I want this i-Phone app

I don’t have an i-Phone, yet. But I learned about a new app (is that really a word?) that makes me want one. The Botany Buddy tree & shrub finder is an interactive database of 1,300 native and ornamental trees and shrubs that helps you identify plants in the field or — because you can create collections of plants — to use as a tool when planning landscapes and gardens. You can actually create custom plant collections and share them with other users. For every plant listed, there are enough images to see its shape, leaf, flower, bark and seed and the advanced search engine allows you to search by common or botanical name, growth habit and requirements, size, usage, color and more. Co-developer Charlie Hopper has spent 25 years as a landscape designer. He told me that the first time he took it out for a test run at a weekend tailgate fruit and veggie market in Ashville, NC, “it felt like a pair of Felco pruners.” This, I have to see. A preview and direct link to the iTunes store is available at www.botanybuddy.com.