kim

I have a veggie garden, which I recently changed from traditional small plot, to 11 raised beds total :)

I jumped the gun and already ordered a TON of seeds for this year - I have the itch!

Melissa

Hello Jeff. Will you Wintersow some of those seeds? I WSed and got a head start on some things.

Wendy, I made a big WS mistake last year. I used a sharpie to label my containers... the info faded so I didn't know what I was planting. : ) Just jump in and don't hesitate to ask your questions,

I had planned on getting a light set up in the basement to get a head start on some of the longer season stuff (Tomatoe's, Peppers, Eggplant etc...).

I suppose I'll take a gander and see what all this wintersowing is about :)

I'm Lois from Homer, south of Syracuse.

I have a small village yard, 80 x 100 ft. I have 3-4x8 raised beds where I raise quite a few vegetables intensively. I have also located a local community garden, and will be tending a plot there for everything that takes up too much room (such as pumpkins) for my little raised beds. I love flower gardening, tending toward a "cottage-y" theme, and all borders and the house foundation are planted with a jumbled mix.

I have had sucess with winter sowing, but have less success getting things planted out! The busiest time for planting is when I am also busiest at the end of the school year! I always start tons of tomatoes and peppers inside, which I raise as a fundraiser for "Relay for Life" and then sell at work.

I have a grown son, who lives in Syracuse, and share my home with a 12-year-old husky mix, Bonny, who is finally learning how to stay out of the flower beds (with the help of low wire fencing around everything!

I live about 10-15 miles away from you!

OT- Let me know if you get any rooted cutting of your roses the end of summer. I may have some perennials to trade.

Melissa

I usually am found on the cottage garden forum or the perennials forum. I lurk on other forums.

Every year I go to the local gardenweb plant swap in June, hosted by Tara and give and get great plants.

Here is a link to my photo albums.

Happy gardening.

Jude

I have a dog and two cats, and a wonderful hubby. I love to bake too.

You can see pictures of my garden here.

2008 Garden

From 2008 Garden

The above evening primrose is doing "OK"... but I won't know for sure until spring. I'm kinda worried 'cause hubby had to dig up our water line yesterday and it was right in the middle of that bed. I'm trying not to think of what plants and bulbs might have been massacred. (I knew the line was there when I planted, and knew the risks!)

The ones getting out of hand are the Sundrops (same family) and the Gooseneck Loostrife pictured below.

From 2008 Garden

From 2008 Garden

Doreen I also love baking bread and would love to try your 'bread in 5 minutes'

Gerry Maybe I could stop by someday and check your garden out,sounds really interesting

About Syracuse. I love the area, but just like Buffalo and Rochester many neighborhoods inside the city limits could use revitalization / beautification. Most suburbs of Syracuse are great though!

I wintersow also and love growing daylilies, clematis, bearded iris and hosta to name a few.

I also host the WNY plant swap every year at my home. If anyone is interested in attending...there is a post about this years swap on the exchange page.

I just love the pictures of everyone's gardens! Beautiful!

I start my dayliliy seeds in the basement, need to do that this weekend ... I have 2 silly dogs, and too many cats to speak of. I work at a bank for my full time career, but daylilies are my passion.

I am turning an old horse pasture into my own arboretuem, can't wait til some of the trees really start to grow. I grow all kinds of other plants and plan on putting a road side stand out this year to sell off some of the perennials that like to take over.

I'm a member of the Buffalo Area Daylily Society, and have the greenhouse on my property that belongs to the daylily society and hosta society.

I used to check in here more ....

I'm Janet from the Utica area. I usually just lurk, but thought I'd jump in and say hello. I'm one of those gardeners who see a plant they like and buy it and then figure out where to put it. I know, shame on me, but I can't help it!

I am also a volunteer with the Oneida Co. Master Gardener program and have made many friends (as well as received lots of cuttings and plants from working with said gardeners) as a result of signing up with the MG's.

My main interest is in growing and using herbs, but I like to have a variety of flowering plants and shrubs around.

The only vegetable I've attempted to grow is the tomato- cherry tomato in fact. I wasn't a big fan of them until I tasted one fresh from my neighbor's garden and found the flavor to be so amazing that I try to grow a couple of plants each year now. My DH doesn't like them so I only grow a few or else I'd be overrun with them and have to toss too many into the compost heap

I live in Hannibal, up near Oswego. I see a few of you are neighbors.

I've been gardening for 18 years, and have recently started an internet business selling beardless irises. Irises are my favorite plants, but I grow many other perennials, trees, and shrubs. Ornamental grasses are another favorite.

Nice to hear about all of you.

Marcie

You must live near Jud's Stone House Nursery which is just outside of Keuka I think, off of 54A. A friend took me there a few years ago and I was really impressed with it. It's really too far for me to go now that I don't live near Canandaigua anymore, but I still remember how impressed I was with it.

