New Member from Florida

Hello Everyone!

I moved to Florida this summer from up North (DC area-zone 7). I have a whole new zone to get used to. I'm about to embark on a large landscaping project which will keep me busy for years. Gardening is one of my hobbies.

I just had a pool built and I had them include large garden beds around the pool. The pool area is targeted for tropicals and a small palm. That area will have to be cat and dog friendly since it is in a screened porch off the house and we let the animals out. I have a blank canvas for a backyard and I plan on planting plants that are bird friendly and that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

The worst part is having to wait until Spring. I went looking for hibiscus over the weekend and they won't be readily available until after the danger of frost passes - whenever that is.

I've gotten most of the Florida gardening books, but I am really looking forward to participating in this forum so that I can get live advice and ideas.

Looking forward to talking with you all......

Nancy

Welcome to Dave's Garden, SwiftWoods! Your garden project sounds wonderful, hope you can post pictures of it as everything comes together.

swiftwoods - welcome to daves garden. you will find alot of people from florida who will be more than willing to help you with anything you need. again, welcome from an upstate new yorker.

Sounds lovely where you are at. Welcome to Dave's Garden.

Welcome to the garden, this is a great bunch. I'm sure you will get lots of help.

Great to meet you. Glad you have chosen Daves Garden as a place to plant yourself for this winter and more. Hope to see you in the forums real soon.

welcome to the site! have fun and join right in!

Welcome SwiftWoods! You'll love it here at DG and learn so much from all of these warm and friendly people as I have!
Your place sounds wonderful! Wish I could ship you a couple of tropicals that have outgrown my house, I have no idea what I'm going to do with them come next fall? A white Bird of Paradise and a really cool Papya my daughter grew from seed and is now over 5' tall! I do have a passion for the tropicals! Anyway, glad you could join us and enjoy!

Welcome from another Iowan and a relative newcomer to DG. Your place sounds beautiful! Enjoy yourself here and ask lots of questions, so many people here are very green-thumbed!

Thanks for welcoming me. This place is a great place to hang out while I am waiting for spring. I couldn't resist over the weekend and bought 4 small plants. Two for containers (firecracker plant) and 2 to be planted later (agastache) for the hummers.

The irrigation and re-sodding will be done in two weeks and then I have to hold myself back so I don't go out and buy too much before spring is really here. Coming from up north, the weather here (FL) feels like spring already.

Wow, Swiftwoods we must have traded spaces. I moved up to Va zone 7 from Orlando, FL. It took me a lot of years to realize that the seasons are reversed.

Check out the library on E. Colonial up towards VCC. There's a library book there for gardens. It has charts in it for just about every veggy. I found out I could plant tomatoes all winter long but couldn't during the same seasons as up north. It just got too hot, they literally cooked on the vine. HD and some of the big box stores couldn't get a grip on that.

If you want really cheap nice plants head for Apopka! Some of the wholesale nurseries up there will sell retail and they are the growing capital of the US. There's also a cactus house up there that is great.

There is also a very nice nursery on S. Goldenrod on the right hand side going south.

UCF is the ag extension office for you and they also have some horticulture info available at VCC Kirkman branch.

If you want some free cow patties, there's are big farm down on Alafaya Trail on the right hand side and we used to get ours there.


Steph

Boy! You lucked up to have a former Orlando resident tell you where the good things are!! My DD lived in Orlando...I lived in Lakeland then Homosassa Springs....West Coast. Enjoy the Garden
..... and WELCOME. Jo

Add another Iowa Welcome SwiftWoods. You will find Dave's Garden to be a very friendly and informational place. We're looking forward to pictures of your projects as your landscape plans evolve.
Iowaron

I am lucky. Breezy, I wish I could return the favor, but I lived on the MD side near Annapolis.

Thanks for all the warm welcomes!

Welcome from Michigan looking forward to getting to know you.
alice