Pamela...WELCOME! I have learned so much from this forum, it's unbelieveable! Everyone here is so friendly, helpful and generous. Until we built our new home I was always a renter or condo liver, so not much space to experiment with planting. I tried and failed at a lot of things. Until I discovered this forum in 2003 I didn't have a clue what zones even meant! With the help of my gardening buddies I now find I am giving advice to newbies! Congrats on your banana and again...WELCOME!

Welcome Pamela!

I am a gardener by birth. The women in my family have been "dirt devils" as far back as our history is recorded. It's been a wonderful challenge learning how to garden in Florida after 40 years of gardening in Ohio. I'm learning how to "let go" of some old favorites and embrace the new tropicals. The information on this forum is indeed invaluable - it sure feeds my need to learn "everything" LOL!! I generally don't post much (since I'm so shy) but I read everything :-)

Terri

Pamela.........you will be expected to start coming to the plant swaps !

My Dad was into orchids. My grand parents built a house in Riverside Fort Lauderdale in 1933. My grandma love to put things into the ground. I got it from both sides of the family.

D`Ann

D'Ann,
I will definitely start going to the plant swaps as soon as I have some plants to offer. It sounds like so much fun. I started some cutting but still waiting to see how they turn out.

Pamela

Pamela, let me add my welcome to the rest. Don't worry about not having anything to trade at a swap, there is always lots to go around. We love getting together and talk gardening, and sharing, it's in our blood. :o)

My mom planted a few iris in a bed and I remember at 7 years old begging her to let me weed and water it. DH says it's in my genes cause my ancesters were potato farmers in the 'old country'. Funny Man!

I love the term dirt devils. If you don't mind I am going use it from now on too. ;o) And don't be shy, none of us bite, not hard anyway. We love to know what everyone is doing. This forum is like one big family.

Welcome, Pamela and Terri. NO PLANYS TO TRADE = NO PROBLEM! That is how a kot of us got our gardens started. You will find that gardeners are the most generous and kind people you can associate with and be lucky to have as friends. I go out into my garden and as I spend time with plants I remember the people who gave them to me. Fawnridge AKA Ricky has a corner in my yard dedicated to him. I even have a placque that says Ricky's corner. It is where the majority of my crotons are planted. I have a corner dedicated to Lisa and also various other corners where I have planted all the edibles that she has so generously shared with me. I hate leaving people out but almost every person on this site has shared something with me and hopefully in the upcoming swaps I will have things to share with them.

Gardening comes from my father's side of the family and when I was borh I had two green thumbs. I received a shovel for my first birthday and have been a roto tiller ever since. I love hand digging and turning the soil over and over in my hands. I love feeling it flow through my fingers and seeing the tiny seeds sprout and develop into beautiful plants. I even feel pain when one dies and I have killed my share. You will find great advice here and if you desire to get into tomato farming then Treefrog will be your best buddy and does he have seeds to share.

Terri, as long as you have had your rabies shot you have nothing to fear here. If someone bites it is usually painful for only a second and then they place salve on the bite and give you advice. Please speak up more and we would love to see you at a swap. That goes for you also, Pamela.

Welcome and be ready for the passion of gardening to totally consume you here in the sub tropics. Linda

Katkin, I have a 7 year old daughter and a 5 year old son and they also love to water the few plants I have so far. I have a feeling they will grow up to love gardening. I hope so anyway.

Linda, that is so cool that you dedicate parts of your garden to friends that gave you plants. I really like that. My parents were both non-gardeners. I remember 4th of july, I must have been about 10 years old and I won an asparagus fern from a festival. I ran home and planted it in my backyard. About two months later my mom riped it out because she said it was getting to big. That was the end of my green thumb...until now! :D
Pamela

Pamela, there isn't a corner of our lot that doesn't remind me of someone who gave me plant - they are all over. When I go to plant swaps, I am always sure to take markers and pencil so I can be sure not only to have a plant ID but remember who it came from. Plus it's really nice to know who to ask after the fact is you have a particular question about a new plant. Come to the Fort Myers swap (see the exchange page) We would love to help fill up your garden!

Pamela, I don't have anything very exciting to help you get started but ask away and someone may very well help you out.

Kat, My DH started calling me dirt devil once he learned of my fetish to be be covered in mud most of the time *grin*. Your seeds you sent some time ago are now small plants, waiting for the final product! :-) Thank you again.

Linda, I have already experienced the generosity of others on this forum. Ginny has provided me a yellow iris start that is now being shared with others and Kat's seeds of pea vine & dwarf poinciana are coming right along. I "think" the lily seeds she shared are also coming along, I have to wait for it to bloom so I can be sure (forgot to lable the pot).

Welcome Pam, you sure picked the right place to hang out! I found this site before I moved from NH...had to find out how the heck I was going to garden in such heat. LOL I met Katkin, Treefrog, and GCMastiffs (Lisa) and others at the first swap I attended (no plants to trade). I went to met people that like to garden...and I came home with a car full of things I had no idea what they were or how to take care of them except the tomatoes from Treefrog. I'm still learning and feel like I have 50 or so friends all over the state.
I own a motorcyle shop with my DH and play in the dirt to destress and have sometime for myself.

Remember there is no such thing as a dumb question... you might get some silly answers as well as lots of good advice.
Hope to see you at a swap. Enjoy your hobby!
Marion

SILLY ANSWERS???

Surely MsMarion you must be referring to me!! LOL

Cindeea, thank you so much for the invite! I'm going to talk to my DH (I'm assuming means Dear Husband..or is it D*@# Husband? LOL). It's unlikely since my two kids are starting school the end of this month but I would definitely love to go to a swap soon. I'm sure I'll have plants to bring. I started some seeds yesterday... papaya, passion fruit, guava, stephanotis and a few palms. I also started a plumeria cutting that my neighbor gave me. I'm eyeing a jasmine that's in front of a Publix in my area but I don't want to get in trouble taking it. As anyone taken a cutting from a public place before?

Pam-here's a link to the exchange page where the swap is being discussed. Please try to join us. It would be great meeting you and having you meet other gardening enthusiasts in Florida. Tell hubby (DH=well depends on the mood what it means-lol) to take the kids for the day and come to the swap. You will see my email address on the exchange page. Send me a note so I can send you directions!

Here is a link that might be useful: Fort Myers Swap