Hello from the Tumbleweed Farm

Hi everyone! I'm so happy I finally found you! I live in 5b plains of northeastern Colorado - think Little House on the Prairie! I come from a long line of very fine gardeners (on both sides of the family - heirloom roses, test roses, vegetables, annuals, fruit) and 2 of my uncles are farmers. Whether or not I've got the genes remains to be seen, but my forte is perrenials (I'm the black sheep!). We've got a couple of acres - half of which is devoted to the horses - with the remainder for my ducks and goats and about 1/3 acre garden in front. When we moved here 4 years ago it was nothing but tumbleweeds and bare dirt, so I've still got about 40 years worth of work to do :-) I started thinking way too big - ponds, huge flower beds, just insane stuff - but couldn't keep up with the weeds, so last year started over again. I spent all last summer re-doing basically the whole yard - ripped up sod, dismantled gardens, moved plants, and laid plans for the new scheme. So far this year I've been working on the "bones" to finish up before the new plants arrive and it gets too hot to move rock. My favorites here are yarrows, sedums, and daylilies (they do great), but I like to try something new each year if I can. I've never had luck with roses (hence the black sheep status) but this year I did decide to try again and ordered one Buck "Distant Drums" - so we'll see how that goes. I've spent weeks trying to ID a favorite I have here and fianlly found it here (Santolina pinata) - YEAH - so then I started poking around and realized what a gold mine I had stumbled upon - really wonderful stuff here! Personally, I have 3 kids (2 of which love gardening) and 1 more on the way in August, I stay at home part-time, teach part-time and am in school studying homeopathy. I'm in an especially good mood today because it snowed here - yeah moisture! - but will warm up later this week so I can get back to my projects - finishing up a gravel path around my main beds (borders), building a berm for a little more visual interest, and prepping soil for new bushes that are coming - that should keep me busy enough until I'm waddling too much to move! - Christie

A hearty welcome to you from Iowa. Glad you found us!! Post pictures anytime - we all love them! :) (and a tiny suggestion - we have lots of folks in the bi-focal years who need short paragraphs - me included - *smile* - much thanks! oops! I didn't mean to suggest you shorten your posts, just break 'em up a bit.)

Hi Christie
,~~~~~~~~~Waving Hello and welcome to Dave's Garden. The people here are wonderful. I hope to see you in the other forum . Enjoy!
Patti aka Rose318 in Houston TX

hello from upstate new york. is it just you doing all these things or do you have about 10,000 people helping you. lol as you finish each project would love to see pictures of them. enjoy daves garden.

Hello everyone and thanks, Kooger, for the heads up - I get a little weird typing with one hand at night (child with cold in the other!).
I am actually doing all of the work myself but, don't get me wrong, I actually do very little it seems.
Just a teensy bit each day - 3 loads of gravel down the hill (7 shovels full - I'm wimpy!)
3 loads of old manure up the hill (full load - its light)
A couple loads of rock from an area I'm trying to clear
Then I just do some weeding and turning soil, or whatever else needs tended to.

I like to do about 1 1/2 hours a day - that's all I can handle, but I do get antsy when the weather is nasty!! It is incredible how much really does get done by this method - a little bit a day - and before you know it - looks like 39 more years to go instead of 40!!!!!! ---Christie

Welcome Christie,
Your place sounds wonderful. I'll bet Daves Garden will come in handy a lot of times for you. It sure does for me. Enjoy your time here. Hope to meet you soon.

Shirley

Welcome Christie. Glad you are one of us now. You will surely enjoy all the gab and info
that is available on DG. I sure do and I'm a transplanted farmer in the big city now. All I
have is a flower bed and some vines. BUT I do have lovely orchids in my home.
Again, Welcome. Yo-Yo1

Welcome! You are doing amazingly well, especially with a little one on the way. I've only been a DG-er for a few months and I just LOVE it. It has something for everyone.

Welcome, Christie! ... and since you are studying homeopathy, you might find this thread interesting (down near the middle/bottom) http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/491300/

Glad to have you join our garden neighborhood here. Definately lots to learn. This is a great site. Enjoy looking around. Grab a cup of coffee, too. You may find this place is addictive. :)

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!
darius - I did peak at the thread and will dive in a bit later - I'm behind on my homework right now anyway! I just had 3 clients this week all with the same sinus stuff!

I'm already a complete addict! - Well, the first step is admitting you have a problem - so - Hi! I'm Christie and I'm a soil junkie!!!!!! Whew! I feel much better now!

Welcome Christie! You are going to love this site and the people.

Christie! Welcome! There are not nearly enough Coloradans here, I'm so glad to see another. I have to admit, I noticed your name first. Italian, right? I married one too!

I'm hearing rumors of a plant swap here in Denver sometime this summer, so keep listening and we'll get you all fixed up with stuff! We met last year, pigged out, and somehow everyone went home with more plants than they came with. The flowers somehow multiplied while we ate?

Terre - Thanks! Yup, it's Italian, but DH is the IBM (Italian By Marriage), I kept my name :-)

It doesn't seem to me that people have as many gardens here as they used to - they're probably intimidated by the water issues - I don't know, EVERYONE had gardens when I was young. Fortunately, I have 2 neighbors that are also avid gardeners, and we trade constantly! I'm lucky!!
-Christie

Lol, tell your hubby I'm keeping my IBM tee shirt, he has to get his own! Good for you for keeping a lovely name. I wish my daughters would. At least one of them! There aren't very many Brizzolara's left.

And I don't see as many gardens, either, hadn't thought about water issues, as much as no one has time to invest anymore. But I have to admit, gardening at high altitude, short season, with single digit humidity and very little rain can be intimidating. But doesn't that just mean we're better gardeners?

:-))

That is so funny! He actually has an IBM shirt (in the appropriate colors too!)

You know, the water thing has never affected me too much - I'm a mulch junkie. My enemies are weeds, wind, and HAIL! Never could keep a Hosta very long - one little 2 minute hail storm and they're shredded like cole slaw :-(

Welcome to DG Christie!

You will soon be adding this forum to your list of addictions...

Hope to see you around the forums...

Tamara

A little late, but none the less welcome to DG! Im sure you will fit right in with this fine group of people!