Suggestion: Upper Midwest Regional Forum?

mg, I think it was just because I copied and pasted. I didn't copy the url. It wasn't sending anywhere, you just couldn't click on the link,,,,no problem though d-mailed the url I copied and then finished the rest of WI

Kelly

There is this forum that covers more northern types, http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/coolclimates/
Bernie

Bernie,
I think the link is supposed to come back to this thread...it's part of an email that mg is considering sending out to round up support for this idea.

Erynne

edited to remove superfluous wording.....I really should be in bed...

This message was edited Oct 23, 2005 12:26 AM

Phew/whew, I thought it didn't work at all! That would have been really embarrassing considering I already sent it to ALL 54 Iowa subscribers.

Could you imagine the chaos? Roflmbo!

That's what I had,,,had to go back through and send just the link to all that I had already sent to. LOL

Kelly

Lol, good job mg!

Where does North Dakota fit into all this? We do grow corn, but it's not a major crop. :)

I had 77 in WI and had sent to most of them b 4 I noticed,,,,,,,I'm pretty embarassed myself. LOL

Bernie, I like the Corn Country concept! It definitely works for me. LOL

What's everybody doing up this late?
Bernie

Saturday night...all dressed up and no place to go? LOL

I'm surfing DG.
Bernie

I just had to go pick up kid from Homecoming Dance.

The dance was from 9 to 12. For Homecoming?? I seem to remember ours starting much earlier. Sheesh.

I can't sleep even though I'm tired....ate too many brownies....

mg, our homecoming dance lasted a little longer than that! LOL!
Bernie

I am for a Northwest forum too, dotti

Carol

I think it's a great idea to! Count me in.
:) Donna

PG, How do you fit in zone 4A?
Here is map, http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html
Looks like zone 3A or 3B for your area.
Bernie

This message was edited Oct 23, 2005 1:37 AM

The map does show that Winnipeg is in Zone 3b but I do consider my gardens to be in Zone 4a because I try to create microclimate areas for my plants. I plant a wisteria that survived last winter. I like to try different plants to see if I can get to survive our winters.

Please count me in for you new forum. Its so hard to tell people that you can't grow that according to our weather, be it summer or winter.
Temps. can range in the extremes be it spring, summer, fall or winter.
I am pushing zone 5 here all the time, but I adjust my mulch accordingly.

Oh count me in! It's always great to know fellow gardeners who reside in the 4's and 5's zones! Great idea! You have my vote! Thanks!

Jill

This message was edited Oct 23, 2005 6:18 AM

How about an Ohio River Valley Forum? ---Since our region doesn't have the same gardening and climate issues as the "Midwest" region--and there seems to be a lot of gardeners in northern KY, southern IN, OH, etc...?

Hey Folks!
I think this is a great idea, for advice, swapping, and so we can get to know each other better!! Count me IN!! Legit

RE: "regional forums"

Come on Dave let's get this show on the road!
I am IN.

I'm in! Enough with the corn already! LOL How about z3-4-5-6? or 3-4-5?

I think a Regional forum for the cornbelt is a grand idea. I'm for it, and I'm right here in Central Iowa, Zone 5a.
Iowaron

Gayle and Kelly...you both did a FANTASTIC job!! Thanks so much for all that D-mailing.

I'm really happy to see so much interest in the regional forums!

~julie~

I'm thinking East Central and Upper Midwest IF you really want to break it into 2 new forums, but really I think one new forum is enough to start with. We could call it "From the Lakes to the Plains" That pretty much covers everyone that has shown interest.

I'm thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to have several *different* regional forums added. I just checked out the designations of the USNA (United States National Arboretum) and found some really *interesting* placements. (I didn't know Illinois was considered "North-EAST" LOL)

FYI (According to USNA)
North-West US
Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming

South-West US
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah

North-Midwest US
Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming

South-Midwest US
Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

North-East US
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia,
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

South-East US
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee

~julie~

It's hard for me to believe that Virginia and Vermont belong in the same region. Seems to me their climates would be substantially different.

I agree - having a "regional" forum covering the supposed "Northeast" makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, regardless of what the "USNA" says. The Mid-Atlantic states have virtually nothing in common with either the New England or the Mid-Western states. Temps& weather vary wildly, many native/indigenous plants & wildlife are completely different.

Please explain to me how someone gardening in say, Zone 8a/b will have much in common with someone in say Zone 4 or 5? I don't understand that reasoning at all.

This is really a "LOL" situation, isn't it?
~julie~

I agree with that, and Oklahoma and Colorado or Louisiana, I don't think so.....

LOL

Susan
Lurking where I don't belong also.....
=^..^=

I'm game for the regional forum. Count me in. I am in SE Iowa, zone 5a and it has been one strange year here.

Lori

Julie, that list is wacky! From a census.goc map, I will try to link it, but you have to use Acrobat Reader to open it, so I don't know if it will link.

They define Midwest as: ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, MI, IN, OH.

They break it up into 2 sections tho. West North Central: ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO. And East North Central: WI, IL, MI, IN, OH. I personally don't agree with that.

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/us_regdiv.pdf

It really is. Someone at the USNA must be smoking something "funny" in their own gardens to do a "lump" like that - lol!!

I was looking around for regional forums and happened apon this thread .I would love to see a new england forum so count me in
laurawege

Wow,,,,this is getting a little in depth for just trying to get a Regional Forum started. LOL

The definition of Region can vary widely and sometimes (as above) doesn't really make sense. LOL

As suggested before,,,,maybe zones 3, 4 & 5???????

Kelly

Dave,

Well, there's been a lot of interest expressed in the past 2 days. Sounds like people from all over the country are interested in forums for their regions. Our friends in Canada have also expressed interest in an Upper Midwest Forum, as the climate in parts of Canada is the same as the Upper Midwest of the U.S.

Thanks for considering an Upper Midwest Forum, Kelly

YEs Kelly...I certainly agree that it gets a bit complicated (especially if we're looking to the US Gov for help! LOL) but regional forums make a lot more sense when we start looking at the similarity of gardening conditions.

I'd be happy if I could just find something like "Great Lakes Gardening"...at least it would put me somewhere close...sorta. But that only takes care of *me*...and doesn't address the gardening needs of a lot of others who have 'chimed in.'

I think what we're accomplishing here is showing that people *are* and would be interested in having regional forums.

Dave, we'll do you a favor...hehehe...*you* get to decide which "regions" we belong too. LOL

~julie~