Hello fellow Californians....let's introduce ourselves!

WHEW....what good news...I didn't know that it grew back after pruning! When I meet you at the SoCal RU...I't try not to give any of my minde away. LOL Jo

Hello! I am Rachael and I live in Marysville, CA. We are about 50 miles NE of Sacramento. I am new to gardening and quickly becoming obsessed! We just moved into a house on a fairly large lot (bigger than I've ever had) and it is a blank canvas. So cool because I can just be as creative as I wanna be - after pulling weeds and turning soil! I love this website, I'm either here or outside these days. Any other DGer's who live in my area, I'd love to hear about what works best in your gardens! Have a wonderful weekend!

Hi Rachael! Welcome to DG. I'm at the other end of the state.

Kathleen

Karen in Ukiah here. Zone 14 in Sunset. We're up off the valley floor, so are a bit warmer in winter. Still, we had one cold winter since living here where temps dove down to 18 F. The lemons went to mush that year. We're having an average rainfall season this year-36 inches so far, and we're about done with the rain (I hope). Great zone for gardening.

My big news is that we're going to the Chelsea Flower Show in London next month. A gardener's dream, and it will also be good to see how that city has changed since I was there last in '89. I am not really a big city girl, but it should be fun and London is a trip! Great website and I will be tuning in daily for sure. Cheers all!

Karen,

Welcome & have a nice trip to London -- we were there a few years ago and loved it, but like you say, big cities... My husband is from Yorkshire and while he'd been to London on business before, it was the first time he'd actually stayed for a week! Enjoy the show.

Kathleen

when london calls, i answer! =) have fun. don't we just wish that the USD is stronger...

OOOH. . .envy here. Welcome to the forum. I was in London last in May of '89 too. Spent a glorious week all over the place while DH had to work. We were wined and dined at some great places though. Have fun!!

Welcome to DG Ukiah
we have several PNW gardeners here

Dick
soon tobe a PNW gardener myself

Thank you all for the kind welcome. Ukiah has actually more in common with the Central Valley (Sacramento) than the Pacific Northwest. Hot and dry summers (many days over 100F in August) and it's on those days that I wished I lived in, say, Portland, OR. Actually going to Portland for a "Sister Reunion" in July. If any Oregonians out there have suggestions for public gardens to visit whilst we are there, I'd love to hear.
Cheers on another lovely day in paradise,
MG

mendo---

See the Classic Chinese Garden, a full city block! Formal, but impressive. DO the tour.

Hi All,
I'm Janis and I live in the mountains above the Antelope Valley. I just posted an intro on the main forum but I thought I'd post one here too since I'm a californian.

The conversation about the gophers has been helpful, and amusing...LOL. I'm having a terrible problem with gophers and I do use the cages but not everything is caged. I planted some garlic last fall and it was coming along great...but the gophers wiped out the entire crop last week. I was told they don't like garlic so I didn't bnother to protect it. lesson learned.

My husbands name is Steve and I imagine he'll be posting here under my name from time to time. We both love to garden and have a great place to do it.

Look forward to chatting with you all,
Janis

welcome, janis (and steve).

Hi all...

I'm Angela and I live in Carmichael, CA, just east of Sacramento. Sunset zone 14, USDA zone 9. I'm a gardening fanatic and nursery junkie. In general, I love all forms of gardens, gardening (ornamental and edible), garden art and accoutrements.

I'm always interested in learning about what other folks are growing in their gardens and their favorite nurseries and such.

Oh, and I have a local gardening website: http://sacramentogardening.com/

Hey, Angela! I just moved from Carmichael - oh gosh! has it been almost a year already!? We were renting a duplex on Lincoln Ave between California and San Juan. We moved here to Marysville because our house was too small and we can afford to own here. My hubby's family is here, also. My family is in Carm, so we visit often (and stop in at Windmill!). My big dream is to move back to that same area. Some day...
Now about your website - this is so weird: I used to go on it often when in lived down there. I was always looking for ideas for a shade garden. But since I've moved here, I've switched gears. I'm on DG all the time, planning a long-term garden and actually doing hard work digging and starting from scratch. But last night I was thinking, "what was that local website I used to go on? I should ask someone on the California forum if they know it." And then I saw your post this evening! I think you are telepathic.
I am looking forward to learning all I can from you.
Best regards, Rachael

Howdy, Rachael! It is funny how small a world it is sometimes. ;-)

I'm in southern Carmichael, pretty close to the library (which is currently closed for a huge remodel/expansion). I can understand your desire to move back someday... Carmichael's a nice place to live and it's great to be near family.

