So what neck of the woods are you from? (introduce yourself)

Howdy fellow Michiganders! Hard to believe its Spring hey, with so much snow on the ground?
It won't be long! (I keep telling myself this)
Saw my first Robins yesterday. They seem to be taking their time coming back this year.
Maybe they know something we don't know....like we are going to have a cold Spring?!
(what else is new?)
well first Crocus bloomed yesterday and Daffodils and Chives coming up

I live about 30 miles north of Grand Rapids where I was raised. I am a native Michigander.
We've been out in the boonies for about 25 years. I love country living!
We have 5 acres and I raise flowers and chickens. The kids have all flown the coop and hubby and I are LOVIN' our empty nest lifestyle! Well empty except for 2 dogs and 4 cats. ;)
Had a hobby farm when we were raising our family with horses, dairy goats, rabbits, chickens and such.

I'm into roses...I have about ohhhh...120-130??? I quit counting at 100.
All kinds from Hybrid Teas to Old Garden Roses.
Also LOVE herbs and have a growing collection of those as well.
Grow lots of perennials and annuals too of course.

So where are you from and tell us a little bit about yourself!
CR

This message was edited Mar 23, 2005 5:58 PM

I'm just south of Grand Rapids - right by the new #6 highway. Used to be completely rural our way, but the burbs are creeping closer and closer. Would love to move back to the country, but I have toooo many flowers to dig, so here I'll stay until I hit the old folks home LOL Still have a gorgeous corn field in our back yard and spend many the hour watching the deer out back.

No kids at home anymore, but they come often for visits.

I live in Allen Park, about 10 miles south of Detroit.
I grow about 60 Roses.
I'm an Advanced Master gardener and I am the garden columnist for our local paper.
My favorite activity is teaching gardening to a 2nd grade class in Taylor, my second year doing this.
I do alot of volunteer work with Wayne County Extension service.

Paul

This message was edited Mar 24, 2005 11:41 AM

I am 50 miles North of Detroit. China is just outside Marine city, Marine city is about 20 miles South of Port Huron. We have 10 acres and raise Alpacas and chickens. I have about 100 layers that I run in chicken tractors. Retired last year. Like to plant my garden in old used tires. I also blend my own fertilizer. If anyone is out this this way feel free to stop in.
Ken
Pondview Alpacas

This message was edited Mar 24, 2005 11:31 AM

I live more or less in the middle of MIchigan.. few miles east of lansing. I've a Bachelor Degree in Landscape Archhitecture from Michigan State Univ.
I am a creative landscaper who makes plantings with multitiude
of types of plant material. I keep up on recent cultivars , plant introductions, new trends with landscaping and ecology. I seldom plant in straight rows. I like things planted with a natural look. I like to see plants appropriately planted in settings where they will flourish and grow!

My name is Kelly and I live in mid-Michigan, about 20 miles west of Alma. I work in Lansing and so have a long commute! I live on about 2 acres of land and it is my dream to eventually turn the whole thing into a massive flower garden. I would be very happy to get rid of all my lawn. In October 2003, I laid out a lasagna garden that winds through my backyard. The garden is 225 feet long and averages 6 to 8 feet wide. I love all perennials and blooming shrubs. I have a handful of David Austin roses but would really like to develop an area devoted just to them. That will likely be my next project. Below is a photo of my garden as originally laid out in Oct 2003 and how it looked last summer. Can't hardly wait to see how much it develops this year. But first have to get it to stop snowing!

Hi,
I live in Lachine, Michigan. Which is between Alpena and Hillman. My hubby is a driver for a propane comapany and I own a Garden Design, renovation and mainteance company. All our children are grown.
I have been planting, planting and more planting. As someone said- I plan to have no grass what-so-ever when I'm through! LOL
This year I am working on a shade garden- my first! I have put a pond in( preformed) and have several other water fountian type enhancements. I love placing unusual garden enhancements of large size into my yard to be seen. I love doing large murals on my outbuildings that can be seen from the road, using spray paint and doing it freelance. When we moved to this home there was exsisting already a large pond- our desires are to pump it this year and find homes for the over 500 goldfish that reside there. Then we are going to stone the inside add a waterfall and landscape it.
Lots of work ahead- but its sooooooo much fun!
It is so nice to meet all you michiganders! Especially since we all have the Garden Bug!
I hope we can trade plants too!
Say, why don't we make lists of haves and wants and post here?
Saundra

