Shall We Introduce Ourselves?

I've seen so many of you on other forums of course but if you are interested we could introduce ourselves for any new Mid-Atlantic DGers.

I live North-East of Fredericksburg VA in Southern Stafford County if anyone is familiar with the area. We have tons of gardens to play around in that are part of historical sites (one of the things I love about Virginia...the History!)

I am married to my best friend and have two fantastic boys.

My husband and I enjoy home projects and anything to do with the landscaping. I've been gardening since I was little but really got down and dirty gardening when Kris and I purchased our first home in Colorado in the fall of '99.

I am a member of the Master Gardener Association of Central Rappahannock Area and we always love new members! I would highly recommend the Master Gardening program here in Virginia.

We currently live on a 1.5 acre wooded lot and I have been focusing on re-introducing native shrubs and perennials. I love gardening in Virginia! It is such a fantastic change from gardening in Colorado!

-Garity

This message was edited May 9, 2006 11:17 PM

Hello! I am an 18 year old college freshmen with flowing blond hair and gorgeous...errr...sorry I forgot which forum I was posting on. ;-)

Here is the short version: male 30-something...married 11 year...3 sons...oldest is 6...in the past few years gardening has grown from an occasional hobby to a near obsession...spending a lot less time at GardenWeb these day.

- Brent

Hi~~~~I live on a wooded lot also~~~ overlooking Lake Roland on a hillside. We have paths that terrace the hill and planted with many shade loving ground covers and perennials. Married (30 years) and for the seocnd time...three grown children 40 41 and 42! Husband a retired thoracic surgeon who helps with the gardening but not enough! I am delighted about the mid-atlantic forum. Nancy

Sandi K here in a suburb of Philly. Transplanted from the West Coast five years ago and still haven't recovered. I had a five acre farm near Mt. Vernon, WA. Ran out of money and energy. SIGH I loved growing salad greens for the Farmers Market in MV. I was on the board. I had a 30 x 72' hoop house, and just loved it. It was zone 8.

I am 71, living with DD and DGD (6) on a 2 acre suburban lot. I have a great deal more ambition and ideas than reality of stamina and strength; therefore, I am usually overwhelmed. DD works very hard to support this household and has little time to help. DGD keeps me limber.

This garden is flat land with some large maples scattered about. We have a 50 x 50' fenced garden, a small hoophouse made from a Costco Canopy, the small beginnings of a tiny backyard nursery. I hope to have some laying hens and some rabbits by the end of summer, and a 20 x 40' hoophouse installed. I am soon to start seeds for the garden, seeds of some daylilies I crossed last summer, some perennials, etc. I hope to take cuttings of the several ornamental shrubs I bought last spring.

I hope to be able to focus some and actually do some things nicely. We have been doing some remodeling, so part of the yard is torn up. Landscaping the front entry and around the front porch is the first order of business after getting the seeds started for the veggies and flowers.

I lurk more than post, then post great long epistles--have patience with me, please.

Dea here - just south of Frederick in Urbana, Md. Married to my best friend, Michael. We're self-employed and garden on 3 acres. Just getting ready to build a homestead and are excited about it.

My DS and DDIL live close by and have just announced that we will be grandparents in September :)

I've been at Dave's for a long while and can honestly say that I've met the best folks in the whole wide world here - and I mean that with all sincerity. There's tons of information here and it gets better every day. Don't forget to use the PlantFiles and all the other tabs up top. The Garden Watchdog is an incredible tool - so's the Garden Terms - ooooooohhhhhh - there's just so much here it's amazing !!

Really looking forward to this forum taking off. Hope everyone stays cozy on this maybe snowy weekend :)

Dea

Edited to say: The first DG'er I met was Shirley1md :) She was such a great help to us when our garden was "young". Thanks again Shirley !!!




