I've been a member of this Forum for many years and have learned A LOT from ALL its members.

The plants to plant are definitly different, but there is good in knowing that what grows well on the coast probably won't grow well in my hot, arid climate. Consequently, I no longer waste my gardening dollars at "Annie's", whose wonderful plants are grown for and in the SF Bay area.

Also, general gardening practices tend to be universal and are good to know irregardless of where one lives. I've learned a lot from people like Al (calistoga) who lives somewhere north of San Francisco -- definitely not near me. Then there are the several threads on how to deter thieves. The knowledge is endless and the conversations frequently enlightening.

So, take what you need from this Forum, and learn about California's diverse gardening culture.

I've been a member of this Forum for many years and have learned A LOT from ALL its members.

The plants to plant are definitly different, but there is good in knowing that what grows well on the coast probably won't grow well in my hot, arid climate. Consequently, I no longer waste my gardening dollars at "Annie's", whose wonderful plants are grown for and in the SF Bay area.

Also, general gardening practices tend to be universal and are good to know irregardless of where one lives. I've learned a lot from people like Al (calistoga) who lives somewhere north of San Francisco -- definitely not near me. Then there are the several threads on how to deter thieves. The knowledge is endless and the conversations frequently enlightening.

So, take what you need from this Forum, and learn about California's diverse gardening culture.

Everything I got from annies died of a fungal as it got into the san francisco climate.

I don't know who runs this site, but I wish they would subdivide it into zones, not states. Each state has several zones. Zones are the planting rules. But I'm fighting a losing battle, and i know it.

Zones also have their issues - a zone 9 in Alabama is a lot different than a zone 9 in California. There just isn't a perfect way to do it, but probably the simplest way to make a significant change would be to divide CA into No CA and So CA. There is then still the interior/coast issue, but since CA is the land of the microclimates, we have way more zones than most states. Some states only have 1-2 zones. We have dozens!
Sara

So there is no hope for us Sara! I thought if the South of CA split from the north, the world would be a perfect place, but I guess not. Within the South, microclimates as with the North... How do we fix this?

Suzi

Splitting norcal from socal would help a little. If you start breaking into smaller groups than that then the traffic will likely get thin and then the sub-forum dies. Nothing worse than a ghost sub-forum with tumbleweed postings rumbling through once every 3 years.

As for microclimates, I think I've got 5 microclimates on my quarter acre, and like 20 on this mountain.

I agree with Yukkuri kame as to the variety of zones in a given area. Also, Fresno always gets put in with NoCal, but one of my favorite nurseries is in Calabasas... SoCal. But then, there is that one nursery in Roseville.....

Well, Suzi (hi there, kiddo!), we just kind of share all info, and many of us simply include our location and Sunset zone in our "Zone" field (see mine). I love hearing about my fellow N. California gardeners, and what they can grow up in their area, as well as my S. California inland gardeners. I think with as many Sunset zones as we have here in California, we could subdivide this forum ad infinitum, and still not meet all the needs. So, next best thing is to be more specific in your "Zone" field, then in your post, be sure to include where you live and your zone. Plus, any microclimate issues pertinent to your particular piece of land.

Patty S.

Where ever you live it takes 'living there' to find out what you can grow. I garden in two gardens, less than 3 miles apart, with an elevation difference of 300 feet. One is on the north slope of a mountain, the other on the flat of the valley. Plants respond to the difference in a dramatic fashion. After ten years with both gardens, I am still learning. Al

I remember learning in grammar school that California has more biomes than any other state, and I'm guessing we probably have more than quite a few countries as well. Nevertheless I prefer having a single California forum, because even if I can't grow the same plants as everyone I enjoy looking at their pictures and hearing their stories.

I love to admire So. Cal gardens but I prefer to live in the North Bay, the balance of hot and cold weather is more to my liking here.

Please, no! In fact, GW should combine at least 85% of their forums IMO. There is no way I can find the time to follow even a fraction of the forums that interest me as it is. Do we really want to follow a perennials forum, plus individual forums for one hundred different perennials? Plus regions and individual states. Then toss in the Home forums, with various design forums, real estate, cooking, and on and on.

Yes, I live in Southern CA. But I have worked with my husband designing, maintaining and doing landscape related research for a variety of properties. Our work includes San Diego County, Orange County, Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe/Stateline, Las Vegas, Florida, Massachusetts, Virginia, and various other properties that have come and gone in other states.

Just because someone in the forums doesn't live down the street, it does not necessarily mean they cannot be of help or have useful ideas. :-)

The problem with all the subforums could be resolved if there was a 'new posts' area, where you could see all new posts across all subforums...

vbulletain and a lot of other forums work that way for a reason....

But I am such a GW addict, I will click on 5 or 6 subforums to find new posts.

What would be even nicer, is if you could customize that ability, and select what specific forums that you'd like to have populate the "new posts" page for each GW member. Check off the forums you follow, and on the "New Posts" pages, there they'd be. That would be the ultimate for us GW members that follow multiple forums.

Patty S.

Agree Patty!

Some forums that I would love to be active, just aren't! There are never any new posts! Hillside Gardening is one. Our steep hill has many challenges, but trolling through other forums now and then I find a gem. Getting the time to do that is tough.

Sometimes if you google your question, and old post here on Gardenweb has your answer, or you find it elsewhere on the web.

A new post page would be ideal! Other forums do have that feature, and I love it! Latest posts.... Bam! Garden Web has a feature that others don't. The ability to clip a post and save it. I love that feature for sure!

Suzi

Okay westelle, you're going to have to give up the info on 'that nursery in Roseville'. I need a new place to visit.

Sorry, I mis-wrote. The nursery I was thinking of is Cottage Garden in Petaluma:
3995 Emerald
707-778-8025

Drattit! And here I thought I had an interesting nursery only 40 minutes away!

This post was edited by MrCaballus on Thu, Feb 28, 13 at 23:38

I enjoy this forum, but also like to supplement it with visits to the Pacific Northwest forum, since I share the cool foggy summers that many of them have to deal with. I particularly enjoy "the misery loves company" vibe there re: growing tomatoes. You might like visiting the Arizona forum from time to time for similar reasons.

susanc, would this be a good time to bring up my tomato that overwintered without any care in a shady corner of my garden? Or the avos and valencia orange ready for the picking?

You can get your revenge when it's 107f here and hasn't rained in 5 months.

I think the topic diverged, right? So Ca girl wants a category known as zone 19.

I'm a little confused about these last posts...

Agenda? We all have one!

suzi