Hi there! My name is Kimberly but you'll always see me as Kip. I am a hairstylist and pet sitter in Battle Creek. This is my fith summer in my current home but I am a lifetime resident of Michigan, 31 years. It looks like frozen mud today but, a few crocus are blooming. I haven't seen any robins. I'll keep looking:)
Kip

Hi, my name is Cindy. I live in a small town about l0 miles south of Detroit. I have been into daylilies for about l4 years. I have approximately 200 and I sell them on Ebay under the name lighthousegardens. I had given so many away to friends and relatives (that no longer wanted any more) that I was forced to go into business to thin them out. This year may be a little difficult for me as far as the business because in February I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I have a surgery on April 4 and then there is time to recover to see if I will be able to carry on normally this season or not. Anyway I keep buying daylilies and have about 8 on order for spring planting. My husband inherited his mother's cottage on a lake in Hale Mi. last year. It is on about 2 acres and we hope to eventually move the flowers there. I am really enjoying this forum and seeing all the wonderful people from Michigan posting.

Hello everyone Im Dori NOTmartha!
I live over here in Bay City area on my DH centennial farm. The farm is around 140 acres we own 5 with the old farm house and outbuildings. My MIL and my BIL are my neighbors. ;) I have 5 boys and 1 granddaughter and one grandbaby due nov. 3of my 5boys have flown the nest I have 11 and 8yr old at home still. 1 dog 2 cats 2 birds
I love to 4wheel(atv)and Im a BIG nascar fan. #8
I love to have fun and make others LAUGH! ;) i guess im a prankster of sort

We have a small orchard with a mix of fruit trees pear,sour cherry,sweet cherry,stanley plum,round purple plume,2 kinds ofyellow plum,peach,apricot and mulberry. I have several kinds of berries too. We do a veggie garden too.

I have been here 13yrs now and have stared several flower gardens around the farm. I have 2Iris beds and 2 dayliliy beds. The daylily's have become my addiction. I think i have something like 200unnamed and 200 named daylilies. I try not to count, I have over 50new ones on the way and lots of baby ones already growing and im still sprouting more seeds!!

I have a small GH made out of windows(free) I love to sit in it and enjoy the sun-thats where i will be today as soon as I can get out of davesgarden. I want to watch the snow melt! LOL

I joined davesgarden a few weeks after dave launched the site and have been here daily(almost)ever since, I have watched it grow with all of you arriving and new forums LIKE OUR NEW MICHIGAN ONE
Im so glad to meet all of you and very happy that dave has provided us with this site so that we can talk and share our lives.

If anyone needs anything dont hesitate to ask I will do my best to help you.
**I always can find you a daylily sale-ask deann!**

HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!
Dori-NOTmartha

I hate being called Martha!! ;)

Hemlady,
My prayers will be with you. My SIL went through all your going through a year and 1/2 ago.
She's a survivor. Thank God!
She use to have straight grey hair...now its so curley its unbelievable!
Happy Easter and Gods Blessings-
Saundra

Thanks michigander. Happy Easter to you too!!!!

Hemlady - good luck with your upcoming surgery = you have a lot of gardening friends who will be pulling for you!! Best friend was diagnosed with Br can. exactly a year ago. She has a mascetomy (spelled xxxx) and is doing just great!! She had reconstuction and that went well too. We laughed with her as she got the remaining one lifted to match her new one...I'll be thinking of you...

cindy
we will keep you in our prayers and thoughts. I know you will be fine because you are a daylily fan like me and we are tough.
prayers
dori
(((((((((((((((((((cindy))))))))))))))))))))

Thanks Dori. Yes you are right. I am a HUGE daylily fan and I am already ordering and trying to figure out where I am going to put them. LOL More grass may have to go.