This message was edited Feb 10, 2006 5:01 PM

Hi Pam here, I live in Monrovia, Frederick, Maryland - I have about a half of acre that I would like to do something with...either a English garden or something...I need all the help I can get....I am new at Dave's and so far I am having a GREAT time....I also have pets so I have alot of searching still to do. I am always looking for great ideas and helpful hints.....

Hi, I am Kim. I live just south of Frederick and north of Germantown. It is pronounced Iamsville - like the dog food:) Currently I am obsessed with all things tomato. Heirloom tomatoes to be exact. Last year we had over 40 plants with 23 varieties! This year should bring about the same # of plants but fewer varieties. Someone help me remember that statement. We grow lots of veggies also, including edamame my favorite. I am learning more about perennials for my zone since I am a Florida native transplanted to MD March 2004. I didn't have any gardens in Florida!

I am 38 and live with my BF John who is a chef, 2 orange cats - Chili and Rocco and a basset hound Occifer. I am currently in the home stretch of Esthetician school (skin care) graduating in March. Any of you locals up for a facial?? I have met DG members locally and as far away as New Brunswick Canada. I have learned much on DG and made good friends to boot!

-Kim

Hi some of you already I have met!!! some I have not.
I am Levilyla's daughter and live about 15 minutes North of her in Phoenix Maryland. I am a stay at home Mom - my DH owns a restaurant here locally and we have 1 son.

Gardening I have gone back and forth with and mine (I have none but room to make) needs great help.
Glad to see this forum and happy to meet you all.

Anne

Yes magoobu~~~ You definitely need help with your landscaping...tell DH to do something about it and with these people you could have a great garden! Ask them some questions about that strip between the two houses and what to do with the back yard.....:~) MOM

will do Mom thanks!!! will post before shots in a new thread here for suggestions! LOL

Thanks you are always so helpful and I am sure you will be helping me with all of the planting LMAO!

Well not really LMAO hoping yes you will be helping me.....

Or do you know of a good landscaper I could hire? HMMMMMM to get me started HMMMMM thinking of some names ???

A great big warm welcome to everyone here in our new Mid-Atlantic Forum!! Way to go Garityann!! Thanks SO MUCH for suggesting that we all have a place to meet & greet other newbies and seasoned gardeners. This will be so much fun and very educational too!

Waving at all the friends I already met through co-ops (Dea was an incredible helper when I coordinated the Clematis co-op several years ago), bluekat76 (Kim) whom I had the pleasure of meeting & getting to know at the Mid-Atlantic round-up last June and I'm looking forward to meeting all the rest of you too!

I live in Ellicott City, which is North of Columbia in Howard County. We have a little over a 1/2 acre, which I garden on. My DH Ray & I have been married for 34yrs. We have two grown sons, 26 & 22, plus my little girl who has 4 legs & a stubby tail. Her name is Ginger and she is a fawn colored Boxer.

I'm SO happy that we are all here together finally!!!

Hi everyone!
I'm Nancy. We live on 1.5 sunny acres a few miles SW of Frederick city. I have been growing daylilies for years, but about 3-4 years ago I started playing with hybridizing the daylilies. I have a small vegetable garden, raspberries and lots of annuals in the summer. DH & I have just started dabbling in orchids and a few AViolets. I'm proud to say that I personally landscaped the entire front yard and backyard of my house (with just a bit of DH's help!). I've met several good friends here on DG, even though I tend to be a "lurker." Shirley1md is responsible for our attending the 1st Mid-Atlantic round-up 2 years ago. Round-ups are great events to meet new friends. I'm glad she pointed that thread out to me--thanks Shirley!

