Hi , I'm from TN like madgardener too Not living there now unfortunatly I miss it though. I lived in east TN as well knoxville I used to love to go to the mountains Have you driven the dogwood trail I did that with my mom all the time I live in Pa now waaaahhhh I hate it too many people live near philidelphia yuck City of Brotherly Love " my goot yeah right I got car jacked last month no joke. can't wait to move I think I'm going to SC or, FL more gardening options I'm twenty six and two kids who love gardening They want strawberries this year. well not much else to tell I have a mary statue in my garden and I live in a small town home but this year I want to plant a fruit tree i think a cherry if any one has a recommendation for a good sweet black cherry tree i'k appreciate one that fruits well.
my kids are seven and five will before this is a novel I'll go thanks for the welcome madgardener
Glad to hear another gardener is from Tennessee. How does living in Philly compare in climate? You have to realize that I grew up in the suburbs of Nashville most of my life living just a few blocks from the Cumberland River. It was a zone 6 a then before they had zones defined, and being a new subdivisional area east of downtown Nashville, I had the conveniences of city life but with a taste of rural close by. Less than half a mile behind the road my elementary school was on, was a hill that had a road going thru it and a farm. Somewhere there is a rather neat picture of an old truck with a tree growing outa the engine
Just civilized enough to have bus service but the service ended at 10 week nights and 6 p.m. on Saturdays and NO service on Sundays. And that was when service stations were closed on Sundays, as well as 99% of the businesses. I remember how I felt when I moved to the surburbs of Denver in 1978 and discovered the RTD ran every 10-15 minutes guaranteed.........and had a radius of as far as BOULDER! When we moved back to Nashville for good in 1983, I felt like I had gone back in time. It took years for Nashville to catch up to what the West already had. Talk about feeling like a bumpkin..........now when I moved to Knoxville...........it was like looking at Nashville 20 years ago......................................I still don't think Ktrans has caught up to where Nashville was 10 years ago..................sigh
I lived in east TN as well knoxville
I can't imagine what Knoxville was like years ago. I remember it a little when I went to see Elton John during his Yellow brick road tour back in 1975. What I vaguely remember is the streets were so steep we were winded by the time we got to the auditorium where he was performing as for mountains.........I didn't notice mountains when we went to the concert. We were thinking of other things at that time and in altered states of minds as well
My best friend, Mary Emma's house is in Farragut, and part of the extended Dogwood trail. It IS beautiful. I can only imagine what it was like when the thousands of white dogwoods were in bloom up in the Smokies before anthrachnose killed off so many. the hills are still lit up with them in spring though. I can only imagine how many there were though. wish I could have see that! (I just want to get an orange, fragrant, flame azaela for my woods..............)
Another reason I don't live in Nashville now, despite that I probably know where the safe older neighborhoods are, I doubt if I'd ever go back there. It's changed into a nasty city now...........But one really doesn't know..........be careful what you say you WON'T do........
South Carolina would be nice. Not sure even I'd want to live in Florida.........talk to Zhan about that. She's lived in Eastern Florida just outside of Orlando, and now lives in the extreme western panhandle area of Pensacola. I've heard about Central Florida from the people moving up here about how it's changing. They're leaving Florida and coming up here by the droves. SEttling in Morristown, Bean Station, Greeneville, Rogersville, Sevierville, Kodiak, Cosby, Newport an northern Knoxville moving towards the southern areas too, like Maryville, Lenoir etc. The secret is out about Eastern Tennessee. If I could get Squire to move somewhere, I'd even like to go further east and do North Carolina, of extreme and go for good towards Oregon to zone 8 on the western side of the Cascade. I'm past wondering if I'll wind up here for good and have resigned myself to loving where I am for now. And what happens later will happen or not. Just more and more lights to the south of me in front of English Mountain...........I do know I won't move to a colder climate. If I move anywhere it will be to a warmer zone, period.
I sometimes kick myself for not wanting Squire to try the Alburquerque job, but if it were meant to be we'd be there already. He wasn't qualified enough to apply seriously. He's got a good job now with a really good trucking company and since they're based outa Iowa, the possibilities are endless for relocation one day I'm still holding out for Oregon....................
