Falling In Love (a.k.a. Peep's gardening journal)

[PunkinPeep]

We bought this place - our first ever place, a fixer-upper place - about a year ago.

And there have been a lot of things that had to take precedence over gardening. So what we've been doing so far can't really be described as gardening without completely insulting all of you who actually garden.

But today, one of the most glorious weather days ever, which rarely happens around here, i spent nearly the whole day outside just falling in love with what is already here - the garden God planted.

Today, i identified a passel of trees in our little forest that i didn't realize were here before-

http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/osvi.html (thank you beefy and vfem and Ron and lavender2)

American Hornbeam

Hickory (not sure which kind yet)

Green Ash (i think)

Swamp White Oak

Laurel Oak

Shagbark Hickory (i think)

I already knew that i had

American Holly

Flowering Dogwood

Redbud

Water Oak

I am having so much fun i can't stand it, and no one i know seems to relate to or understand my giddiness.
I was running in and out of the house picking leaves and making index cards and opening 900 different windows on my computer to identify and view pictures. I can hardly wait for the sun to come back up in the morning! :coolsun

That's really only part of it. And if i ever get new batteries for my camera, i might give you a tour. Some of these trees will have to be cut down so that we can get enough sunlight for a productive garden, but we have quite a few more.

Here's one i already have a picture of, my Bursting Hearts - grows wild, of course. I can take no credit.

 

[vfem]

Isn't it just AMAZING!!!???

We did the same, grabbed up a fixer and have been here just over a year. So many 'projects' to do that gardening wasn't 'important'. We started are garden mainly from seed to save on money we don't have and we've been trading here too.

(Don't be afraid to jump in and trade seeds and cuttings! It takes work, but your garden will thank you and you'll feel amazed as it grows from all your hard work! just look at my blog! http://fromseed.blogspot.com)

I think its an amazing feeling to find what is already there... I bet its given you a TON of ideas to go with. I hope you enjoy every moment out in your yard and LOVE your home and gardens greatly for years to come.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Thanks for identifying with my giddiness!

I have to learn about this trading business and how i can trade cuttings from my yard. Can you mail them dry or what? I'm sure no one will appreciate a cutting that is dead and worthless. I'm so ignorant about these things!

I subscribed to your blog, so i can keep up with what you're up to.

I would love to have a long row of those bursting hearts, but i'm chicken to try transplanting anything. Maybe i'll see about harvesting and starting those little seeds and then planting them where i want them.

There are so many options, it's hard to settle on anything.

 

[vfem]

You are sucked in here now... you will learn it all... and be addicted all at the same time....

 

[Lavender2]

... Congrats to you and yours , Punkin!
What a charming home and beautiful land!!

You already are a great gardener! ... You appreciate nature's amazing beauty!

'Bursting Hearts' is new to me. They don't grow here, but I love meeting new native plants... beautiful! Thanks for sharing that!

Enjoy your gardening journey! :happy_flower

 

[HiDelight]

wonderful thoughts and post I have never seen anything like those bursting hearts...so beautiful!!!!

thanks for sharing you made my evening with this!

 

[PunkinPeep]

HiD and Lavender,

Thanks for celebrating with me!

It's so nice to have someone to share WITH!
:rainbow-sun

 

[journey11]

PunkinPeep: Enjoyed the story (and I can appreciate your giddiness too ). How many acres are you on? I *wish* I had a woodlot! That's quite a resource you have there.

My husband and I bought our old 2 story farmhouse going on 3 years ago now. We're on one acre. Our neighbor just sold 13 acres below us that we would have loved to have, but we knew it would be biting off more than we could chew right now, so we had to let it go...big red barn, whole thing fenced (suitable for goats and horses), little pond and 2 wells...that was HARD!

But we are loving it here on our one little acre and are determined to make the most of what God has blessed us with now. It is certainly enough to keep up with at that! I keep my horse on my dad's farm for now.

We've been focusing mainly on the house and necessary purchases for now, but I have made my vegetable garden a high priority as it is part of our money-saving plan. It doesn't cost me that much anyhow. I love scouring the seed and nursery catalogs. My next objective is to fill in as many fruit trees as I can. They are an investment, both in time and money. I don't want to be 60 years old and waiting to get my first peach! I did have 2 apples and one dwarf peach already, so those will have to do me for now.

Oh, I understand your excitement alright...there is nothing more thrilling than purchasing your first home and all the dreams that go along with it! Best of luck to you in your gardening adventures!

 

[PunkinPeep]

Journey,

We are on 1 1/2 acres, with plans (with God's favor) and an agreement to buy the 2 acres next door that contains a very deep and beautiful gully/creek.

We LOVE our woods, and we immediately fell in love with them. It wasn't until the last couple of months that we've started to come to the painful realization that we really will have to allow some SUN in order to have a productive garden like we want. So we are going to have to do the unthinkable and cut down some big beautiful oaks and ash trees. The addition of the nearly untouched forest land next door will help to the soothe that pain.

We are trying the fruit trees too. So far, we have two dead peach trees (we got surprised by a particularly WET spring that killed them), and apparently thriving Lone Star Orange tree, and a Mexican Lime that is begging us to cut down that giant oak that's blocking its sun. It's about 2 feet tall and still is giving us 3 tiny limes.

We're trying to do a little small scale farming too- so far, just chickens - the coop is barely finished. But we'll have eggs in the spring, and that will be great!

I know it was hard to let that pond go! But we have to be wise with what God gives us, right? We're trying. They say the wise man is just a fool with a good memory. So we're trying to remember as much as we can! :tools

 

[Greensage45]

What a great Introduction! This should have been your first post! Now it all makes sense LOL.

I was half wondering why you were jumping through the brambles about the trees and such LOL, I understand now! That is a wonderful experience! Wait til you get to the place in your love for this that you begin to see familiarity amongst plants and how they are diverse but equally related. I can usually follow a family trait from one plant into its family group (usually LOL) Well, LOL except your little tree; but it is a wonderful experience to try.

It sounds like you will have more surprises season after season. Wait til you start introducing species into your playing ground and let them just naturalize! It is like painting a canvas. I love the 'Exploding Hearts' those are quite unique. Please find a way to propagate (divide or collect and grow seeds) from those. Very nice! Wait til Spring! We may need a picture a day!

Gerbera Daisies are Totally Loving it there I bet. If you catch the seeds (when the flower head poofs up with those Dandelion-type seeds) grab them before the wind does and plant them in little furrows around the parent plants. This way you can ever increase their numbers for free! I love them. :bouquet

Sounds like your going to needs Seeds! There is a wish list going on, but right now it is full of wishes...soon Magic might happen to some! I know it has for me in regards to plants and seeds here at TEG.

I like the house. Fixer-uppers are the best!

Thanks for a great Post!

Ron