Hello from the Lower South regional host (long)

Hi everybody,

After being active on the forum since fall of 2010, I decided it was my turn to help out.

I live on the extreme northern edge of the lower south region. In fact, I am surrounded by the middle south which is only a few miles west of me. The Atlantic Ocean keeps a little spit of coastal NC and VA in the region. I will be depending on you posters further south to help me out with the distinctive problems you are having.

I have been around gardens all my life. My father started out as a farmer until he wised up following WWII and used the GI Bill to learn something else. But he still had to have his veggie garden. We gardened from Kansas City, MO to NC to No. VA. Sure wish I had paid more attention.

I became an active gardener during the 70's and 80's in Fairfax, VA. with a 12x15 backyard plot. Not even old style SFGing but it seems I was doing some of it anyway. Vermiculite and peat dug into that good old VA clay and planting in both rows and spots. Trellised cukes and tomatos up the fence and tucked transplants into odd corners. Then I started traveling with my job and had to stop gardening for a number of years. Did some flowers in Japan and a lot of flowers in England. Even managed some containers of tomatos and peppers in Chicago.

I retired in 2006 but continued to travel in 3 month intervals about twice a year until I moved to Elizabeth City in Jan 2010. I procrastinated on starting a veggie garden that year because I'm just not phisically able to to deal with digging and getting down on the ground. I tried to help my son set up gardens in Wilmington, NC so he could do the hard work, but it just didn't work because of the pure sand in his yard. Couldn't keep things watered enough.

THEN THE LIGHT DAWNED. I saw the ANSFG book at Lowes in the fall of 2010, joined the forum, learned about tabletops and have been off and running ever since. Ten 4x4 beds for a single person makes me a bit obsessive plus I added 4 raspberry plants and 3 grape vines this spring.

Even have my son successfully gardening now, and will be posting his efforts as I go along.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t5716-experiment-to-deal-with-pure-sand-and-high-water-bills

Kay

Howdy, Kay!

Being a native Tar Heel (Raleigh) and about the 10th generation of them and having done my degree at UNC, I know a bit about the Old North State.  I didn't leave until after my 50th birthday.

Back in the early '60s I worked for the NC fire insurance rating bureau as a rating agent.  The city had engineered some upgrades in their water system and fire fighting equipment which brought them in to a new class with lower rates.  We had to inspect every commercial building and church in Pasquotank.  I spent about 6 weeks there.

I hope the weather gods have been kind to you.  I know from in-laws  living in Pine Knoll Shores and a sister in Morehead City that eastern NC has been getting an unusual amount of winter weather.  I hope the sound and the rivers keep you warm.

Welcome to square foot gardening Rabbithutch.   I'm in the Philippine for the winter but my housesitters are telling me they have had some very cold and snowy weather mixed with some 60F.  I'm not sure, but I believe you are located in the lower south.  The line gets wobbly over Texas.  I'm not native to Pasquatank County, but I was born in NC.  Just spent more time in N. VA. until I retired. 

Kay