Hello From a DG Newbie

Hi all!

My name's Dianne and I just joined DG. I've been poking around trying to figure out the site, and have a few questions:

Is there one main thread for our group, or a lot of little ones?
Do any of you get together sometimes, or are we too spread too far apart for that?
Do any of you regularly use the DG features like plant/seed swap, diary, etc? Seems complicated!
What the heck is a DH? I'm guessing....Dutiful Husband? Got one of those! :)

Hubby and I live near Deception Pass on Whidbey Island, north of Oak Harbor. We've been here 3 years. We rent a house out in a country subdivision, but I just can't help spending $ on flowers and working in the yard all day. I'm originally from Indiana (zone 5), and am still trying to get used to all the differences here ...slugs...clay soil that's 80% rocks...moss, etc.

Just thought I'd jump in and get started, here. Can't do anything in the garden right now 'cause I fell and broke 2 ribs on Monday....just when the weather finally turned nice!

Looking forward to corresponding with you!

Welcome Dianne! I am a relative newcomer here and am not as plugged in as a lot of folks are, but just wanted to say that you will enjoy this group of fine gardeners. They are helpful and encouraging. So sorry to hear about your ribs! I have heard that broken ribs are particularly painful.

DH is Dear Husband, but if yours is dutiful, lucky girl, then that work as well.
DD is dear daughter, DS dear son, etc.

I refer to my deceased husband as my DDH, dearly departed husband. :)

I'll give you a few answers, even though I am not from the NW.
Here's all you need to know on members getting together.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/roundup/all/
This is the best part as far as I am concerned.

This is the place to go if you like bargains. Lots of good people organizing the Co-op's.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/groupbuy/all/

I've never traded for plants here, but a lot have. There is a forum for trading.
Then just look through the forums & find things you are interested in. Jump in & people will be right there to give advice & just chat.

Get well fast! Flowers are waiting!
Have a Great Day!
Bernie

Dianne, I am a relative newbie as well..spent a lot of time on other garden forums until I discovered DG and especially the PNW forum. I have missed the get togethers at this point, but am helping LynnWeidman plan the first PNW roundup in August, and am totally excited to meet some of the wonderful people I have been chatting with. Everyone here is SO friendly, and it feels wonderful to make garden friends in the local area, whether you get together or not. Keep checking for new roundup posts, as we are still in the planning stage and are planning on asking for input in the next month or so.

As a newbie, I have found that there are several threads that have a general topic but veer off into conversation as well. I dived in with both feet, and the welcome was wonderful. Photo sharing is one of my favorites...there are several threads with pics, but the most current and "to be continued" thread is http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/982977/ . There are some people with stunning yards, and some with incredible photography skill. Well worth checking out, and definitely would love to have you share your world.

Hope you enjoy your time here as much as I have!

Welcome, Dianne! You are in a whole new world of gardening in the Pacific Northwest. And everything you need to know is available on this website. You'll find the threads are long and rambling on this part of DG. The only bad thing about that is sometimes one forgets which thread was talking about what, but so far it's worked out.

Here is a link to the thread for the roundup in August. It's our first roundup, but we generally get together a couple of times a year to do nursery shopping or work at someone's house, etc.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/962968/

There will be a plant swap at the roundup, too. The link to that is toward the bottom of that thread. Hope to see you there.

Greetings Diane!
Sorry to hear about your ribs - but perhaps you'll be able to spend some time reading about what goes on up in this part of the country. We tend to not follow the rules ( what are they, anyway?) and sometimes its a good idea to fasten your seatbelt as topics can change rapidly. There are many threads within the PNW forum - if you have time, you might want to read some of the older threads.
Yes we get together, or try to. Plant swapping & nursery trips are common. Hopefully you'll be able to attend the roundup.
I'll bet there are many differences between Indiana and here that have been educational, one of them being lack of snow: lack of insulatory blanket. You don't have slugs in Indiana?


DH - H is for husband. Some of us find alternatives for the "D" part, besides "dear".

Bernie - thanks for jumping in. That's good information even for us "seasoned" DGers.

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest, Diane. And I hope you heal quickly. We are enablers here and we love to share in one-another's new plant acquisitions, etc.

There are no rules for hanging out on the site. Some people hang in the regional forums. Some people tend to stick in the forums of plants they like. there are chat threads that have been going on for months with different people from all over the country. Some of us do different things on different days, depending on our moods. ^_^

Kathy

OOH, Katie, you bring up a good point. We should warn her. We are not just enablers. We are addicts. And it's catching. So many actually normal people have joined DG with the intent of learning a little about gardening in the PNW and have ended up joining the legions of plant addicts. It's a slippery slope, Diane.

I agree, Diane, it IS a slippery slope. :) Welcome, and hope the ribs feel better soon. I hang out here alot. My oldest son lives in Oregon. I am here just as much as I am in the NE forum and Mid-Atlantic. Oh, the friends you will make. Have fun exploring the site. There are still places I haven't gone, yet.