Hi Cindy,
Tootsie here, another one that you sent your lil dl seeds to! You will be on my prayer list, I have a friend too that had breast cancer and the surgery and treatments afterwards. She did fine and still goes in for checkups!! I also got her into gardeningl, she kept on reading evey gardening book she could get her hands on, said it kept her sane thru it all :)
LOVE AND HUGS TO YOU,
Tootsie

Thanks Tootsie. I'm sure I will have enough reading to keep me busy. I also crochet. Love doing that. It passes the time and prevents me from getting nervous. I am not normally a nervous person but if you let you mind wander, nerves can get you. That's why I try and keep busy. Thanks for the hugs and encouragement.

Can I stick my nose in here? I'm a Harrisville boy that has been stuck in the midwest for the last decade.

Hi all, I live about 30 minutes east of Lansing. We own 20 acres in the country. Had our house built in 2001 and moved in in 2002. Since then, been trying to create a yard and gardens. Was working on turning the front (approx300x250) into a nice yard with trees and bushes up til last fall. Then, we decided to put in a pond and fill around it because of flooding problems. So now I have a huge mud pile again in the front...this time with a pond. The pond is quite large (almost 1/4 acre) my mom came to visit around Christmas and said it looks more like a lake than a pond. Oh well, I love living in the country. I like that everything is on a large scale. There are so many possibilities that can be done. My kids are small and we hope to stay here forever so I have plenty of time to try growing everything. My biggest flaw is not having patience. Gardening helps me alot with that because it teaches how so much can happen with patience.

I am always crawling the web to find out information on new plants I find in the nursery catalogs. Thats how I wound up here. This place is great.

I'm about 100 miles north of Grand Rapids, on an old depleted farm in the sand at the top of a hill. My passion is a rock garden which just keeps growing along a hillside. Won't have much time to visit till summer, but I used this site a lot last year and hope to be back often after, say, mid-June.

Hi! My name is Arliene and I live in Flint, I am hosting a plant swap at my house on June 12th (Sun). If anyone is interested just send me an email and I will send directions back to you.
I just bought my house last year and have made myself a very nice little garden . I love all kinds of flowers and have no favorites. Please feel free to come to swap. Hugs, Arliene

Hi, I'm Maureen from the "Northern" neck of Michigan, Hancock, in the Upper Peninsula right on Lake Superior. This is the first time I've joined one of these forums.

I'm a Master Gardener ('94) but have not done too much with it and am hoping to get more involved. Also, I'm the office manager with the local MSU Extension Office.

I've started some seeds (cherry tomato and snow pea) among others, just this past week under grow lites and already some have sprouted! I realize this part of Michigan is about 1 month behind all you "trolls", as far as planting goes, so I'll have to wait a while 'til I can plant outdoors in raised containers.
Am unable to kneel yet due to 2 recent knee replacements :(

My husband and I live about 30 miles north of Hancock in the deep woods. No neighbors for about 1/2 mile...just eagles, black bear, bobcats, wolves and an occasional cougar, along with the ordinary critters.

I'd love to do tulips but I tried it once and found they are one of the tastiest treats for the deer. Poor beasts are so hungry this time of year, we've caught them chewing the sides of our house! They've also decimated our apple, crabapple, and plum trees.

As I've said, I have not done too much with gardening in the past. When we bought our home 16 years ago, it had some quite nice landscaping (Alberta Spruce, potentilla, mugho pine, lily of the valley, hosta, and lots of Oregon holly). I've put in a few more perennials, but the my planting area is quite shady. I'll have to look into shade loving perennials.

This site is truly wonderful. I'm going to be using it a lot, especially with helping our clients out with gardening questions.

Hey All,

My name is Nick and I live in Mt. Pleasant, about 30 miles east of Midland. I just bought my first house around 9 months ago, and I am still learning the ropes. I have about 2 acres of "lawn" (term used loosley), and around another acre of scrubby woodland.

I am originally from Lapeer, and still have a few friends and family down that way. (I used to work for the Powers, for any of you down that way). I moved up to Mt. Pleasant for school, and when I graduated, I never left!

