, and, indeed, in most other cases, it is necessary to add sand, the proportion of which, must depend on the nature of the soil. To prepare Soil for Pot-plants Dig a pit, six feet long, five feet wide, and thirty inches deep. Make a frame, of the same size, with the back two feet high, the front fifteen inches, and the sides sloped from the back to the front. Make two sashes, each three feet by five, with the panes of glass lapping like shingles, instead of having cross bars. Set the frame over the pit, which should then be filled with fresh horse-dung, which has not lain long, nor been sodden by water. Tread it down, hard, then put into the frame, light, and very rich soil, ten or twelve inches deep, and cover it with the sashes, for two or three days. Then stir the soil, and sow the seeds in shallow drills, placing sticks by them, to mark the different kinds. Keep the frame covered with the glass, whenever it is cold enough to chill the plants; but at all other times, admit fresh air, which is indispensable to their health. When the sun is quite warm, raise the glasses, enough to admit air, and cover them with matting or blankets, or else the sun may kill the young plants. Water the bed at evening, with water which has stood all day, or, if it be fresh drawn, add a little warm water. If there be too much heat in the bed, so as to scorch or wither the plants, make deep holes, with stakes, and fill them up when the heat is reduced. In very cold nights, cover the box with straw. On the Preparation of a Hot Bed. On Planting Flower Seeds. Break up the soil, till it is very soft, and free from lumps. Rub that nearest the surface, between the hands, to make it fine. Make a circular drill, a foot in diameter. For seeds as large as sweet peas, it should be half an inch deep. The smallest seeds must be planted very near the surface, and a very little fine earth be sifted over them. Seeds are to be planted either deeper or nearer the surface, according to their size. After covering them with soil, beat them down with a trowel, so as to make the earth as compact as it is after a heavy shower. Set up a stick, in the middle of the circle, with the name of the plant heavily written upon it, with a dark lead pencil. This remains more permanent, if white lead be first rubbed over the surface. Never plant, when the soil is very wet. In very dry times, water the seeds at night. Never use very cold water. When the seeds are small, many should be planted together, that they may assist each other in breaking the soil. When the plants are an inch high, thin them out, leaving only one or two, if the plant be a large one, like the Balsam; five or six, when it is of a medium size; and eighteen or twenty of the smaller size. Transplanting, retards the growth of a plant about a fortnight. It is best to plant at two different times, lest the first planting should fail, owing to wet or cold weather. To Plant Garden Seeds. Make the beds a yard wide; lay across them a board, a yard long and a foot wide, and, with a stick, make a furrow, on each side of it, one inch deep. Scatter the seeds in this furrow, and cover them. Then lay the board over them and step on it, to press down the earth. When the plants are an inch high, thin them out, leaving spaces proportioned to their sizes. Seeds of a similar species, such as melons and squashes, should not be planted very near to each other, as this causes them to degenerate. The same kinds of vegetables should not be planted in the same place, for two years in succession. On Transplanting. Transplant at evening, or, which is better, just before a shower. Take a round stick, sharpened at the point, and make openings to receive the plants. Set them a very little deeper than they were before, and press the soil firmly round them. Then water them, and cover them for three or four days, taking care that sufficient air be admitted. If the plant can be removed, without disturbing the soil around the root, it will not be at all retarded, by transplanting. Never remove leaves and branches, unless a part of the roots be lost. To Re-pot House-Plants. Renew the soil, every year, soon after the time of blossoming. Prepare soil, as previously directed. Loosen the earth from the pot, by passing a knife around the sides. Turn the plant upside down, and remove the pot. Then remove all the matted fibres at the bottom, and all the