I'm 45. My family consists of 1 Hubby of 25yrs & 2 boys. My DH & I met back in 1978 while working summer jobs selling houseplants to KMart in Ellicott City, Md. DH works for a large computer company and I work for a food brokerage. Our two boys are now 13yrs old & 22yrs old--they are both in school and live at home. We also had custody of my nephew while he was growing up--he's now 30, married w/kids. We have 1 noisy Amazon parrot, Maxine and a Rottie, named Jenna. That's about it... Oh, I'm really glad to meet everyone here! Take care, Nanc

So glad we finally got our own forum! Figured I'd join everyone and give you my 'history' :)

Only been a DG subscriber since the fall of 2004. I first found DG when I was searching for images of plants. My searches kept bringing me to davesgarden.com and although I was familiar with "that other site", I had never heard of DG. It didn't take me long to realize what a wonderful community this is and within the week I had subscribed!

I'm originally from Maine, having moved to Virginia in the fall of 1999. Back in the 70's when I had wonderful vegetable gardens, I never even knew what a perennial was! It didn't take long once I discovered that perennials were plants that came back every year to start planting them in the small beds around my house to replace the areas planted every year with annuals. By the mid-80's I was hooked and began developing new beds everywhere on the property. I had wonderful rich "bottomland" soil for planting but had to contend with the ample supply of rocks every time I started digging. Before long, I began using my 'excavated' rocks and built some rock walls and incorporated the rocks into my gardens.

In the late 80's I tried to enroll in the local Master Gardener program but the demand for the classes had generated a two year waiting list! I decided to educate myself and checked out tons of books from the local library and studied in my spare time. By the early 90's I had formed a small landscape company with another gardening friend. We had so much fun that I knew I wanted to start my own small nursery selling perennials. I initiated a plan to develop the area for the nursery and incorporated trails through the adjoining woodlands to educate people about the wide array of wildflowers I had growing naturally. Unfortunately things didn't turn out quite the way I planned. I survived a divorce, met my future husband (who already owned a nursery) and moved to Virginia in 1999 to help him. I had to start learning all over again since I was gardening in Zone 6 versus the extreme conditions of a Zone 4 garden! My only regret - I wish I had moved to Virginia when I was younger, stronger and had more energy :)

I have three grown children, two still living in Maine and one in Phoenix. We have a sweet little dog, Flopsy, who's a Springer Spaniel-Jack Russell cross - she has all the mellow traits of a Springer Spaniel but the size of a Jack Russell, almost like a SS puppy who never grew up! I'm a cat lover, having had a number of cats through the years. I've had favorites, but our current cat, Lucky, who is approx. 3 yrs old is the best ever!

Favorite plants - lots of shade perennials including Hostas and Ferns, Tricyrtis, Heucheras, and one of my very favorites - Thalictrum kiusianum. For sun, Salvias and I love Cleome 'Linde Armstrong'. We have a nice collection of Begonias which have been on my favorites list for years.
Least favorite - the "thug" Artemesia 'Limelight'! Thought I would love it, but after it started invading one of our gardens, after four years I'm still yanking it out of the garden - the darned thing just won't die!

We also collect rocks! We have rocks from Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan and of course Virginia. We've used some of them in our gardens, and started a rock garden along our driveway last summer to display some of the more unique ones from Michigan.

I've met alot of great gardeners at DG. Now you know a little bit about me (or maybe too much? LOL), I'm looking forward to meeting more of you from the Mid-Atlantic now that we have our own forum!

Debbie

Hello Everyone - My name is Ruby and I just joined Dave's recently. I have been mostly a lurker. I have been learning some good things too. Rcn sent me an invitation to join this mid-atlantic forum and I too am thankful to have it available.

Breezymeadows, Culpeper is a place that I often travel through on my drives north. It is an easy day trip for me. I live about 15 miles west of Charlottesville and am located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Really beautiful view of mountain out my back door.

I have always loved houseplants and have only really been interested in outside gardening for a few years now. Last summer I was able to begin some nice beds here. I am looking forward to seeing all of the very many bulbs that I planted last fall in the bed that my husband prepared for me.

I bought a greenhouse/garden shed from Sam's Club last summer and have it almost packed full already with garden products. I did not over winter anything other than a big pot of pansies which are looking lovely. Next year I hope to set up for heat and keep some of my summer lovelies going.

