Ahh, another Nutmegger, Welcome! We've tried and had a pretty good location that was free but only 3 of us showed up. Honestly, there aren't that many GardenWeb regulars from this area of the state. But..in our well used Carolina forum we have the additions of 'Exchanges' and 'Conversation' so there's no reason we can't meet there and maybe get something organized for fall. If you go into the 'Exchanges' section, you'll find lots of activity and plans, just not in this area. What part of the Charlotte area is home to you now? I'm in Matthews (again) after 8 years in Weddington. Been here since 1985 from New Haven cty.

Instructions there for joining?

Mom, you might want to slip over to the Carolina forum, a subset of the Southern Gardening Forum. Very active and we have 2 subforums for Conversations as well as Exchanges. Zone 7/8 in Charlotte is on the southside close to SC and also in Union County near SC. The vinca referred to is the annual flowering type, not the groundcover with the pretty lilac colored blooms(spring). My best reseeders this year have been datura (highly toxic)and perennial ageratum that blooms the same time as my blackeyed susans. The BES are thugs,spreading wildly so they cover a good 6-10 square intersperced with the blueviolet frothy blooms of the ageratum and at the same height. Good for an English garden appearance but hard to keep inbounds in a less deep border. The verbena B. comes up everywhere and grows thinly about 3-4' tall/spindly. The goldfinches adore the seedheads and watching them do their gymnastics to hold on to the swaying plant while feeding is fun to watch. Gloriosa daisy is a very dependable reseeder. My first came down as seeds from Ct. in 1985 and have moved two more times. Excellent,long lasting cut flowers but they don't flower much beyond the first flush of blooms (now). In your shady/part shady areas you can have great luck with coleus. Get the biggest plant you can find(bushy) and take cuttings and put them in plastic cups of water. In two weeks you'll have them all rooted (just plain water) and ready to put in the soil. Are you somewhere where there are deer and/or rabbits? 'wonbyherwits' has great blogs and garden photos on how she deals with the critters and a spectacular landscape.

Thanks for the input bumblebeez -Fontana and Toxaway both seem to have more of the "lake culture" that I have fallen in love with back east -I have a hard time putting it into words, but it is made up of 100+ year old cottages, families who have been coming to the same lake for generations, old canoes, ice-cream stands, lake roads that insist on a speed limit under 20 lest you bust a tire, etc.... I was wondering about that very thing where Lake Norman was concerned. It seemed very 'new' and more about impressive homes than charming cottages. But we've been interested in Charlotte for awhile, so I was hoping it was more charming than I was finding. We stopped in western NC on a roadtrip to the Outerbanks a few years ago, and really loved it. So would you say Fontana has more of the lake culture than Toxaway?