earth, except that which adheres to the roots. From woody plants, like roses, shake off all the earth. Take the new pot, and put a piece of broken earthen-ware over the hole at the bottom; and then, holding the plant in the proper position, shake in the earth, around it. Then pour in water, to settle the earth, and heap on fresh soil, till the pot is even full. Small pots are considered better than large ones, as the roots are not so likely to rot, from excess of moisture. On the Laying out of Yards and Gardens. In planting trees, in a yard, they should be arranged in groups, and never planted in straight lines, nor sprinkled about, as solitary trees. The object of this arrangement, is, to imitate Nature, and secure some spots of dense shade and some of cleared turf. In yards which are covered with turf, beds can be cut out of it, and raised for flowers. A trench should be made around, to prevent the grass from running on them. These beds can be made in the shape of crescents, ovals, or other fanciful forms, of which, the figure below is one specimen. In laying out beds, in gardens and yards, a very pretty bordering can be made, by planting them with common flax seed, in a line about three inches from the edge. This can be trimmed, with shears, when it grows too high. On the Cultivation of Bulbs, and Tuberous Roots. For planting the , take one third part of leaf mould, half as much sand, and the remainder, earth from under fresh grass sods. Plant them in May. The bulb should not be set more than half its depth in the ground. Amaryllis The and are medium, or half-hardy, roots. They should be planted in soil which is enriched with cowdung, and the beds should be raised only an inch from the walk. They must be planted in October, in drills, two inches deep, the claws of the roots downward, and be shaded when they begin to bud. Anemone Ranunculus The must be planted in October, two inches deep, and four inches apart. In measuring the depth, always calculate from the top of the bulb. Crocus This must be planted in September, three or four inches deep; and need not be taken up but once in three years. Crown Imperial. Those who have greenhouses, or pits, plant the Gladiolus in October, and preserve it in pots through the Winter. Those who have not these conveniences, may plant these bulbs late in April. The earth must be composed of one half common soil, one fourth leaf mould, and one fourth sand. Plant them about an inch deep. Gladiolus. should be planted in October, eight inches apart, and three or four inches deep, in a rich soil. Hyacinths should be planted in October, two inches deep, in a rich soil, and should not be taken up oftener than once in three years. Jonquilles This should be planted in October, four inches deep; covered, through the Winter, with straw and leaves, six inches thick; and uncovered in the middle of March. Narcissus. Plant this in September, in a soil, composed of two thirds common earth, and one third leaf mould. The old bulb dies after blossoming, and is succeeded by a new one. Oxalis. Plant , in rich soil, in October, three inches deep. Tulips Plant late in April, in a rich, sandy soil. They are delicate plants, and should be covered, in case of frosts. Tuberoses should be planted two inches deep. Daffodils When bulbs have done flowering, and their leaves begin to decay, they should be taken up and dried, and kept in a dry place, till October, when they are to be replanted, taking off the offsets, and putting them in a bed by themselves. Bulbs which blossom in water, or are in any other way forced to bloom out of season, are so much exhausted by it, that it takes them two or three years to recover their beauty. Dig a hole, a foot and a half deep; fill it with very light, loose, and rich, soil; and drive in a stake, a yard and a half high, to which, to tie the future plants. Then set in the root, so that it shall be an inch below the soil, where the sprout starts. When the plants are two feet high, tie them to the stakes, and take off some of the lower side-shoots. Continue to tie them, as their growth advances. If the roots are planted in the open borders, without any previous growth, it should be done as early as the first of May, and they should be covered from the frosts. When they are brought forward, in pots or hot-beds, they should be put out, in the middle of June. It is said, by gardeners, that