A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2004 Howdy Folks

I just came into the ownership of a house sitting on 5 acres of land. Half of it is wooded with a creek running through it. Though, I am mostly a house plant person, The property is already making me plan some big projects which include a vegetable garden, a koi pond, and a water garden. So just bear with me, I will be asking a lot of questions. My experience is mostly with container gardening (I always lived in apartments and condos} Ive never had this much dirt before.

Just wanted to say Hi and introduce myself.

Chuck

Welcome, Chuck!
You've come to the right place to get answers, have fun and enjoy some really good, informative reading. Everyone here is helpful and loves questions. Sounds like you have a lot of good gardening time ahead of you. Your ideas sound wonderful. Browse around, play some games if you'd like and get to know this great site.

....Just wanted to say hi....and welcome.....glad you found us.

Hey Foliagefreak
Welcome!!
Glad you found us!!!
What fun, a new house and land to do all
new things that you'd like!!
The Koi pond and water garden sound great!!!
Have you done some research on these things??

Well, we have alot of gardeners here, from
Master Gardeners to the brand new beginner,
and everything in between..... I'm sure there's alot that can help you along in your quest!!

Don't forget to stop into the new sections we've added, do you have some recipes, or do crafts and hobbies.... ??? Add a post to those that are there, or add a new one if you don't see anything.
We have Banter Hall for Chatting in, and
then there's the Game Room~ games to keep us gardeners busy until spring planting!!!

Join the fun!!

Welcome again!
Weezie

Hello Chuck!!! A big welcome to you!!!! It sounds like you have a lot of plans for your property---it'll be a lot of work, but a lot of fun too.....it's always fun to start out with a blnak slate and make it into something beautiful!!!!

Glad you found us, and don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have!!!

Laura

welcome chuck where in nw florida are you? i grew up in pensacola and have family in the De Funiak Springs area. gotta love that area, and it will be great for you to have your land. enjoy your time here, and check in often. lots of good ideas get floated around here!

Hey Jiffymouse. Im in Crestview about 30 miles from Defuniack Springs via highyway 90 and 40 miles from Pensacola. Love it here. I grew up in this area I just moved back here from Jacksonville where Ive been for the last 4 years.
Most of my family is in this area so Ive always thought of it as home.

Welcome!!

Sounds like you have alot of work planned for yourself! I, too, have recently bought a house with more land than I have ever had. I'm working on a vegetable garden for this year. We can compare notes! I just started some of my seeds last week and they started to "pop"!!

You'll love So have fun and enjoy everything that this site has to offer!!

~Jennifer

hey chuck, glad to have another one of the florida bunch here. if you are native to the area, then you would know where freeport is. i have a great-aunt still living there. you have to be in one of the very best places for gardening in the world!

This is a great site and lots of interesting people. I think I going to like it here. And yes Jiffymouse, well aquainted with Freeport I go to Freeport to buy oysters everyonce and a while.

This website has really got me motivated. I think I will rent a roto tiller and stake out the vegetable garden this weekend. Found a lovely spot that will not be too hard to run a water line to. As far as the koi pond...thats on the back burner. The water garden is still in the designing phase. Anyone got a good suggestion for aquatic plant sales? I haven't found anybody local yet but I haven't really looked either.

Thanks for the welcome everyone and I will be in touch with progress and links to my website and pictures of the projects

Foliagefreak,
Yes, please keep us posted on all your upgrades, and new improvements, and what you did's........
That's what makes our helping all the gardener's here, soooooooooooooo much fun and to answer all the questions.
REALLY!!! WE LOVE TO SEE THE OUTCOME!
We enjoy it for seeing the outcome, but for also
the future new gardeners that come across the site, to see how it's done, or how you interpitated our directions or comments or helpful hints....

Keep us posted!!!

Happy Gardening!

Weezie

Wellcome Chuck.
Though you've already got quite a few! Arn't they nice. I'm still pretty new and it's a great comunity! I'm just started growing food crops indoors so I'd enjoy hearing your about your successes. I was thinking of making a koi pond for my dad's birthday(he's always wanted one) so we can help each other along the way! Good luck getting started.

Welcome to The Garden Helper Foliagefreak! I like that name by the way!!

New, curious because CatLover is in Fallbrook. One of the better plant-suppliers is there, I only found it a few days ago. Mostly trying the "reply" part. Quote for the day?? "PH 8.0 sand....SHEESH!"
-KarenRS

Welcome to you Karen!!!!! This place is fantastic, and very friendly people.....

Sorry Weezie, another CA native for Catlover....lol Wonder who is winning the NY/CA battle??????LOL Have you ever checked???

Oops...
I had fun doing 1/4 acre in Indiana. My experience? Prioritize, and start small. Your container experience will help. Is your soil good? -Easiest and most useful to me proved to be planting all the perenial herbs near as possible to the kitchen. The other stuff just followed. Pond was the hardest. Finally had to UNINSTALL it! -because I had not been there long enough to comprehend the nature of grass (and anything else in Indiana)! It grows! Well! Imagine the boggle to my poor califonian brain! (also imagine care hastles of all those clippings *falling* into the pond!) I had to pull it out, create an "edger-able" edge, and then re-lay it. Same problem with one near those nasty "deciduous tree!" pond hazards!

Take care, enjoy your land. I miss mine, although San Diego has its moments.
-KarenRS

I have always wanted to see the Defuniack Springs area, pictures I`ve seen are wonderful. My parents are in Gulf Breeze.

Your property sounds wonderful!

Yes, I have 2 ponds one small 2x4 with 1 koi and 3 pond comets and another pond that is 6 x 12 that I want to be a natural pond for frog turtles etc. and no fish.

KarenInSanDiego you are right about starting small. And close to the house so you can enjoy your progress every when ever you are home.

Where in Indiana were you. I`m in Indianapolis.

My hubby used to wonder how my gardens seemed bigger evry year. He had not realized that I was increasing them by 6-12 inches each year!!

Welcome to The Garden Helper Karen in San Diego!!
Yippie finally another Californian to join!

Welcome Chuck from Florida and Karen from San Diego!

Chuck, it sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Take lots of pictures so you remember all your hard work. We are having a contest this spring and I think one of the categories might be best work in process. Not sure about that, but it was kicked around on a previous post.

Karen, so glad to see another Californian join the fun. (I think we're winning Catlover!) I know what you mean about your soil. I go to the Del Mar fair every year (my sister is in FFA and lives in Fallbrook) and the garden section always has a section for the best plants for San Diego soil. Its kind of neat to see that we are only 2 hours apart but there are different challenges in gardening.

Welcome to you both. Come back often and chat!

welcome karenrs i loved san diego when i lived there (a hundred years ago! )

seems you have the quote thing down pat. enjoy your time here.

chuck, the oysters are good in freeport, so is the flounder and mullet. infact, have some for me willya?

rue, how long have your parents been in gulf breeze? i grew up on the other side of pensacola, the perdido bay side. gulf breeze is on the other side of pensacola/escambia bay.

Let`s see I think about 8 years. They had been all the way down in Boynton Beach and wanted to move half way closer and that ended up to be Gulf breeze!

gotcha. at least it is a straight shot up I65 ti in.