As for the snow.....it is here now folks. I am getting the same weather forecast as rcn and breezy. So, we will just have to wait and see what actually happens. I too will be looking forward to possibly meeting some of you folks at some point.

Stay warm all.

Ruby

Hey something new!
My name is Kelly and I live in Southern West Virginia Zone 6b.
We have an acre of land which I have been trying to whip into order for the last two years! (yeah I know I got a late start on Gardening! LOL) I'm still learning sooooo please Bare with me! I am kinda obssessed with it now.
Needless to say I have had a lot of "Firsts" the last two years! Watching tiny seeds grow into something beautiful/ edible... is the best!
This year I am trying to grow some extra seedling to sell so I can either work on the inside of my house or build a deck that I have designed! Looking forward to spring!

This is great - lots of new faces here! Thank you Garityann for pursuing this - can't believe that we hadn't requested our own forum sooner.

But Artemesia Limelight was so cute and pretty when we planted it four years ago --------- arrrrggghhhhhh!!!!!

lol - what a mess to keep up with ;)

Glad to see everyone here !

Dea

Dea, I'm assuming you've had a similar experience with this plant? I cringe every time I see someone selling it!! LOL

Hi Everybody. Nice to meet those I haven't already met, and I'm glad to see everyone here.
I'm Michele and I garden on the steep side of a mountain overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. I moved to this property 5 years ago from suburbia and small plots of land where I had little luck with my gardening, except for my townhouse garden in Reston, VA. But the planned community concept of gardening didn't prepare me for the big wide world I could expand to now that nobody's watching over my shoulder.
I started with primarily daylilies and hostas that I transplanted from my Reston yard and have tried to make an open woodland garden that is attractive to the birds that are rapidly disappearing. Even up here on a gravel road, we're losing much habitat as it moves toward evey plot of land being developed. So now I have over 400 different varieties of shrubs, perennials, and even roses, which I'd resisted to my DH's dismay, for over 25 years. (They were leafing out this week, the poor things.)
I do square-foot gardening for vegies and herbs, concentrating primarily on heirloom varieties.
I have 2 dogs, 3 cats, and a guinea. Just a quick little story here, because I was sooo impressed. A hawk was scoping out the guinea Friday and the dogs stared it down until it took off! Couldn't believe it.

I've been off-line with computer crashing for many days the last month and am just back this morning (but without virus protection, so trying to limit myself) to see this getting off the ground.

Happy Snow!

Hi All, I'm the 'outsider' that may be joining in from time to time. Hope you don't mind.
I think we have many similar growing conditions and can't let a good forum go un-read.
My dog, Sidekick Sarah and I live on a third of an acre city type lot about 25 miles south of Boston, MA.
I'm an interior painter (plain or faux) by trade and have been gardening since I was 7, I'm 60 now. I grow almost anything I can start from seed or get for free as cutting. Typical frugal New Englander.
My home was built (1986) on what used to be a 'sand & gravel' yard. I've had some plants fail (Pear and Cherry) and others flourish (Apple and Sweetgum) in this old gravel pit. Most flower and veggie gardens were laboriously carved out and do well. There is nothing like compost for what ails the garden.
I also love pictures, viewing, taking and sharing. I got my first Digital camera last June and have hardly put it down since.
I bought my first PC one year ago this week, a used 5 year old IBM ThinkPad laptop.
I hope we can share lots of ideas and maybe a few laughs too.
Andy P

Oh good Andy, bring some of that New England humor over here! Glad to see you posting here, thought maybe you guys would kick me out of the Northeast Forum! It's true we have very similar growing conditions, so the more here the merrier - Ayuh!

rcn, I've seen you post up here.... usually something worthwhile, too.
Humor? Is that like when the guy asked me if I had lived here all my life? I responded, "Not yet." That what you mean? Didn't think so.
See ya 'round.
Andy P

Andy, we used to call you guys "flatlanders" :) Seems like wherever you are, unless you were born and raised there, you'll never be a "native". Oddest thing about moving to the south, was the looks I got when they realized I was a "Yankee". Didn't realize they could hold a grudge so long! But most people have now decided I'm a "nice Yankee" - thank goodness!