late planting, is better than early, for producing perfect flowers. In the Autumn, after the frosts have destroyed the tops, let the roots remain awhile in the ground, to ripen; then dig them up, and pack them away, in some place where they will neither mould, from dampness, nor freeze. In the Spring, these roots will throw out sprouts, and must then be divided, so as to leave a good shoot, attached to a piece of the tuber or old stem, and each shoot will make a new plant. It is stated, that if the shoots themselves, without any root, be planted in light soil, covered with a bell-glass, or large tumbler, and carefully watered, they will produce plants superior to those with roots. Dahlias. Annuals These are flowers which last only one season. They should be so planted, that the tallest may be in the middle of a bed, and the shortest at the edges; and flowers of a similar color should not be planted adjacent to each other. The following is a list of some of the handsomest Annuals, arranged with reference to their color and height. Those with a star before them, do best when sowed in the Autumn. Those with after them, are trailing plants. tr. SIX INCHES TO ONE FOOT HIGH. Ice Plant, Sweet Alyssum, White Leptosiphon, Walker's Schizopetalon, Blumenbachia insignis, *Candytuft. White. *Yellow Chryseis or Eschscholtzia, Sanvitalia procumbens, , Musk-flowered Mimulus. Yellow. tr. Many-flowered Catchfly, Rose-colored Verbena, Rose. tr. *Chinese Annual Pink, Virginian Stock, Calandrinia Speciosa. Red. Graceful Lobelia, Nemophila insignis, Clintonia pulchella, Clintonia elegans, Nolana atriplicifolia, , Anagallis indica, Commelina cœlestis, Grove Love, Pimpernel (blue.) Blue. tr. *Heart's Ease, or Pansy, Dwarf Love in a Mist, *Rose Campion. Varying Colors. ONE FOOT TO EIGHTEEN INCHES HIGH. Venus's Looking Glass, Priest's Schizanthus, Sweet-scented Stevia, White Evening Primrose. White. Drummond's Coreopsis, *New Dark Coreopsis, Golden Hawkweed, Dracopis amplexicaulis, Drummond's Primrose, Cladanthus arabicus, Peroffsky's Erysimum. Yellow. Drummond's Phlox, Rodanthe, Rose-colored Nonea, Clarkia rosea, Silene Tenorei, Silene armeria. Rose. Crimson Coxcomb, Silene pendula, Crimson Dew Plant, Red. tr. Cacalia coccinea, Flos Adonis, Scarlet Zinnia, Mexican Cuphea. Scarlet. Clarkia elegans, Clarkia pulchella, *Purple Candytuft, *Purple Petunia, , *Crimson Candytuft, Double Purple Jacobæa, Leptosiphon androsaceus, all the varieties of Schizanthus, Veined Verbena, , *Purple eternal Flower. Lilac and Purple. tr. tr. Ageratum Mexicanum, *Gilia capitata, Spanish Nigella, Blue Eutoca, Dwarf Convolvulus, Didiscus cœruleus. Blue. , or Collinsia bicolor, Gilia tricolor. Lilac, Purple Blue and White. Lotus Jacobæus, Salpiglossis, Scabious. Very Dark. German Aster, Balsam, Rocket Larkspur, Ten-week Stock, Poppy. Colors varying. EIGHTEEN INCHES TO TWO FEET. *White Petunia, , White Clarkia, Double White Jacobæa, Love in a Mist. White. tr. *Lavatera trimestris, Red Zinnia, Malva miniata. Red. Globe Amaranthus, Purple Sweet Sultan, Sweet Scabious, Purple Zinnia, Prince's Feather, Large Blue Lupine, *Catchfly. Lilac and Purple. TWO FEET AND UPWARDS. Winged Ammobium, *White Lavatera, White Sweet Sultan, *New White Eternal Flower, White Helicrysum, *White Larkspur. White. Golden Bartonia, *Golden Coreopsis, Yellow Sweet Sultan, African Marigold, Yellow Argemone, French Marigold, Yellow Coxcomb, Yellow Hibiscus. Yellow. The Malope grandiflora and the Cleome are fine tall annuals. Climbing Plants. The following are the most beautiful : Crimson, and White, Cypress Vine; White, and Buff, Thunbergia; Scarlet Flowering Bean; Hyacinth Bean Loasa; Morning Glory; Crimson, and Spotted, Nasturtium; Balloon Vine; Sweet Pea; Tangier Pea; Lord Anson's Pea; Climbing Cobæa; Pink, and White, Maurandia. annual climbers The following are the most valuable : Sweet-scented Monthly Honeysuckle; Yellow, White, and Coral, Honeysuckles; Purple Glycine; Clematis; Bitter Sweet; Trumpet Creeper. perennial climbers The Everlasting Pea is a beautiful perennial climber. The Climbing Cobæa, and Passion Flower, are also beautiful perennials, but must be protected in Winter. Perennials. Those who cannot afford every year to devote the time necessary to the raising of annuals, will do well to supply their borders with perennials. The following is a list of some of those generally