Hi, it's time to start making plans!! I'm excited to think about the garden this year. The pople behind us came down the fence row with a backhoe and cleared away all the brush, trees, wild roses, and honeysuckle. Broke my heart but I couldn't do squat about it. While all that is gone, I should get sun from daylight to dark in practically my whole yard! My garden area will gain at least 4 hours of midday sun that had been blocked by a couple of huge trees. So it will be like planting in a new space.
It also allows us a chance to plant what we want in the fence row, to block views and break wind and what not. We want to naturalize the area with azaleas and evergreens, maybe another dogwood or two and a few mountain laurel or rhododendron (sp??), I've been doing searches all day. I've learned to stick with plants that have proven productive to our area, and so I've been doing searches for evergreens for Tennessee, I haven't found much so far. Maybe I'm wording it wrong? Any ideas on how to word that better so I'd have a better chance of finding native varieties that would do well in my area?

Also last spring someone here was very kind about helping me find a particular type of canteloupe seed I'd been searching everywhere for. it was a small single serving melon that was very sweet and very productive. I've managed to loose that information!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is starting out in a great new year!! I'm seriously hoping we aren't ruined by the rain this year! Here's to a great new growing season folks!!

JOY BUG

Hi, JoyBug!

Wow! I can feel your excitement and enthusiasm all the way here in New Jersey!

It's wonderful to have a bare canvas of land on which you can paint your own design. It can be a little scary too. But, you sure sound up to the challenge! Your desire to plant as many natives as possible is the best way to go. Sure, you can experiment with other plants (and you know you will ) but growing those things that are indigenous to your part of the country will not only make it easier on you, but they'll probably thrive all the more in their native habitat.

Since you've already done a lot of investigating, you may have come across some of this information. But, just in case:

(1)You've been searching all day, so you may have already come across some of this information.
But, just in case:

(1)http://www.se-eppc.org/states/TN/landscape.html

(2)Tennessee Native Plant Society, P.O. Box 159274, Nashville TN 37215 Phone #(615)758-9111
The email is Susanstahl@juno.com

(3) "Gardening With The Native Plants Of Tennessee:The Spirit of Place" by Margie Hunter. You can learn more on this book at: http://www.gardeningwithnativeplants.com/

Best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.

gardenz