Strawberries are easy. You can plant those in a raised bed and get quarts of fruit! All you need is sunshine and some decent dirt and a flat of strawberry plants. Pinch off the flowers this year to encourage the mother plants to make daughters and buy your kids some farmer's market berries to satiate them until next year and you'll have enough next year for them to eat outa the garden. Any fruit trees take up to 7 years to produce fruit. There is a company, One Green World,
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that has Cherry trees. Compact Stella is self fertile and a true dwarf adn grows only 8' 10' and begins to bear within a year or two after planting, almost black tasty, firm, heart shaped fruit. they're about $21.95 each. Kristin is Hardier than most sweet cherries. withstands temperatures of minus
25oF abundant, large, dark burgundy fruit with flavorful, firm and juicy flesh. Lapins is a very large, dark purple, delicious and self-fertile and one of the best cherries available. large, high quality fruit. easy to grownad very productive variety for the home gardener. They also have pie cherries which are tangy I think.
if you want your own catalog, call toll free 1-877-353-4028
you're more than welcome ! madgardener up on the soaked and muddy ridge, back in a cold fairy holler, overlooking English Mountain, in Eastern Tennessee somewhere just off I-40 on the way to North Cacklacky
Hey, Madgardener. Oak Ridge here! Worked the K-25 and Y-12 plants for years. Now hike the Cumberland Trail, mostly Frozen Head. Was tempted to make that chocolate feast in Knoxville today, but had other duties. Phish
I thought I saw you glowing over there Phish~ son used to work the Wendy's on Hardin Valley road until he moved over here with us in Dandridge..............Mary Emma worked Y-12 plant too, along with her husband, a chemist, who was integeral to a lot of decisions over there by the name of Roger Anderson. small world, eh? I got my training at UT Master Gardening ten years ago under Doug Dalton and Neal Denton. But the majority of it has come at my own hands. self reading, lots of gardening shows, books, books, magazines and just pure obsessiveness! didja miss the ice storm that split around us here and slammed North Carolina? We got bitter cold rain that was gnat's eyelash of being slush, but not cold enough. Apparently my friend manning the radio station in Spindale, N.C. is experiencing temps of 25o F right now brrrrr hooties!! you could put an eye out in that cold! thanks for hollering at me. off to bed with Rose, Sugar, Piquito the bob tailed kittie and sneaky Pesters, Rose's black cat. Possibly before the night is over I'll discover Polluxx somewhere taking up the remaining spaces of the El Mondo Grosso California king waterbed with Pye and Jenners vying for choice spot in the clean laundry
you'll hafta gi' me a holler come springtime and I'll see if I can find something to share w'you outa me constipated gardens madgardener
Hey, Mad, I have to take exception to that statement, being here in beautiful downtown Nashville. It is a city, but not as nasty as some, I'm sure. (Although I'm not happy about the growth and admit I liked it alot better years ago.)
The crocuses are starting to think about coming up, the flowering quince flowers now and again and today is 60 degrees and the hope of spring is in the air, along with the smog. But in a couple of months, when the myrtle and honeysuckle and lilacs and roses are in bloom, it's going to smell wonderful!!
no offence intended honey. I grew up there from 1954-1992 with a period of time in Aurora, Colorado , 1978-1983. Been back in Tennessee since 1983. Grew up in Inglewood. Specifically during the late 50's, 60's and 70's. On Greenfield Avenue which lead down Riverside Drive into Shelby Park thru to the other side back into the older, East Nashville where old house stood (the spot the huge tornado ripped to pieces in 1994? ) Remember when Madison was rural and farm area. Downtown meant catch the Kennedy Hill bus into town and go to Harvey's, J.C. Penny's, Cain Sloan department store and Castner Knott's. Cut thru the Arcade where on one end was Walgreen's store where a popcorn stand stood and cranked out incredible fresh butter popcorn, in the middle was an awesome fresh roasted nut store, and upstairs on the upper levels of the arcade, Castleman's Jewelry store sat. Buses ceased to run after 6 p.m. on Saturdays, despite that the Grand Old Opry was over by
10, Broadway meant near the Cumberland was the Acme Feed Store where I got all my supplies for gardening and even spring chicks.......just up the road was Fort Nashboro. It was before River Front park. I have never even seen the park as I moved to Eastern Tennessee in 1992.
