Hello From A New Member In Greensboro, NC

[canesisters]

Welcome from Virginia!!

LOL!!! I've been stuck in a 'rut' for the past few years where I suddenly decide to do something completely new just as the planting season starts... Zero prep, but LOTS of grand ideas.... Like you, some things do well.. some not so well.
I have GREAT plans for summer 2019 since I've actually started getting ready summer 2018!!
Planning & Prepping - What a concept!

I can't wait to hear about your gardening experiences.

 

[Ben E Lou]

Welcome from Virginia!!

LOL!!! I've been stuck in a 'rut' for the past few years where I suddenly decide to do something completely new just as the planting season starts... Zero prep, but LOTS of grand ideas.... Like you, some things do well.. some not so well.
I have GREAT plans for summer 2019 since I've actually started getting ready summer 2018!!
Planning & Prepping - What a concept!

I can't wait to hear about your gardening experiences.

Yeah, I just checked some file save dates, and the following is pretty much the timeline:

April 7th--Saw inexpensive seeds in Home Depot, decided on the spot to grow a garden
April 8th--Planted quite a few flower seeds that I'd bought the day before...two weeks before the last frost. Shockingly, very few of them grew.
April 18th--Attended a gardening class through our extension service that I'd found 3 or 4 days prior.
April 21st--Rented a tiller and planted a garden

I vividly recall sitting in that class on that Wednesday night, planning to plant on Saturday morning of the same week, and thinking, "wow..there was a lot of stuff I should have planned out before now, but at this point I'm all in. Might as well go for it. Planning can take place for NEXT year!”

 

[canesisters]

LOL - Thumbs up to all us last minute gardeners who plan big for 'next time'!!!

 

[ninnymary]

Thanks for the heads-up, @ninnymary! Yeah, I've already been irritated to see how many seeds I have to buy from the online places. I mean, I'm only going to grow like four squash plants; I don't need 50 seeds!

Ha! You should see how many seeds I have with absolutely no room to grow them! I bought some grow lights and there went the ocd collecting seeds. I'll begin seed starting in January.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Hey Ben! Welcome from north Idaho!

Sounds like you have a good vision for where you're going with your garden.
That's inspiring to a seat of the pants, distracted gardener like me.

Looking forward to more chapters of your chronicles.

 

[digitS']

Welcome to the forum .

Well, this is fun, Ben E Lou! I want you to grow that enthusiasm into expertise that will be just as inspiring to you and those around you as your 2018 "sprint."

When I first started taking gardening seriously, I was also trying to "live in the moment." That was okay, after all, I hadn't experienced very many moments !

Several years later, I set a notebook beside the bed and began a gardening journal. It wasn't a daily thing. I just recorded a few dates and what worked and didn't work. Another few years passed and I shoved that notebook in a drawer - you might be surprised how many, many times that I referred back to those notes! ... probably living more in the moment now but ~ timing ~ is really important in life and gardens are all about life, plant life. And, it is a joy to have your health and family life fit in more naturally in life around us.

About those cheap seeds -- there is a reason why they are cheap and easily available. The varieties probably do well over quite a bit of geography, their names are recognizable to many people, and the seed was easy and cheaply grown.

Those qualities don't necessarily translate into what is best for you and your garden, although maybe. One of the fun things about gardening is exploring the varieties and choices you can make. You can carry that right into the kitchen and set it down on the dinner table!

The big box stores are not necessarily the best places for selections, nor are garden centers ... necessarily. Local can be great and you are to be commended for attending the extension classes. Check out those garden centers; chat a little with the people there.

Those places can be a little frustrating too but ... Here's an example of what I mean: I once wanted/needed bell pepper seed. The garden center had seed from 5 different companies - EVERY packet was California Wonder! I'D TRIED ... uh, I'd tried Cal Wonder before and it didn't do well. Well, that garden center is doing better and I didn't have to yell at them.

Mistakes take 12 months to correct, in a garden. Be patient with yourself. Be creative, even if it is just a little tinkering around the edges. Stuffed bell peppers? You know, a very tasty casserole can be made with delicious Italian long, sweet peppers diced up and included with every ingredient you would want in a stuffed bell! But, don't let 'em back you into a corner. There are lots of bell pepper varieties! Best of Luck.

Steve

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Welcome from Southern OR. My Aunt L lives in a retirement home there in Greensboro and her DD and family live nearby.

We also like to trade seeds here on this forum. So if you get 50 seeds of something and only use 6, then offer them up.

 

[baymule]

Welcome to the forum, I am delighted to have you here! Being a Texan with the full Southern accent AND the full Texan accent, I would slangerize your name by running it all together; Bennielou. LOL LOL

I know what you mean by only needing a few seeds. I gardened for years in beds in the front yard. We moved to 8 acres and I have been working on the sand we have for soil. I was so excited to plant a WHOLE PACKAGE of seeds that I had squash running out of my ears. Several hundred yellow squash.

This is a great forum, full of the nicest people that you will ever meet. You will love it here and learn a lot. Did your family garden when you were growing up? My Daddy always had a garden, I grew up with it and have managed to garden in some form or another most of my life.

Do you have chickens? Plan on having any? Zoned against them?

Anyway, really, really happy that you found us and joined in the fun!

 

[catjac1975]

Thanks for the heads-up, @ninnymary! Yeah, I've already been irritated to see how many seeds I have to buy from the online places. I mean, I'm only going to grow like four squash plants; I don't need 50 seeds!

Most seeds can be saved for quite a few years without much care.

 

[majorcatfish]

how in the heck did i miss this...
a big welcome @Ben E Lou from stokesdale,nc just a quick country mile north from you.....
how did you fare from last week's snow? we are water logged
need together this spring.....