preferred. Adonis, yellow; Columbine, all colors; Alyssum, yellow; Asclepias, orange and purple; Bee Larkspur, blue; Perennial Larkspur, all colors; Cardinal Flower, scarlet; Chinese Pink, various colors; Clove Pink; Foxglove, purple and white; Gentian, purple and yellow; Hollyhock, various colors; *Lily of the Valley; American Phlox, various colors; Scarlet Lychnis; Monkshood, white and blue; *Spirea, white, and pink; *Ragged Robin, pink; Rudbeckia, yellow, and purple; Sweet William, in variety. Those marked with a star cannot be obtained from seed, but must be propagated by roots, layers, &c. Herbaceous Roots. These are such as die to the root, in the Fall, and come up again in the Spring, such as Pæonies, crimson, white, sweet-scented, and straw-colored; Artemisia, of many colors; White and Purple Fleur-de-lis; White, Tiger, Fire, and other Lilies; Little Blue Iris; Chrysanthemums, &c. These are propagated by dividing the roots. Shrubs. The following are the finest : Lilacs, (which, by budding, can have white and purple on the same tree,) Double Syringas, Double Althæas, Corchorus Japonicus, Snow-berry, Double-flowering Almond, Pyrus Japonica, Common Barberry, Burning Bush, Rose Acacia, Yellow Laburnum. The following are the finest Roses: Moss Rose, White, and Red; Double and Single Yellow Rose, (the last needs a gravelly soil and northern exposure;) Yellow Multiflora; La Belle Africana; Small Eglantine, for borders; Champney's Blush Rose; Noisette; Greville, (very fine;) Damask; Blush, White, and Cabbage Roses. Moss Roses, when budded on other rose bushes, last only three years. Shrubs for yards The following are among the finest: Mountain Ash; Ailanthus, or Tree of Heaven, (grows very fast;) Tulip Tree; Linden; Elm; Locust; Maple; Dog Wood; Horse Chestnut; Catalpa; Hemlock; Silver Fir; and Cedar. These should be grouped, in such a manner that trees of different shades of green, and of different heights, should stand in the same group. Shade Trees. The Autumn is the best time for transplanting trees. Take as much of the root, as possible, especially the little fibres, which should never become dry. If kept long, before they are set out, put wet moss around them, and water them. Dig holes, larger than the extent of the roots; let one person hold the tree in its former position, and another place the roots, carefully, as they were before, cutting off any broken or wounded root. Let the soil be soft, and well manured; shake the tree, as the soil is shaken in, that it may mix well among the small fibres. Do not tread the earth down, while filling the hole; but, when it is full, raise a slight mound, of, say, four inches, and then tread it down. Make a little basin, two inches deep, around the stem, to hold water, and fill it. Never cut off leaves nor branches, unless some of the roots are lost. Tie the trees to a stake, and they will be more likely to live. Water them often. Be careful not to let the tree be more than an inch deeper than it was before. On the Care of House-Plants. The soil of house-plants should be renewed every year, as previously directed. In Winter, they should be kept as dry as they can be without wilting. Many house-plants are injured by giving them too much water, when they have little light and fresh air. This makes them grow spindling. The more fresh air, warmth, and light, they have, the more water is needed. They ought not to be kept very warm in Winter, nor exposed to great changes of atmosphere. Forty degrees is a proper temperature for plants in Winter, when they have little sun and air. When plants have become spindling, cut off their heads, entirely, and cover the pot in the earth, where it has the morning sun, only. A new and flourishing head will spring out. Few house-plants can bear the sun at noon. When insects infest plants, set them in a closet, or under a barrel, and burn tobacco. The smoke kills any insect enveloped in it. When plants are frozen, cold water, and a gradual restoration of warmth, are the best remedies. Never use very cold water for plants, at any season. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Catharine Esther Beecher (2007). A Treatise on Domestic Economy; For the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/21829/pg21829-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

ON THE CARE OF YARDS AND GARDENS.

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