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Garden Gate:  Looking for a gardening penpal  |
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ProgressiveHomemaker
True Blue Farmgirl
218 Posts
Rachell
Mars Hill
NC
USA
218 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 11 2013 : 1:03:00 PM
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Maybe I ought to post this in swaps but I am here in this Garden Gate forum today reading posts and so I thought I would try here first.
I moved to a new property this past summer. It was one of those situations where I just totally took a leap of faith and threw caution to the wind and said "if it is to be, it is up to me" and then moved away from the place I've been for 25 years to the place where I've been wanting to move for at least 16 of those years! I had not yet sold my house and had real trouble getting the mortgage finalized on the new house but I just HAD to finally have my "farm" ya know?
Now I am happy to say that we did finally sell our other house and close on a mortgage on this place so all of that (thankfully) did work out in the end but now I find myself with MUCH to accomplish now that my dream is more of a reality than ever before!
I left .25 acre of suburban property in FL that I had maximized as a backyard farmgirl and moved to a small 1.5 acre property in the mountains of WNC. This is by no means a real working farm, but for me, it is more than I've ever had before so I am eager to take advantage of it!
The property does have some downsides...its a weird elongated pie shaped wedge of hillside right at a bend in the road. Everything is sloped, sloped, sloped and the highest ground and surrounding ground is all wooded sloping hillside. I had hoped to put some pastures in for a small herd of 3 or 4 milking goats, but now I a worried how to fence an odd shaped piece of property on slopes and not allow the goats to eat things down to nothing causing erosion issues for myself.
None of the property is at all fenced and recently a neighbor's dogs have taken to coming up onto my hill to chase my cats (of which I have plenty) and/or my flock of chickens. Several of my chickens have been bitten and 2 of my best hens are still living indoors whilst they recouperate from their (terrible) wounds.
There are all manner of fruit trees/bushes planted around the property in various states of maturity. All are stressed and not producing fruit. All need major pruning and TLC to get them back to health. I know nothing about fruit trees other than what I've been reading, but I do know any pruning I do do needs to be done a little each year over the next few years and what I intend to do this year needs to be done NOW before they bud out.
I have lots of work ahead of me.
Did I mention that now is the time for me to start seeds indoors and prepare my raised garden beds outdoors? I used to have 2 4x8 beds back in FL. I now have 8 4x8 beds! I am happy to have the raised beds already in place, but I need to get my butt in gear preparing them for spring's plantings.
I have a lovely, huge flower and herb garden on the back side of my house that went ignored during all these months since moving in in June just because of all the other chaos I have been managing since moving. I am finally reading to learn what plants are out there and get them all pruned back and weeded through so that as spring showers come, they are all poised to wake-up! I know very little about herb gardening as well!
Oh, and you should know I homeschool my kiddos and have one going off to college this fall! So, yeah, I always have tons of stuff to do with that, too! LOL
So, I am looking for a friend to exchange letters or emails with about all things gardening/backyard farming. Maybe we can help motivate and encourage each other to polish up our farms and gardens and move in the direction of our dreams!
http://progressivehomemaker.wordpress.com/ Homemaking is not just for conservatives anymore!
So progressive, I'm old-fashioned!
Life's short. Make today count. |
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NixKat
True Blue Farmgirl
288 Posts
Kathleen
CT
USA
288 Posts |
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rschaaf
True Blue Farmgirl
174 Posts
Renee
Wooster
Ohio
USA
174 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2013 : 5:39:56 PM
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i wouldnt mind writing as well and sharing progress. i have been a foster mom for 2 years and sadly, our little guy went back home. we are taking a break from that now and i am trying to resurrect my beds and my fallow garden, but it will be some work and will need encouragement as well.
"There is beauty, there is grace, in my peaceful country place!"
See what I'm up to at: http://www.lifeonctfarm.blogspot.com |
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ProgressiveHomemaker
True Blue Farmgirl
218 Posts
Rachell
Mars Hill
NC
USA
218 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2013 : 4:56:06 PM
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I welcome you both as garden pals! Just send me a message to exchange addresses! :)
http://progressivehomemaker.wordpress.com/ Homemaking is not just for conservatives anymore!
So progressive, I'm old-fashioned!
Life's short. Make today count. |
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Katlady93
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
Charlotte
Denmark
SC
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2013 : 10:00:04 AM
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Rachell, your new place sounds wonderful. i hope you get lots of enjoyment out of turning it into just what you want.
i would love to be your pen-pal but i am not really much of a writer.
Some dreams are worth the risk it takes to make them real.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footsteps on the moon. |
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mscountrygirl
True Blue Farmgirl
552 Posts
Michelle
Lucedale
Mississippi
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2013 : 12:30:53 PM
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One thing I want to encourage is retension walls for your slopping yard. You could make gardens at several levels on the property using railroad ties or whatever is cheapest and available. I moved from Florida to Mississippi and it is a big difference in what grows. Check out your county co op extension office. They have all types of info and often even teach classes. Im a fan of dogs but I goota tell ya Rachel I would give the neighbors dogs a couple shots with a paint ball gun and they will get the message. So will thier own when they have to clean paint spots of thier dogs!
It all comes back to the ground!
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ProgressiveHomemaker
True Blue Farmgirl
218 Posts
Rachell
Mars Hill
NC
USA
218 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2013 : 10:32:39 AM
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Yes, I have plans to reinforce the slopes as soon as I am able to. I saw the Lowes home store here sells railroad ties certain times of year but I am not sure how much they cost yet.
Charlotte, you could always drop me a line now and again. Everyone loves email and letters in the mail box, right?!
http://progressivehomemaker.wordpress.com/ Homemaking is not just for conservatives anymore!
So progressive, I'm old-fashioned!
Life's short. Make today count. |
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Garden Gate: Looking for a gardening penpal |
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Looking for a gardening penpal