I remember going to the Tennessee theater downtown for openings. Even saw the New York Broadway production of Hair in 1971 there with the original cast. That was interesting.
Remember the first "mall" was 100 Oaks, and then Rivergate Mall was built and it was touted as the death of the downtown department store era. As I was a child of the 60's, I hung out on the lawns of Centennial Park and the Parthenon with all the other hippies, freaks, flower children and college kids and various musicians that wandered thru at that time. The stories I could tell ya...........
Most of my mom's family hail from Shelbyville and Columbia. Mostly Shelbyville, and that was surreal. Nothing but Tennessee Walking Horse celebration during the Labor day time. I have a lot of fond memories about downtown Nashville, and some sad ones too. It makes for a large portion of my life. I lived for a short while in South Nashville just off Nolensville Road in apartments I'm sure have changed a bit. (Blackman drive area just past Harding Mall area). I even remember fondly mine and my dad's favorite historical BBQ place at the foot of the Jefferson Street Bridge being torn down after 134 years.Charlie Nickens Pit BBQ. I swear my dad showed emotion when they razed it that day. and he worked until retirement for Hermatage/Robert Orr which is now Robert Orr/Sysco after years with American Ace.............I am a Nashville girl. Graduated at Isaac Litton Sr. High home of the Marching 100+ and now the old high school is all gone but the gym that still has the Litton Lion that my classmate, Nancy Lucas painted on the wall going into the gym back in 1970-1971 the last year it was a graduating high school before Two Rivers High School was opened.
No honey, my dad put in the elevators at the L&C building and the escalators in the old huge original Sears building that is now closed. And I can drive into Nashville, go thru town, hit 8th avenue and eventually wind up at my grandparents house in Shelbyville because as my dad taught me, Nashville main roads are like a wagon wheel and Nashville sits in the center like the hub with the main roads like spokes of the wheel. If you follow Old Hickory long enough you'll go thru Donelson, into downtown, thru Old Hickory, out of Madison and back and out again
I bet I can still get from Madison thru some hidden roads to downtown and beat all traffic no matter how heavy it is! I blew away someone a couple of years ago when I jumped off Briley Parkway, hit Ellington Parkway and took them to the hotel near Vanderbilt and bipassed the huge traffic standstill on the interstate.
And on the garden note of all this, I learned my passion for gardening in my house on Howard Avenue just off Gallatin Road in Inglewood where I lived from 1974 until 1992 just one street over from the house I grew up in. A little 50X 205 lot with a brick house that had only 1228 square feet to it! I grew everything from a full sized vegetable garden, raspberries, boysenberries, a pear tree, every perennial I could lay my hands on and 23 kinds of bulbs, not to mention I was just getting started with blooming shrubs. Fished the banks of the Cumberland River and knew and talked a few times to John Hartford when he was wandering his area near the old Ferry Ramp that lay just below where his house was, and could hear the General Jackson on hot summer nights and Opryland's music with fireworks punctuating the night during the summer's end.
fond memories honey. Not bitter ones. I just noticed there is more traffic, more crime and more noise is all. Compared to where I live now, it's totally different. In good ways and bad. What do you grow? I'd love to hear about your gardens. seriously!
Thanks for the ride down memory lane, Mad. I've grown the typical veggies for years, and branched out to herbs a couple of years ago. Mullein, rue, rosemary, hyssop, feverfew, lemon balm, sage, marshmallow
- the passionflower is competing with the wisteria for the most invasive title, skullcap, red clover, lemon thyme and more that I'm forgetting. My raspberies aren't happy, probably because I'm a tree-aholic and full sun is getting to be a rare commodity as I continue to plant more baby trees from the Arbor Day Foundation each year.
This year I'm going for backyard market gardening so I'm adding cut flowers to the agenda. I've enlisted 2 neighbors, one who gardens and one who is letting me till up his backyard so I can plant up a storm. This year is my first for starting plants inside so i've been following the threads on lighting and went to Home Depot yesterday pricing shop lights.
The daffodils are just starting to appear and one crocus actually showed a touch of orange this morning. The wild rose didn't bloom last year - something was cuasing the leaves to shrivel up so I cut that back almost to the ground yesterday - the temp isn't leaving the low 30's today so I'll be working on preparing space inside today. (which I'd better get going on..)
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