Method and systems for providing specialty product information

1. A method for providing horticultural product information to consumers, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining, in electronic form, identifying information corresponding to a horticultural product of interest to a consumer;

providing the identifying information to a computer system;

retrieving, from a database, which is accessible from the computer system, horticultural product information related to the horticultural product of interest to the consumer; said database including accumulated horticultural product information; said accumulated horticultural product information having been accumulated from a plurality of specialized sources;

providing, to the consumer, the horticultural product information;

the horticultural product being at least one of a plant, a groundcover, fertilizers, seeds, bulbs or chemical and nonchemical soil and/or ground or plant treatment; said horticultural product information comprising zone(s) for best use for a plant, best time to plant, related or suggested fertilizers; and

providing an audio rendering of at least a portion of the horticultural product information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the horticultural product information is obtained from at least one expert source.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the horticultural product information is obtained from at least one specialized treatise.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the database also includes audiovisual information corresponding to the horticultural product information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: transferring information between the computer system and a point of sale system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of updating the database based on the transferred information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing, to the computer systems, additional grouping information related to the horticultural product information;

retrieving, from the database, tailored information related to the additional grouping information; and

providing, to the consumer, the tailored information.

8. A method for providing horticultural product information to consumers, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating a request for horticultural product information related to a consumer product of interest;

providing the request to a computer system;

retrieving, from a database, which is accessible from the computer system, horticultural product information related to the consumer product of interest; the database capable of including accumulated horticultural product information; the accumulated horticultural product information accumulated from a plurality of specialized sources;

providing, to the consumer, the horticultural product information;

the horticultural product being at least one of a plant, a groundcover, fertilizers, seeds, bulbs or chemical and nonchemical soil and/or ground or plant treatment; said horticultural product information comprising zone(s) for best use for a plant, best time to plant, related or suggested fertilizers; and

providing an audio rendering of at least a portion of the horticultural product information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the horticultural product information is obtained from at least one expert source.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the horticultural product information is obtained from at least one specialized treatise.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the database also includes audiovisual information corresponding to the horticultural product information.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

transferring information between the computer system and a point of sale system.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of updating the database based on the transferred information.

14. A method for providing specialty product information to consumers, in which identifying information corresponding to a specialty food product of interest to a consumer is obtained, in electronic form, and the identifying information is provided to a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

constructing a database capable of including accumulated specialty product information;

the accumulated specialty product information being accumulated from a plurality of specialized sources; said specialty product information being obtained by the steps of:

obtaining information on a specialty product from each one of a plurality of consumers; said information on the specialty product comprising at least one attribute; and

obtaining a measure, for each said at least one attribute, indicative of consumer opinion; said measure being obtained from said information from said plurality of consumers;

said specialty product information comprising said each said at least one attribute and said measure obtained for said each said at least one attribute; and

retrieving, from the database, which is accessible from the computer system, specialty product information related to the specialty product of interest to the consumer;

the specialty product information being provided to the consumer; at least a portion of the specialty product information being provided as an audio rendering; the specialty product information being information related to alcoholic beverages or the horticultural product information; the horticultural product being at least one of a plant, a groundcover, fertilizers, seeds, bulbs or chemical and nonchemical soil and/or ground or plant treatment; the specialty product information comprising, for horticultural products, zone(s) for best use for a plant, best time to plant, related or suggested fertilizers or, for alcoholic beverages, comprising tasting notes by expert sources including expert opinion and treatises, similar products in a category, similar products a category but at a lower price point, information on the product such as that supplied by a critic or an expert.