Just Happy To Be Here!

I've been looking for a forum to just "introduce myself"...this one looks like the place. I am totally amazed at the diversity of DG members and the resources and knowledge they offer. My husband and I recently relocated from Wyoming to East Tennessee. Our little farm has a mind of its own and I don't know even half of what's growing out there! Gardening in Wyoming is a test of sheer will, extraordinary patience, and the ability to accept failure with grace and a smile. The severe weather really limits what one can successfully grow...and the constant wind forever bends every living thing to the south! We finally decided to quit fighting it and let that wind blow us clear to Tennessee! I have learned quickly that EVERYTHING grows on this little Tennessee patch of heaven. Our grandchildren spit store-bought watermelon seeds down in the lower field and a couple of weeks later...we had watermelon vines coming up! Amazing! I am looking forward to posting to the various forums and asking millions of questions! Thanks for a truly wonderful resource! Laura

Welcome Neighbor! Great lookin' farm you have there.

Joey

Hi Laura welcome .. you'll enjoy the information, the stories, the encouragement and the laughter. Remember, no question is too silly nor too grand, and if by chance you make an error, just be prepared, no one will even noticed! You'll learn alot about gardening for that gorgeous farm and view.

Welcome. You'll find that the wealth of information available here is absolutely amazing.

Don't let the kids get hold of any seeds that are nuisance plants. Everything will grow in this zone, and some quite vigorously. Instead of fighting to get things to grow, you will be giving away excess of everything. Hope you have good neighbors who will take your excess!!

Hi Laura....Welcome to the best Garden in the world!!

I see that you have landed very near my son....they live in Crossville...and I usually go right on up I-81 to visit my home town of Beckely, WV and folks in VA.

You are not too far from our dear Darius....she has just moved to Marion, VA. Dave's mother, Grannylois, lives in Blountville.

Be sure to visit the Round Up forum...watch for a get together near you!! Jo

Thanks to all for making me feel so welcome! I am really enjoying all the comments and help.
Jo, next time you come on up I-81, take exit 23 and come over for a visit. We are just 6 miles from the exit.
Thanks again!
Laura

Laura....you are in my travel plans....LOL Jo

Hi Laura! Welcome to DG. ;) You will learn so many new things here and meet nice new friends. I have!
What a wonderful picture of your farm. GREEN!! I dream of green pastures. We are in a severe drought the likes of which I've never seen. We thought the drought of 1998 was bad. This is even worse. I have faith we will get rain one of these days and have green pastures again. ;)
Lin

I am amazed daily at the beauty of this place! We bought it 4 years ago as part of our retirement plan and have only spent 1 month here each year as our vacation. It was very hard to go back to Wyoming's rocks and wind (not all Wyoming is like that!) at the end of our month. We finally asked ourselves, " what the heck are we waiting for?" So, May of this year, we took the plunge and moved, bag and baggage!
The place was severely neglected and overgrown when we bought it and there is only so much you can do in the short time we were here...but...with some intensive bushhogging and my trusty (rusty!) pruners...it's starting to shape up!
My dilemma...the plants, bugs, diseases...are all foreign to me! Being Wyoming born and raised...I know cows, haying, irrigating, mosquitos, wind, and COLD! You couldn't count on any rain during the growing season and we planned elaborate irrigation systems to keep our meager gardens and landscape trees alive during the summer. My husband (raised in Knoxville) laughed himself silly when I made "teepees" for our tomato plants using 3 foot dowels from the hardware store. Through his giggles, he asked me what those little teepees were going to accomplish. Little did I know, those tiny 6" plants would outgrow my supports in less than 2 weeks. I won't even go into my plans to "irrigate the place". I thought he was going to have a coronary after that one!
I've got strange bugs that defy identification, the most beautiful flowering weeds, and trees that the farmer down the road calls "garbage trees". I can't bring myself to kill any of them!
I feel like Columbus...arriving in the New World!
Laura

Welllll, by golly, then .. just 'explore' and 'enjoy' it all !! .. (hee) ..

As you've already discovered; it's a whole different region of nature, in all forms .. but you'll adjust and will learn more every passing day.

And .. a (late), but .. big ol 'hearty' welcome .. to DG, to ya .. Echo4u/Laura !!

Your farm .. looks and 'sounds' like an ideal lil slice of heaven on earth! And, am 'thrilled' for you guys!!

- Magpye