HIYA FROM IOWA

Well, guess it's about time I actually post something instead of just lurking about; new member from eastern Iowa, gardening on a wooded acreage, and primarily interested therefore in shade perennials, shrubs, and trees. We live at the head of a long, ravined valley facing roughly South, with a 4 acre pond occupying the bottom of the valley; sitting here at the computer I can look off down the valley towards some wooded bluffs in the distance, with tons and tons of SNOW. Lots of different critters, including bald eagles frequent the valley. A sharp shinned hawk is a frequent observer of our bird feeders; when he shows up, all the birds just scatter like leaves in a high wind. I've almost gotten blown over by a fleeing flock of birds once or twice (this hawk's idea of lunch is a tasty bird). I especially like rhodys, azaleas, primroses, and lilies, but I never met a plant I didn't like (or wanted to grow; hence the handle zonedenial). We have a challenging climate, so my garden is as much a botanical graveyard as it is a garden. Well, I'm glad to be on board, and will start dropping my penny's worth in from time to time (I'm not sure my comments will be worth a full two cents, but we'll see).
Don

Wow, another Iowan. Great to have you here. Would love to have you visit the Roundup forum and read the threads about the Iowa roundup and come join us for a day of talking, eating, and swaping plants. Again, it is great to have you here.

Shirley, hostess for the Iowa Roundup

Welcome and you joined on a good day!! My birthday is Dec. 26 - commonly known as Boxing Day in the Commonwealth countries. Resident of Ia the past 27 yrs. so I have lived here longer than anywhere else! Joined Nov. 22 and looking forward to my first RoundUp. Hope to meet you there! Laura

P.S.We've got lots of snow up here in the NW corner also. Quite a few building collapses going on in the area.

Hope everything is okay with you all in the NW part of the state. I got mail from Cottosnag and she said you guys were really deep in it.

Thanks, Brugie, all's doing ok here. It's been an 'interesting' past few weeks. With Samantha sick and no school days and snow everyday! Whew, please come, spring!!! Quite a few loss of pigs and cattle but no one hurt that I've heard of. Most are not insured because 'collapse' is a special rider. Sad for them! More snow predicted for Sun., then Wed. and a major fall for around the 17th. Broke all the records already!!

Back to you Zonedenial! Sorry for hijacking your thread!

A Snowy Welcome from Central Iowa Zonedenial. Your descriptive word painting of your property was absolutely awesome. Looking forward to seeing more of your posts and pictures of your landscape. As a lily lover myself, I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about.
Iowaron

Welcome Don!!As you can see we are Hyjackers!!!LOL!!
Hope you can make the round up,don't worry if you have nothing to trade,that is not the point of it,we just like to get with other gardeners and yack plants!!
Sounds like you have quite the view!
I agree with your tag,would have been a good one for me,it takes me years sometimes to give up trying on plants.
I have failed for years with Auzzie tree ferns,and Gunnera.
Root.

dom - welcome from new york state. all comments atre welcomed here in daves garden.

Welcome to DG -- enjoy the garden!

Welcome zonedenial, so glad you have joined us. I haven't ventured into too many zone challenging plants to date,but think I will have my hands full with the Black Bat Plant! I too am a lily lover. Sure hope you are able to come to our roundup and bring pictures of that oasis you described.

Welcome. Your place sounds beautiful!

Weclome, Don!
Your place sounds very beautiful and I...along w/ all the others here... are sure looking forward to seeing any pics your may have to share. I hope you are able to come to the round-up. I promise you...it will be a great day for trading, sharing or just learning more or talking about plants.

Renee....Not from Iowa...but I still plan to attend :)

Hello zonedenial. I like your ideas on gardening and giving everything a try...I'm not so adventurous and really don't have the room to be, but it sure sounds like fun. Enjoy DG.

Oh, Wow! As I look out my window at all the snow piled up . . .now I know what I see . . . a botanical graveyard .. . well put