Hello again, and I look forward to talking with you all.

Nick

Hi all,
I'm Kay and I live in Dearborn, just west of Detroit, on a smallish suburban lot. There is a woods behind us, so we enjoy lots of critters, including the occasional deer and two red foxes that visit regularly. Most of my yard is shady, so I do a lot of planting in pots and a bunch of old wire planters that I've collected. We also have a small pond; it's been in about five years, and of course I wish it were larger. My style is quite laissez faire--I enjoy seeing what the wind and the birds think about garden design, and have a strong tendency to let the volunteers show me where they'd like to put down roots. My husband and I have an ongoing discussion about how much lawn is REALLY necessary, and every year I convince him to yield up a bit more of his grass. Perennials are my thing, and a couple of years ago I went a bit nuts on lilies of all kinds, perhaps because we were presented with a granddaughter (our first) named Lily.

My name is Branka and I don't live in Michigan. I am in NW Indiana 35 miles east of Chicago and 10 miles south of the lake. We have the same "type" of weather, it must be a great lakes thing. The one thing that I do know is that if a plants works in Michigan, it works here.

I used to have a nice yard, lol. I have two big dogs that wrecked havoc on it. They are no longer puppies and somewhat obedient so we are going to claim the yard back this spring. The biggest problem is MUD - I HATE IT.......

Hi Kneff(Kay). I live a hand's throw away from you in Melvindale and I didn't know they had deer in Dearborn. Where abouts? That's exciting to know we have them in this area, but I know they can do a lot of damage eating your flowers. We have that problem up north. They have eaten the buds off the daylilies up there. They don't like marigolds though. I know what you mean about the flower volunteers. I have volunteer snapdragons that come up all over the place. Well, I enjoyed reading your post. Welcome!!!

Cindy

Hi, Gail here, I live about 6 miles north of Rogers City. I see that most of you have no snow. PLEASE TAKE MINE!! I am finally seeing grass today, but only where my husband snow blowed a path.
Anyway, we have about 1.5 acre. We have an orchard, we plant a huge garden every year. I do have large flower gardens in the front. We raised 6 kids, and are now raising 2 grandkids, hence the name Grammi. We have chickens (silkies,golden laced cochins, and buff cochins), we raise pigs, we also have a dog, and 3 cockatiels. I have two small ponds that we built, and in the summer keep gold fish in them, in the winter we keep the fish in an aquarium in the house.
My husband and I started a lawn and house service last year. We have been pretty busy with that. We have a steady business of lawn care all summer, and we also watch over cottages for customers during the winter. We also do cleaning for our customers. We keep pretty busy with the grandkids and work and home. When I have time I am on the computer, or sewing or crocheting.
I am glad to find this forum. I am always looking for ideas for our different gardens, and love to chat with people with the same interests.
Thank God Spring is here, and the temperature is slowly rising!!
Gail

Hi Gail,
Welcome to DG. Nice to meet someone so close to home- small world isn't it!
Happy Easter and enjoy those grand-babies!
saundra

Hello to all! My name is Carol and I live about 20 miles northwest of Lansing. We moved to 2.5 acres about 2 years ago and I was fortunate enough to retire about 6 months later, but this is really the first year I've had a chance to grow something other than grass! We are doing our own landscaping around a new house and DH thinks it should be all lawn!! Fortunately, I've convinced him that it can be so much more!!

Learning to peacefully coexist with the many critters around here that love what I'm planting. Have found some great, natural repellent recipes in some of the forums.

I'm a newbie to Dave's Garden, but it's already growing on me! LOL!! Hope we're all going to have a great growing season this year!

Hi all,
My name is Sandy and I live in White Lk. It is between Milford and Pontiac. This should be a fun place for all of us to learn more about what we can, and cannot grow in are area. I am in to flowers to attract hummingbirds. I also grow a vegatable garden which seems to get smaller and smaller every year. DH has been retired for 9 yrs, while I still work part time babysitting adults. ~~Bartending.

Nice to meet all of you.

