My sister and her hubby have been living near Peggy's Cove for about 30 years. They grow most of their own veggies, and in past years have had goats and chickens. In order to be able to travel to see the grandkids, they have given up the goats, but still maintain the big veggie garden.

In terms of zones they are similar to Ontario are they not?

I've attached an interactive link so you can determine which part OF NS would suit you best.

Here is a link that might be useful: Canadian zones

I'm in zone 3 (-40F) in Ontario and Nova Scotia ranges from zone 5-6.

There are places in Southern Ontario that are zone 5-6 but they are not even remotely feasible financially. Plus it's just not a place I want to live.

I didn't mean to suggest you move to Southern Ontario, but just put in the zones for contrast sake - since you are in Ontario. (and I am from Ontario too). I agree an acreage home in Ontario is very expensive.

Good luck on your quest in Nova Scotia.

I grew up there and rest of my family is still there. The Annapolis Valley or the south-west region (LaHave towards Yarmouth) will be the warmest areas to live in. I think there's a Zone 7 around Yarmouth.
Good luck! It's a beautiful place.

I'm in Annapolis County, but near the shore not in the Valley, and we are easily a zone 6. It is so easy to grow things here compared to Calgary where I used to live. We are on an acreage and I have gotten a little carried adding gardens. There is one property between us and the Bay of Fundy and I haven't found being near the water have any effect on the gardens. The nice thing about being close to the water is it is warmer here in the winter and not so hot and humid in the summer. Perfect!

Ditto what Merrilee says. I live just outside of Halifax in Prospect Bay just one property away from the waters of Shad Bay and 5 minutes from the Atlantic. I work in the city and in the summer love coming home where it is always 5 degrees cooler. Lots of rocks!!

I think house prices are quite reasonable as well That would be an incentive

Seems the people are ever so friendly

Takes a lot to make a big move like that

Good though to be thinking about a place to live that would be special

I think sometimes it is silly how we are born in one place and then stay in that area most all our lives

Why don't people look for a special place to LIVE

We've moved several times already (for previous jobs). From central Ontario to Northwestern Ontario, from NWO to Southern Ontario and then back again.

None of the places we lived felt right. I love the house we are in, but now that we realize we are gardeners, the lot is too small and the season to short and cold.

We talked to a realtor yesterday and it looks like we'll make a tidy profit when the house goes up for sale in a couple of weeks. We're looking at the Annapolis Valley for houses.

I'm so excited about moving but I have to say the thought of travelling four days by car with two kids and a huge pregnant belly isn't as appealing!

I already started a wish list for plants that I want to grow!

Good luck with your house hunt. I know what you mean about wanting a place that feels right. The first time we drove over the hill and saw all the way across the bay to New Brunswick, I felt like I had come home even though I had never been here before.

We're not finding anything good in the valley, but there is a house about 25kms from Amherst, 5 minutes to the shore.

Dh is concerned that the weather isn't going to be good there. But it's got to be better than NWO right?

Amherst area can be pretty chilly for NS. It's also right on the edge of the Tantramar marsh. FOGGY! Good gardening soil though...

I'm a NS native, and if I were to move back, it would be to the Halifax area (probably the peninsula that lies between Halifax Harbour and St Margret's Bay) or to the South Shore area (think Bridgewater, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Chester (very $$$$ though)). Both are reasonable driving distance to Halifax (hospitals, airport, etc), both are milder gardening zones than what I have now.

My brother has a place near Peggy's Cove (Indian Harbour), that I'm helping to landscape. It's right on the water, and there can be some serious gardening challenges. In a storm, the salt spray whipped up can burn plants. The wind can be a problem in certain areas, and there is the granite rock, often poking up through the soil. It's a beautiful area though!

BP

Hubby and I have wanted to move to NS for years! Land is so much cheaper there. The people are friendlier, less traffic, crime, etc. etc. We so want to get out of the GTA!!!!

We want to retire in the Annopolis Valley in a little cottage in the middle of nowhere with some land!

We have looked at Newfoundland too. The land is even cheaper there.

What are you looking for? There are so many properties for sale in Annapolis, I'm surprised you haven't seen anything you like. Have you tried the Homes Across Canada site? I like it for real estate searches.

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, drilled well (not dug), min 4 acres, some cleared, the bedrooms have to be bigger at least 100 square feet (this seems to be the problem).

And around 100k. Dh also has to be able to get a job nearby.

I've looked at the mls site every day for the past 2 weeks or so and I have one house that meets those criteria (although it's missing a bathroom).

There are lots of houses just hardly any on lots bigger than an acre.

I checked on Homes across Canada and there are 59 listings for homes between 3 and 9 acres, but unfortunately most of them are over the 100k mark, although there is one for 120 just outside of Bridgetown. I know when we bought our place the owners came down quite a bit because it had been for sale for so long.

The one outside of Bridgetown is the only one on our list. That's assuming that we can get it for cheaper.

Our house is going up for sale in about a month so we'll see what happens.

I go back and forth between being terrified and being excited and impatient to move. I'll be close to the end of my pregnancy by then and am not looking forward to birthing in Nova Scotia (I was planning a homebirth with midwives here).

The thought of gardening there though...so exciting!