There are a few nice Yankees, can't say that I know any but I hear they are around.

Andy P

Edited to say :
I grew up right next to you, in New Hamster AKA Cow Hampshire.
Too cold up there so I'm down here now.

This message was edited Feb 13, 2006 5:54 PM

I'm speechless! need one of those darned icons to show me sticking out my tongue at sarahskeeper LOL. And yes, there ARE some very nice Yankees - you just haven't attracted any yet!

OH Present company Excluded, of coarse....

Thank you ! Now we can get back to seeing more people introduce themselves.

mickgene, so glad to see you here and hope your computer problems are behind you :)

Hi! I am Gita (gitagal). I live in Perry Hall (near White Marsh Mall). I feel I need to say that, as it is a well known Mall. Not the Mall nor anything much was around here when we moved to this area in 1969. I have been here 36 years now and the growth is amazing, and demoralizing all at the same time. I still work PT for my nearest Home Depot.

I am almost 69 years young. I ahave been divorced 13 years now and have to do all the stuff myself. Gardening is my passion and my hobby. I have learned a lot from DG, but also a lot from all the Garden centers, a Grower, a landscape crew, and 2 big retail stores (in the Garden dept., of course) that I have worked for. I can't imagine doing anything else.

I live in an older development and do not have a lot of ground, but enough to keep me busy. My favorite season is Spring, when out of bare beds of NOTHING spring forth all the beauty that spring brings. It is nothing short of a miracle!!!

Welcome to all!!! We should all get together for dinner somewhere a couple of times a year. Wouldn't that be a blast!!!!

Gita

Hi,
I have been active on the computer (and garden websites) since 2002. However, I have been growing from seeds since 1972. This winter I am doing winter sowing, which is so exciting to me! At last, I may have my own, home-grown oriental poppies. I do not have a lot of garden space. My back yard is an oak grove with a leaf floor. At the back of the lot, there is a little sun. I have sun on the south side and in the front yard. This does not keep me from growing hundreds of seedlings under lights.

My biggest garden problem is my obsessions. I find about two or three every year. This year it has been Japanese Morning Glories, African Violets, streptocarpus, delphiniums, and primrose (maybe I left a couple out.) Last year it was primarily tropical hibiscus and brugmansias. Two of the rooms in my house are devoted to seed growning, propagation, and overwintering tropicals.

In Richmond we had an awful drought last year. The humidity is terrible. We are the third city most afflicted with asthma in the country and the third highest in crime. Even so, I love Richmond and have lived here since 1965.

My name is Pete and I live in southern PA almost on the MD line. I too am a transplanted Mainer, a 'Highlander' according to the Yankees on the coast. Going from Zone 3 gardening to Zone 6 was a welcome experience. I miss having Lupines and Delphinums be all but invasive, and the fishing too, but some things are better in Zone 6. I have been turning 10 acres of pasture into a forest for several years now, and a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck allowed me to get a very nice glass/aluminum greenhouse. My writing is a little stilted, but in fact I am very informal in person. Anybody who has been on a tour with me at the Baltimore Conservatory/Bot. Gardens will tell you that I also have a wicked sense of humor.

For those in the Baltimore region, the Conservatory is just off of I-83, Druid Hill exit, go west. Volunteers needed. My volunteer hours there are some of the best plant related times I've had.

Pete,

What would one have to do to be a Volunteer there? How many days a week? From when until when? Is it a year-round commitment?

I probably would not have time in the busy planting season. I also still work about 3 days a week and NOT on a regular schedule of days or hours, but it sounds interesting. I should be able to do one day a week. Please tell me what is involved.........

