It's good to see you here!

It's hosing down (with rain)so I feel no twinges about nattering in daylight.

I enjoy trying plants that are new to me - and that will cope with my variable microclimate. I live close to a hill that gets snow so I share your 8,9,10 range. I find it fun and challenging. One group I don't take on, though - the coastal plants that do well just thirty miles from here.

What do I grow? Ferns and tree ferns. Various natives. Hostas and cacti. Tuberous begonias and assorted bulbs. All sorts. Fortunately, my garden isn't large, but there's not much left under grass.

Vegies - salad plants, tomatoes, zuccini, herbs. Not lots, because I'm feeding a small 'family' only. I'm becoming more involved with this part of the garden.

Bonsai fascinates me - especially the care with watering/feeding to get the outcomes I have planned. It's one of my New Year resolutions, to improve in this area.

Composting and soil building, 'alternative' gardening methods are all aspects I enjoy reading about and putting into practice. I find it interesting and I love seeing the various worm varieties increasing in the soil.

Animals - three dogs and a Chief Cat plus various birds who supervise my gardening before digging up my latest planting. (I have very few pests, though.)

I'd like to share garden 'experiments', and feedback on what grows well for me, what I'm trying out. Plant rescues and gleeful brags about bargains. Challenges and asking for input/ideas. Sharing remedies and tips. Would that be useful for you?

hello vetrvert, yes i like the topics you had mentioned. i particularly enjoy your postings on the gw.,that is why i am happy to be your gardening friend. finally got precipitation in this arid land, and the mountain tops are beautiful in white. i have 3 cats and a dog, before i had 3 dogs and a cat. last year a cat found me and a kitten found me. and we're living happily ever after. today i am going over to the garden (i drive me and the animals) to pick greens at baby stage for salad. i have 5 acres; long and narrow, and surrounded by national forest. a few native ferns come to life this time of year here. growing out from under rocks. a few types of cactus bloom i summer and spring. it is winter begining dec 21. what season are you now? oh, i see about bonsai. it is very controlled growing uh? i can't compost here, because the hot, dry weather in summer could cause combustion. and i am not consistant enough to maintain compost moisture level. what elevation are you? i am 2600'. i have to begin my nonstop day;its daylight.

According to the calender it's summer. The weather reports say otherwise. We've had a string of sou'westers coming up from Antarctica and the sea temperatures are about 3 degrees lower than they usually are for the time of year. But the garden is Lush. (And the tomatoes are Green...)

I certainly don't have your elevation. I'm about 700'asl on a valley floor. Do you find you get ultra-violet effects on your foliage and flowers? For example, I went up the hill with one of the dogs a couple of days ago and noticed that Prunella (self-heal) was a strong purple in both flower and leaf. Gorse (Ulex europaeus) forms fascinating bun shapes with little sprouts on the leeward side of the mound whereas lower down I'd be crashing through a nasty towering mass around ten foot tall.

Is your national forest area comprised of indigenous species? Old forest or regrowth? And does it seed into your property? I'm wildly guessing at Pinus contorta if you experience forest fires at all. Sounds like a great area for dog walks.

Composting: you can do it in-ground, in trenches, which could hold the water and reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion. Another way is to do sheet mulching which is a nice way of saying spread the weeds on the surface to rot down.

Long and narrow sounds like an interesting challenge. Mine is heaps tinier though I have worked bigger areas. The land is very gently sloping to the north (your south) and has good wind shelter from my prevailing wind which is northerly. A silty loam, because it used to be under pasture for dairying. It has its moments...

Sounds that you have very early starts to your day. I work from home so I have no commuting to do, but I don't usually get into the garden until the afternoon. Sometimes all I do is putter, and Think-Plot. I reckon that's a vital task for a gardener, especially when autumn comes.

Thank you for the acknowledgement about posts on the GW. Feels nice to receive.