Another Newbie

Hi - I have been a member for a long time, but just subscribed last night -- well, early this morning, but it was still night to me!

I moved to a new home in the late fall and I have all kinds of new gardening challenges.

I look forward to getting to know everyone!

Welcome to the best forum on all of DG!!!! You'll LOVE it here.

welcome rosy

Welcome Rosey, we look forward to hearing about your house, land, pets, children and of course plants. ^_^

Welcome Rosey!

Advice you got it from flowers and gardening. Veggies from me. Welcome aboard.

Sherrie

Welcome, welcome. Let us know any questions we can help with. A lot of knowledgeable people on this forum, and helpful, too.

Though I welcomed you on the other forum I'll welcome you again here, Heather. Hope you enjoy the site and the people.

Thanks everyone!

I have only had a few small beds on my mother's 0.3 acres. Now I find myself on 2.5 acres. I am in the middle of cranberry bogs and a good 1.5 acres are pretty wet and wooded.

I know I want to attract birds and butterflies – much to the chagrin of my mother-in-law!

Beardless irises! They love the wet and acid.

Why doesn't your mother in law like birds and butterflies?

Love the beardless irises, I just added it to my planning notebook! Thanks.

She hates flowers, too. Really hates them. Before we bought this house, we had an offer on a cute little cottage with a large greenhouse and floral shop – a dream for me! She was so horrified, lol. Luckily, we found this place which is in a better condition and has a better school system.

Thankfully, she is a wonderful MIL and we have plenty of other things in common. She just thinks I am crazy. And she isn't completely wrong!

Hi Rosy...sounds like your MIL is thecrazy one...not liking flowers and butterflies! LOL

Welcome, it's a great place to be!

Greenhouse and floral shop! You would have had to drag me away from that one.

Maybe you will get Mom in law to like flowers yet, who knows. As long as she's wonderful otherwise, we'll forgive her for not loving flowers.

Someday when you have nothing better to do. Since you like beardless, you might like to read these threads, there's about 4 different ones, you'll see a link at the end of each thread to the next one.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/850508/?hl=beardless

Welcome Rosymom
Maybe your MIL just is fearful of something she doesnt understand.

hey Rosy.... welcome .... you would have to drag me away from that sale as well

Stay with us Rosy.
The last newbie posted a hello and disappeared.I remember being new.
We are glad to see you.

I am still sad that we didn't buy that home! Oh well, maybe one day I can open a floral shop here - there are none in the town.

I doubt I will disappear. My new year's resolution was to stop playing silly games like Farmville on Facebook, so I have time to fill, lol. Besides, I get pretty obsessed with my gardens.

Obsessed? Then you'll feel right at home here.

Obsessed is our middle name besides enablers.

Yes - you provide the obsessive and we'll provide the compulsive!

who is obsessed here?

In our defense, it is winter and most of us do see some snow on the ground and the forecast is horrible. It leaves gardeners with few other choices but to dwell on the gardens we'll have come spring, summer and fall.

Hi Rosy, welcome! This site is the best! We'd love to help you choose plants......Karen lives near cranberry bogs, she'll be a big help......

Thanks again for all the warm welcomes. I don't know any garden-aholics in "real-life", it is nice to find a like minded group.

Would it be ok if I posted a few pictures of the property to get some ideas?

Post away

I'd love to see it and any other garden pix from the old place.

Love to see them.

Yes, please. Have not had a blank canvas for years.

I will post the few I have, I hope you can give me some ideas!

Here is a shot of the front of the house. There is a large front yard, probably about 0.5 acre.

The house used to be a dulpex, as you can probably see. We converted it to a single family. Both sides slope pretty steeply to the back yard. Here is one of the side doors.

Here is a view from the house, looking toward the street down one of the two driveways (pea stone)

The entire back yard is wooded, it will be a while before I tackle anything back there!

Nice clean lines on your lovely home. The slope of the property is so nice and should give you good drainage. Are they hostas I spot in the second photo?

Thank you pirl. Yes, there are a few hostas on either side.

My only advice would be to go slowly. You can look at garden photos and see what you like best and try to envision what you want in a garden before you start digging. It's easier to do it right the first time.

One of my suggestions would be to curve the front beds.

You're right. Big, long sweeping curves are lovely in a garden or even a terrace. Anything is better, to me, than soldier straight rows of plants, which equals boring to me.

I would create new, curved beds in the front. What you plant really depends on your tastes. I would put a Japanese maple in that side bed with the slope. Shrubs are a lot less work and more natural looking. But if perennials are your thing, then that's the way to go.

lovely property!!... thinking of possibilities is always fun

I agree with Victor and wish I had realized long ago that it's easier to work with shrubs.

Pirl, is that your garden? Wow, pure inspiration!

My first goal will be some foundation plantings in the front and sides of the house. Easy-care is a very good idea in that area. I will research some colorful shrubs. I definitely don't want only the boring, standard shrubs that are in front of the house now.