Gita

Hi Gita. There are a million ways to help. No set schedule is involved, but they like to know when you are coming so they can be ready. Some of the things I've done include separating pot-bound plants, planting bulbs, digging bulbs, helping with the plant sale at the Cylburn in the spring and weeding in the greenhouses. They need somebody to just lurk there so that nobody steals the money box again. If you want to brong a book and roam around the place, that will help. Nowadays I am mostly a tour guide when groups come through because I am out of town a lot and live an hour away.

The best way to get connected is to email Kate at the address below. Oops, I think Vivian Maine might be the co-ordinator now. She can give you phone numbers etc. I know that right now they are looking for volunteers for the upcoming MD Home and Garden Show. No training needed for that one, just warm bodies to hand out stuff etc.At any rate, Vivian can be reached below. I hope they don't mind my posting the latest e-mail from them.

TO: Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic
Gardens Volunteers
FR: Kate Blom, Greenhouse Supervisor and
Vivian C. Maine, Volunteer Coordinator
RE: Maryland Home and Garden Show



Friday, March 3 4pm-9pm
Saturday, March 4 10am-2pm
2pm-6pm
6pm-9pm
Sunday, March 5 10am-2pm
2pm-6pm

Friday, March 10 10am-2pm
2pm-6pm
6pm-9pm
Saturday, March 11 10am-2pm
2pm-6pm
6pm-9pm
Sunday, March 12 10am-2pm
2pm-6pm

If you are interested in working at the Show, please call 410.396.0008 or 410.274.5349 or email vivian.maine@baltimorecity.gov to sign up. We need your assistance. Conservatory staff will also be there. Keeping the booth fully manned is very important for Rawlings Conservatory. You will distribute membership information and be there to help answer questions. Perks for your support include free entrance to the Show (admission is $10) on the day you volunteer. Parking, as always, is free too.

Sign up early as we need to order badges soon. Time slots will be filled on a first come basis. You can visit the website (www.mdhomeandgarden.com) for additional information on features, seminars and directions.

Wow! More "Maniacs" ;) I was born and raised there. Transplanted to MD about 14 yrs ago and last spring we purchased this property on the Eastern Shore of VA. Sure don't miss the snow and the loonnggggg winters!

I love hostas, but I'm a plantaholic so if it grows I want it! At least until I've killed it a couple of times then I'll give up.

Several years ago we went on a garden (and house) tour on the eastern shore of Virginia~~~~~~they were some of the most beautful gardens I have ever seen.

Pete,

Thanks for the info.

I just sent Vivian an e-mail offering myself up and asking for more information.

Gita

Hi-

I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Live on the grounds of an old estate (Stotesburry Mansion). Area has very mature tress with lots of Hemlock, Pine, Maple, and Dogwood. The area is a great, mature Woodland setting. I've been pulling out the ancient Azalea's (not all of them!) and replacing with Hydrangea, Fothergilla, Foamflower, ornamental grasses, River Birch, Sweetshrub, and a bunch more including wildflowers. It's been a lot of fun.

Am itching to switch careers, but at 32 it's very difficult to stop working, go back to school and then intern for a few years. If anyone has any ideas -- pass them along!! Life is too short to be stuck behind a desk 50+hrs a week :)

Take care,
Pete

If you ever get to Baltimore I would be glad to share some of my woodland things...My stepdaughter lives in Philadelphia..lives in the city..Works at Drexel Un.

I'm Susan and I live and garden in the Shenandoah Valley, in Bridgewater. I have a house on a suburban lot, a little less than half an acre. I spent my first few years here doing mostly cleanup and removal of horrible old stuff and am slowly planting it with flowering, fruiting trees and shrubs, mostly natives. My goal is to wrap hedgerow and thicket all around me.

I am the humble servant of six cats and do computer programming for the State of Virginia as my day job.

Welcome Susan - glad you're here!

Dea

Welcome..I am sure you will be on the pet forum with 6 cats!