Gdionelli, thanks for the tip on the music store - as a member of MTNA, I'll get in touch with the South Carolina chapter when I get there, and that will give me a networking base. As far as amending soil goes, that's been in the works here for several years - my soil is good part sand, and underneath that, rock, so compost is the name of the game. I have heard about the clay in the Carolinas. Any possibility I'll escape Japanese beetles? Susan, plants have priority over clothes in this move, LOL. I'm hoping to take a piece of that Bluebird hibiscus that I gave Tiffy seeds from a few years ago (has that bloomed yet, Tiffy?). I also have some hydrangeas (one that bloomed beautifully after a 7-year wait, waaaah) I bent and pinned branches down to root in the fall (serendipity?); I hope that was successful and I can cut them loose and pot them up in the spring. Rich, that something that will remind me of my NE home has to be a rosa rugosa - I have successfully grown them from seed from Planting Island Beach (how appropriate is that?), and I will try some alba seeds from the bush my Mom gave me when we moved here in '96 as well. Mary and Tiffy, the other thing I'm taking in lieu of clothes is my overstuffed seed box. And I'm still trying to figure out a way to take the compost. Thanks for all your support, folks - this has been a bit of a rough week. I announced the move (via email) to my students, and the feedback I'm getting is that they are pretty devastated about it, especially the younger ones. And because this is a small town, by the time I arrived at school for the concert today, the music teachers already knew. When I get teary about it, I remind myself that not everyone is sad - there will be a couple of neighbors doing the happy dance when I go (this is true, and not a huge deal :))!

Hi Natasha! I am WAY FAR from an expert, but... MULCH MULCH MULCH and AMEND AMEND AMEND! (Got that advice a few years ago from one of the regulars here... can't remember who at the moment!) My soil still isn't great, but I started by adding bags of topsoil and mushroom compost and mixing it up into my beds. I hear leaf mold mulch is great, but I haven't tried it yet. I have lots of deciduous trees in my yard, and I use the raked leaves to make my own mulch. Six years later, and I've turned what was nothing but a sand pile into something I can be proud of. Nothing like what the REAL experts and pros here have going on, but we plant and learn! ;-)) Plant acid-loving plants if your soil is acid (it probably is, but you may want to test it). My azaleas grow like crazy and they're beautiful every year. Crape Myrtle loves it here. Purple Heart grows well, as does lantana. If you've got shade and large containers or raised beds, impatiens will give you breathtaking color from April to November. My mom loves to say, "stick a dollar plant into a five-dollar hole." I do that whenever I plant a new shrub, tree or perennial! I've also discovered the joys of container gardening... I love to use huge to small sized containers of everything from annuals to evergreens. (There's a container gardening forum on GW, too.) In the winter I can move the evergreens around so there's always something going on in the garden. Containers can also be almost anything! I love to haunt thrift stores and yard sales for "finds". I've got some that I love and paid way too much for, and I have other that I love just as much and got - or made - for free. I work at USC in Columbia, and the campus has beautiful landscaping. If you have a chance, talk a stroll around it and take your camera. If you don't know what you're looking at, visit the Name that Plant forum here on GW and post a picture or link to a photo-sharing website. (I use PhotoBucket.) I don't know what those guys over there do, but I've never failed to get an answer almost immediately on anything I've posted... once someone in Australia identified my Cabbage Tree! Best advice of all - visit this forum often! There's are folks here who can answer any question you can possible dream up... even though I'm not one of them! Welcome to SC - smiles and hugs to you! Claudia

A few tips from a northern horticulturist now living south of Santee. 1. Soil is sand with very little nutrition and high in phosphorus. Do not use fertilizers high in phosphorus. 2. You will find that many plants grow best in high shade or morning sun, afternoon shade. 3. Epsom salts will be your best friend. It is magnesium which is necessary for plant absorption of iron. Don't be afraid to scatter it around plants. 4. Sandy soils are best amended by placing compost/manures on soil surface under pine needle mulch. Don't dig them in. Compost everything you can get your hands on. You will need it. 5. Winter gardening is fabulous here. Prowl the growers on St. John's Island near Charleston for plants and advice. Spring bulbs should be purchased when they come on the market in the fall, refrigerated until Jan. 1, then planted. Carleton is the best daffodil to grow here and is one of the few that will rebloom every year. Be certain to attend the hidden garden tours in Charleston for great ideas. 6. Careful selection of disease free rose varieties and many of the old shrub rose varieties will prove to be valuable garden additions. 7. Study on-line catalogs such as Plants Delight and Singing Spring Nursery for helpful tips. Best to buy plants rated for Zone 8b-9 to grow in this area. Be prepared to say goodbye to many of your favorite plants and be ready to learn about many new ones. Also, you will find far fewer insect and disease problems here. No Japanese beetles! Fire ants...yes. Numerous northern annuals are perennial here. You will have an enjoyable learning curve and quickly adapt to gardening in this area.

Do you know what type of neighborhood you would prefer? Such as smaller (50 homes or less), larger (300+ homes), seniors only, senior duplexes, in-town (some very cute cottages - up to huge homes). There is a gated community that is, in my opinion, in the absolutely best location you could ask for. It is half way between uptown (by the interstate where the shopping mall is located) and Oakbrook (where we do a lot of our shopping as well). The builder is a local builder with a very good reputation. We used to live in a nearby neighborhood, Gahagan East, which was a wonderful location. The only downside is that the lots are small. As far as I know, there is no one building right now on .50 acre or larger lots, except for The Summit, and they go for around $450K+. Everyone is very friendly in Summerville, and you won't have a problem making friends. The smaller subdivisions seem to have more parties, etc. If you want a big lot, you'll probably have to buy an existing home. We have an acre, but there are only 13 houses in our neighborhood. We love it, and we are all friends in here. Our house is 7 years old. Here is a link that might be useful: Pines at Gahagan