Is Marysville in Sunset Zone 8? If so, the website still has relevance for you since it covers zones 8, 9 and 14. Hey, are there any fabulous nurseries in your area I should let Sacramentans know about?

Angela

I posted a little write-up on May 30 on the "favorite nurseries" thread in this forum. I've been back there since, and although it is beautiful and has a cool gift shop, the plants are small and expensive. I think worth a trip, though. It is Vintagehouse Nursery Co. 661 Shasta St., Yuba City CA 95991 530-755-4242.
Sperbecks Nursery 890 Onstott Rd.--Yuba City. It's pretty big for this small of a town. It's been there forever.

Hi, I'm Jo Ann, from Wilton CA. We're S/E of Sac about 20 miles. Been in our home 27 years, and in that amount of time we've went from a house baking in the middle of 2 acres, to a home that's so shaded that sun loving plants can't be grown. We have a koi pond, a bullmastiff, and two cats.
I added three fuscias to my garden last year, and to my delight they are all in bloom. Also added peonies, but no flowers yet; great looking leaves!
I enjoy making stained glass lamps.

Hi Jo Ann, nice to meet you! Sounds like you have created a beautiful place.
I have never had any luck with fuchias in my garden. They always freeze out. What is your secret?
Donna

Donna, I figure Luck has alot to do w/my gardening skills! The fuchias were doing well in hanging baskets, then when we were going to be leaving on vacation I knew they wouldn't be watered , so I broke the sides and bottoms of the planters, dug a hole under a mulberry tree, then planted the plants still in their pots. I guess the pots help retain the moisture. We didn't have freeze this year, so that helped.
We also have 15 acres in Copperopolis; on Hwy 4 East of you.
Jo Ann

How do you help your fuchsias survive the summer?

Kelli,
In the area w/the fuchsias I also have hydrangeas that wilt easily and quickly, so nearly every morning while I walk around w/my morning coffee I turn on a timed sprinkler for 20 minutes. I got these timers at HDepot, they hook up the faucet and don't need electricity, you turn them on but they turn themselves off. Very handy when you need to water but also need to leave the house.
I love hydrangeas but here in the Sac area they are very touchy.

Hi
I'm Irene. I live in Palm Springs from Sept. till June and Southern Germany in the summer. Is anyone interested in a desert gardening forum? I love reading the Calif forum and I envy all the moderate climate gardeners. I grow so many different plants,Veg's, Roses,Daylilly's and have unfortunately wasted tons of money on variety's that don't do well in our climate, but I keep trying. I am inspired by the gorgeous pic's I see here.
My German garden is wild and wonderful. Lot'S of meadow plants and green,green,green. I tend to just let it go as it is a joy to see plants grow like crazy withouet any help from me. Pruning and pulling weeds is my big chore.
I lost my dig camera in an outlet Mall in 'France. I will post when I am back from Europe.

My name is Marilyn and I live in San Pablo, about 10 miles north of Berkeley. I have 3 dogs (German Shepherd, Italian Greyhound, MinPin/Schipperke mix) and 2 cats (tuxedo type). I like cacti, succulents, xerophytic plants and South African and South American bulbs. I've lived here for 24 years. My house has a greenhouse out back, so at least some of my plants have protection in the winter.

I also volunteer at the Berkeley Botanical Garden. I propagate cacti and succulents to be sold at our spring and fall sales as well as on our plant deck. Right now I'm preparing for our fall sale (last Sunday in September); I need to get about 50 flats of plants ready by sale time.

Hi Pekasky

good to see more northern cal people on the site.

Drooling over the greenhouse, and that you get to play in the Botanical garden, that is on my to go and visit list this fall.

There is a plant swap from DG on September 24, check it out in the northern cal forum. if you don't find it mail me back and i can send a link.

Hope to see you there.

Diane

Thanks for the info, Diane. I know about both the Stockton and Castro Valley RUs. I still haven't figured out what, if anything, I'm bringing to trade. I tried to keep up with all of it and found it very confusing. I don't know how all these people remember so much! LOL :>)

Let me know when you come up to the Garden. If it's a Tuesday or Thursday, I should be there.