My name is John & I live in New Hartford (Oneida County). I'm 49 & began gardening in 2004 as a tribute to my late mom. I have nearly 700 sq ft of gardening space: 3 traditional plots (7' x 14', 9'x14' & 13' x 20') and 11 (count 'em) raised beds ( 6, 3' x 3' black plastic from Gardener's Supply, 2, 6' x 4' x 11" cedar & 3, 8' x 4' x 11" cedar--the cedar raised beds having been purchased from Natural Yards). My soil is clay & each traditional plot arrived in its current state via different routes. The most elbow grease went into my "big plot" where I spent hundreds of hours over a few years amending the clay soild (as opposed to removing it, either partially or completely, which I did with the other plots) with all the usual suspects. Despite the hard work (more accurately: because of it), I derived the most satisfaction from my efforts in the "big plot". Anyhow, I have enjoyed growing heirloom tomatoes, onions, eggplants, peppers, squash (mostly winter), cucs, okra, pumpkins, kohlrabi, celeriac, leeks, beets, lettuce, pop corn, radishes & carrots all with varying degrees of success. I especially enjoyed growing some of my winter squash vertically, including biggies like Chicago Warted Hubbard! I enjoy raising heirloom vegetables; I ordered a bunch of heirloom tomatoes from Victory Seeds & Baker's Creek is another vendor which offers many ancient varieties.This year, I'm going to try fennell & garlic. Just placed some orders yesterday. Happy gardening everyone!!

Last week when it got to (almost) 50 degrees I took my first walk through the gardens to prepare for spring. I think the cabin fever is worse because of it.

I'm Claire from Clifton Park (between Albany & Saratoga Springs).

Since we moved in to our small townhome, I mainly concentrated on getting some structure going in our very small back garden. Mostly native plantings with a few non-invasive exotics mixed in.

This will be my first year trying a heavy planting of vegetables and herbs, mostly in pots for lack of space. Plan is to eventually develop the small hill out back into a terraced Square Foot / Potager vegetable garden.

Just jointed GW yesterday and am greatful for all of you. We all seem to share the same pains (I'm not an alien after all!) Looking forward to future conversations.

I have alot of work to do around this property and will probably take 15 years and will be asking lots of questions-i'm sure of it.

I generally dont like to grow something unless I can eat it, but my husband has just started to get interested in gardening too and he likes flowers and ornamentals, so I am learning to compromise!
I have a disgustingly huge collection of vegetable and herb seeds and I also seed save, so if your looking for anything let me know I may have a few to spare.

Thanks for having an Upstate New York Forum!

my name is kristen, 32, lifelong buffalonian. i'm new to the site, but not to gardening. my husband and i bought a 100+ yr old arts & crafts bungalow a few years ago, and i have been trying to create a cottage garden around its perimeter here in the city ever since. i tried doing my own seedlings for the first time last year, but had mixed results. this year, after much more education and preparation, i'm happy to say i'm sowing seedlings again with much more success!

i love everything old, and any specimen that can be cut for arrangements. i don't have much room in my little yard, so i don't have the luxury of space for a veggie/herb garden. however, i am going to try doing some tomatoes, cukes, and herbs in pots on the sunny patio. hopefully, it will go well.

i am always looking for plant/seed swaps and advice! and pics! i love to see what everyone has done, so please post or send along...i also started a perennial seed/plant swap group on facebook for wny'ers at:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=81182301400#/group.php?gid=81182 301400&ref=mf

if you use facebook and you're interested in getting to know some of your fellow local gardeners, please join!

happy spring to all!

Penny

I have a 100 acre farm between Rochester and Syracuse in the little township of Varick, in the heart of the Fingerlakes. I have been here 32 years, but a 26 year army career caused my plans for my farm to be put on hold. I retired in 2004 and am now slowly spreading my gardens around, though only have a drop in the bucket done so far. Most of my land is rented to a local farmer, but I have ponds and several gardens started. I really need an army of clones to accomplish what I would like to do, but that wont happen in my lifetime.

I have been gardening for most of my life, though most of that has been vegetable gardening. I have always gone 100% organic, which causes it's own issues with bugs and weeds, but just can't bring myself to use chemical controls. I grow most of my plants from seed, do a bit of propagation, buy some and swap with one of my sisters, my niece, and friends.

In addition to veggies, nut trees and a little fruit, I am into color and/or themed gardens, so I have a white garden, black and white garden, yellow gold garden, bird bee and butterfly garden, ornamental grass garden, frog pond garden, and am just getting started on what I call a citrus garden (orange lemon lime colored plants and flowers) a red garden and a bog garden. I had an herb garden but it has gone to wrack and ruin so I am pulling it out and making an echinacea garden there and will start over somewhere else with the herbs. I love willows and have plans for some living structures and fedges. I hope to put up a small greenhouse this year or next. I have been trying to get some pics up on Facebook, made possible since I bought my husband a hot new camera this year.
http://snipurl.com/it4pr

I was going to build a new house this year, but the farmhouse that was originally part of this farm looks as if it will be on the market sometime this year, so we will probably wait and see what happens with that first. the people who owned it put in a large pond many years ago, and dug it too deep so it never held water, and I have always dreamed of putting in a sunken garden there. Do I sound a bit ambitious? I AM crazy, that is definitely true.

My soil is very clayey, and very productive, so though it takes several years to get anything established, it usually does well once it takes hold. I tend to grow lots of things Brenda (gottagarden) calls INVASIVE - but they tend to keep under control in my heavier soil.

I have to go out and plant beans, so no more procrastinating on gw!

Nice to make your acquaintances, and hope to see lots of you at Tara's plant swap!

-Rosalinda

Hope everyone is having a great summer and if you live near me--or not--, feel free to drop me a line :-)

Linda