Hi Everyone..........My name is Deann and I've been a member of Dave's since 2003 thanks to NotMartha. I live in Northern Michigan in the Tawas/AuGres area which is about 180 miles north of Detroit. We retired up here 10 years ago from Garden City. I retired from the Marriott Hotel at the Detroit Metro Airport as a Sales & Catering Director. I am married to the same guy AJ and last year we celebrated 50 years. I have 5 kids and 9 grand kids and 3 great grand kids....I am an Advanced Master Gardener which I like to tell people, that and rocket fuel will get you to the moon. Becoming a Master Gardener was just an enrichment I decided I wanted to have. Having become one, I now know that its continuous learning process. My Core manual is open and available every day as I refer to it constantly. I am a active member of the Tawas Bay Garden Club and the Sunrise Side Master Gardeners Assoc. Our Garden Club maintains all of the sites you see in the Tawas's. We plant, weed, water and pretty much are in charge of all 12 sites in and around the two Tawas's. The next time you drive on US 23 through town, take a quick look....


We live on 200 acres in the country on a dirt road that is also dead ended, so I get very little traffic here. We do however have a few neighbors on our road, we are at the end of it. We have 4 very large ponds here which are stocked with fish, two mallard ducks, one of which came in with the floods a year ago and decided to stay. I have two German Shepard's who have not figured out yet that they are dogs.

Most of our property are woods, we do have about 30 acres that we can farm, which DH does. He plants corn and other crops for the wildlife. My passion are perennials and Roses. And now thanks to my good friend Dori, I am falling in love with Daylilies.....she does this to me all the time....gotta watch that gal....

We get alot of wildlife here, deer, pheasants, wild turkey, rabbits, coons, and have heard the coyote howling in the distance...I think because of my two large dogs, they pretty much stay away.

I start my day off by reading the forums here at Dave's and visiting with my fellow Michigan gardeners....can't think of a better way to start the day.

Again, thank you Dave for this wonderful site.

branka............On behalf of the Michigan Forum, I have taken it upon myself to make you an Honorary Michigander...

I therefore decree that branka is duly installed as a Honorary Michigander...

Deann

deann
What county did you take your MG classes? Down here or after you moved up there?
Paul

"I therefore decree that branka is duly installed as a Honorary Michigander..."



I second the motion.
Kip

kip.....It has been seconded and agreed that branka is now officially a Honorary Michigander.....



Paul......I took my classes in Iosco County. Bill Carpenter is our county agent....

Hello all you DGer's. My name is Sharon and I live in Alden, which is in NW Michigan about 30 minutes SE of Traverse City or the south side of Torch Lake. We moved up here from Midland about 3 years ago and my husband built our new house on 10 acres of land. Of course, I have been going wild with planning and building gardens as I bought and traded seeds and plants. Mostly traded seeds. We are retired and have spent the winter in Texas, where I can enjoy tropical plants. We are heading home this week where I will get to enjoy everything popping up and start my annuals in containers for June planting. We have 2 vegetable gardens and many flower and a few fruit trees starting. I have winter sowed several dozen perennials which I can watch take off soon. Last year I winter sowed close to 200 varities and had about 93% success with them. I am looking forward to this new forum and getting to know my Michigan gardening friends better.

Hemlady....you will be in my thoughts and prayers and I wish nothing but the best to come from this.

Deann,I may take you up on a garden tour,I may come North in Aug.
This is on Black rock,just North of you,Indians would hold Pow Wows on the shore here.

Thanks so much gardenmaid.

Cindy

rootdoctor........come on up........your more then welcome to see my gardens in August. I will even take you through our woods where we have many trails to ride on. We have a electric golf cart which I fondly call the "Bubbamobile" as its all in camo.

Where is that black rock?? looks like Lake Huron, but in what city. I have never heard of it.....

That is my granddaughter Kaitie and her little freind Rachel and some friends who were visiting us. They just finished riding the Bubbamobile...
Deann

Deann,it is just North of Greenbush,go around the golfcoarse by the lake,follow the two track at the end of the road,it is about a 1/2 mile North,and a steep climb down the bluff.