(we're old....been at it a long time)

ROFLOL!!! I am too, but I'm having too darned many Senior Moments! :>)

I'm Jim, from Salinas (near Monterey on the central coast). I've been a halfway gardener since we moved back to this area when I retired from the Navy 15 years ago, and my wife and I have just bought a house that came with a beautiful garden. So now I'm trying to figure out what everything is that's planted here and how to take care of it, in addition to adding a few touches that make it truly "ours".

The picture shows me and my granddaughter and one corner of the back yard, with our big Japanese maple in the back corner.

Hi Jim,
Welcome to California forum and DG !!! Looks like you have a lovely backyard and GD !!! Enjoy!
Margie

Hi, I'm Sanna (sounds like 'Donna' with an 's') and I live in Eureka, on the northern coast about 90 miles from the Oregon border. Gardening is my therapy - my first place to go at the end of a work day (after I say hello to DH) and the first place I go in the morning on weekends. My calming, connecting time, with a glass of wine in hand in the evening and a cup of coffee in the morning. I like to see the comings and goings, the birds, the butterflies, but not happily the arrival of deer munchings & gopher chewings.... this year has been a difficult one, especially gopher-wise. I've definitely quit planting anything new - and each day something goes....

However!! My garden is still my sanity.... I would be lost without it. And I have been very happy to be a member of DG - I can't even remember how I stumbled across it, but have spent way too many hours here! :o)

sannajane

Welcome to DG Sanna
there is a wealth of information & Gardening friends here
do you belong to Humboldt Botanical Gardens ?

Dick
trying to retire to Hiouchi :-)

Hi... I don't belong, but have been thinking about it. Hiouchi is really neat.... I drove through there just last Monday. Nicer weather than Eureka - enough warmth to grow some things that won't grow here in the cool fog.... thanks for the welcome, Dick.

Sanna

Wow - so many Californians - and so many climates! I'm in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach - heavily influenced by the ocean. Like the lady in Surf City said, we grow plants that call for partial shade in full sun - we have Cymbidiums and Epidendrums on the garage roof. Look forward to hearing more about what everybody else is doing. I have a particular interest in drought tolerant plants - from any mediterranean climate. Like most properties near the beach, ours is small - but we have LOTS of plants! :-)

Gardenspace, nice to have you on board.
I live in the Sacramento Valley;so hot, dry and about 17" of rain a year. My garden is mostly all in shade. I garden about 1 1/2 acres; have one area that has full sun, there I have a catus garden, have another area that has a koi pond, one that had a soccer field.
One of the gardens has alot of hellebore (Christmas Rose) and peonies. Also enjoy dogwood and other blooming trees.
***Jo

Hi again Garden Space,

Glad to see you found the CA forum and introduced yourself.
I have friends in BShore, so I know your invironment well. Even though we have small spaces, we can pack the area well with lots of goodies. Do you grow many Salvia's? They are drought tolerant and the hummers love them. I have several types and love them too.

Donna

We have several Salvias, yes. Have a new one this year "Canary Island Sage" - probably way to big eventually, but we're enjoying it at the moment, and believe it can be cut back in winter to start again...love all the salvia scents! We also have a Grevillea and some Spiny Aloes that the Hummingbirds love - isn't it fun?

Welcome Garden_Space to the CA forum. Here's a useful website for Mediterranean climate gardening which you might like. Great pics and descriptions, though not a real extensive list. 8-) Janet

http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/plants/

Hi All:
I usually just hang out at the Cactus & Succulent Forum since that's my main hobby , but thought I'd check out the California Gardening Forum and sure glad I did, sure was surprised how many Californians post here. Enjoyed reading your posts, and will be a regular here also from now on.

Take care all.

DougC

Sounds great, Doug. Lots of other fans of cactus and succulents here. Welcome.

A wee voice, heard faintly, as from a great distance . . . that would be me, calling to you all from up near the Oregon border! Too far south of Portland to feel like an Oregonian . . . 300 miles north of San Francisco . . . but a Californian, nonetheless! We've been here just over a year and I'm still trying to understand this mountain climate, and get a grip on the special challenges of gardening here (wild temperature swings from daytime to nighttime, voracious wildlife, hot dry summers). One of these days I'll pile some plants in my car and show up for one of your roundups in Sacramento, San Francisco, or Eureka. Till then, happy gardening, all!
Hannelore