Jan

We'll get you out here yet, Jan!!

^_^

Jan: virtually PNW. That works until you make a live appearance.
(You are headed out our way this summer - right?)

Probably not, the kids are coming here in July. We are also doing the kitchen remodel while Jeff has summer break. Don't think it would go over well if I said "see ya in a week or so". LOL Now, if the reno goes as planned , maybe, but we all know about 'best laid plans'. My heart will be with you all at the RU.
Someday, I'd like to do a road trip and visit ALL around the country. Of course it could take quite awhile stopping at DGers on the way.

I'm half way, just off I-90 in Southern MN.
I even host a Round Up here in September.
Bernie

Welcome to the PNW! We enjoy a uniquely mild climate that allows us to grow an abundance of unusual and wonderful plants from nearly anywhere on the planet! Enjoy!

Speaking of the roundup.....At least here I am not totally off topic!

Anyone who is interested in the first annual PNW Roundup, please see my new thread and give us some help if you can!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/984391/

Thanks!!!

Julie

If you people would like to see what happens at a Round Up, check out this thread.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/957913/
This is continuation of the original Round Up started by Dave many years ago.
I attended last year & will be back this year. It is fun, informative, & for me a history lesson.
I learned a lot about that area of the country that I didn't have a clue about. Also tons of plants for trade.

This is the Saturday night bonfire by the lake. Someone was telling a tale.
Camera was set to take the picture as light, when the only light was from the fire.
The lady in blue shirt is my wife. To her left is Terry of Dave's. To her left is Sharron; Sharon Brown, who writes all the great articles about herbs & plants.

Bernie







This message was edited May 5, 2009 6:21 AM

Great, Bernie, I'll put your name on my list of places to visit. ^_^

Sounds like a great time in KY.

Thanks for posting, Bernie. What a great idea to have someone talk about the history of the area!!

Nobody gave a talk, I just visited with different people from the area.

And very knowledgeable people, it sounds like. That's even better!!

Ha - you guys are funny! Thanks for the welcome & info. I've always been into roses, but am excited to be able to grow so much more here, since it doesn't get so cold in the winter. My latest acquisition was a little Daphne. 5 years ago I would've said, "Huh? What's a Daphne??"

In 40 years in IN I saw 1 lone slug and 0 snails, as opposed to the hordes here. I have to sling bait every couple of weeks, here, or they'll take over.

In IN I made lots of pottery - mostly birdbaths and water fountains. Haven't started-up here, yet, due to lack of equipment and space, but here's an example:

Dianne, that is wonderful! Every time I look at bird baths and fountains, they are so cookie cutter looking that I don't buy one. But yours show the hand of the artist, that makes it alive.

I had a stand, but no bowl, so had my eye out for something that would fit in it. Last week I stopped by a church rummage sale that was already over. They let me walk through in about 45 seconds. Saw this bowl in a box and knew it would be perfect, even though looking at it there, it looked soooo 70s. ;)

Diane - that's beautiful. Tell us more about how you do those!

Kathy

Welcome, Dianne. You have a wonderful advantage by participating in Dave's Garden forums. I wish I had had such when I first moved here from Minnesota 30 years ago. The changes are large and mostly (with exception of the slugs) wonderful. Hope you consider meeting some of us in person at the round up and having the chance to see what some of us have accomplished in this environment.

Bernie, I moved here from Monticello, MN, and will be visiting back there in mid June (just in time for wood ticks!) Have a gardening friend back there that I am trying to convince to join DG. I really do enjoy input from other parts of the country! Thanks for the RU thread. We are very happy to see ideas, etc. for our first annual.

Beatuiful bath/fountain, Diane. Nice character!

Nice bowl, Neofarmer. Love the color.

Welcome Diane! I'm fairly new to the PNW (moved here from San Francisco one year ago) and joined DG about 8 months ago. I have learned so much from all the kind people here. I know you will enjoy DG so very much - and become a plant addict if you are not already one! Your birdbath is beautiful.

That's excellent, Neo - love the unevenness of the rim and the turquoise. Serendipity at work, finding the bowl that way. Is that the top of a tomato cage wired on the stand, securing the bowl? Kudos for creative engineering!

Katy - Mostly I'd roll out clay "slabs" like you'd roll out pie dough in different sizes and thicknesses and add/shape/carve/decorate from there, but parts of it are thrown on a wheel, too. Geez, now that I'm talking about it I really miss DO-ing it.

Dianne - you should think about making and seeling your birdbaths at local nurseries. It's a way to feed your art and have your art feed you at the same time!

Dianne, Love the birdbath. You and your hubby should try to make it to the RU in Aug. Rarejem, PNWMountaingirl and Pixydish are doing a great job helping me organize this. I am NOT organized, so thank goodness for them to take this project on.