Why, Oh, Why a Blog About Gardening?
My husband was absolutely intrigued when I showed him the first attempt at my blog. Knowing me to be a very private person, he wondered where this all came from . . .
Well . . . gardening can be a very solitary endeavor. And when you live in a hollow in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, even more so. Jus' me scratching away at the dirt, muttering to myself at my guffaws, and listening to the echoes of my victory yelps when something goes/grows well. A sense of community and sharing of ideas keeps me going - therefore, I blog.
Oh, yes, and I'm originally from right outside Manhattan and spent my first ten years out of college in Manhattan and Long Island. So, the experience of moving to five acres has been humbling and humiliating on levels I never could have imagined as a New Yorker. I have found, that this is a huge part of the whole adventure. My carefully cultivated skills from office jobs and the indulgent laziness of apartment living don't cut it. There's no take-out, no mass transit, no crowds - just the woefully inept me and the sound of my panicked gulps as a I learn a new skill.
So far, it has run the gamut from my learning how to operate a tractor (*many* gulps accompanied by dry mouth and a racing heart) to building raised vegetables beds to buying my first, very own 4 X 4 truck.
The disclaimer here (in case you haven't picked up on this point already) is that I am no expert. Just someone who daydreamed about this life while I sat in my fancy office in NYC . . . and actively sought it out.
I do enjoy researching and reading as much as possible - so I'm hoping I can chronicle and share what I have learned about gardening in the Albemarle/Charlottesville area (Zone 7 - for you sticklers for detail). LOTS of experiments, lots of do-it-yourself projects, with a nod to the use of recycled materials, as well as incorporating the world of organic gardening practices and permaculture into our life (I'll try to keep that last bit more fun than preachy . . . ).
My husband was absolutely intrigued when I showed him the first attempt at my blog. Knowing me to be a very private person, he wondered where this all came from . . .
Well . . . gardening can be a very solitary endeavor. And when you live in a hollow in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, even more so. Jus' me scratching away at the dirt, muttering to myself at my guffaws, and listening to the echoes of my victory yelps when something goes/grows well. A sense of community and sharing of ideas keeps me going - therefore, I blog.
Oh, yes, and I'm originally from right outside Manhattan and spent my first ten years out of college in Manhattan and Long Island. So, the experience of moving to five acres has been humbling and humiliating on levels I never could have imagined as a New Yorker. I have found, that this is a huge part of the whole adventure. My carefully cultivated skills from office jobs and the indulgent laziness of apartment living don't cut it. There's no take-out, no mass transit, no crowds - just the woefully inept me and the sound of my panicked gulps as a I learn a new skill.
So far, it has run the gamut from my learning how to operate a tractor (*many* gulps accompanied by dry mouth and a racing heart) to building raised vegetables beds to buying my first, very own 4 X 4 truck.
The disclaimer here (in case you haven't picked up on this point already) is that I am no expert. Just someone who daydreamed about this life while I sat in my fancy office in NYC . . . and actively sought it out.
I do enjoy researching and reading as much as possible - so I'm hoping I can chronicle and share what I have learned about gardening in the Albemarle/Charlottesville area (Zone 7 - for you sticklers for detail). LOTS of experiments, lots of do-it-yourself projects, with a nod to the use of recycled materials, as well as incorporating the world of organic gardening practices and permaculture into our life (I'll try to keep that last bit more fun than preachy . . . ).
Onward!
9 comments:
I to am a very private person..shy to some extent..
and my husband was just as surprised and intrigued when he found out I had started a gardening blog~first I had to explain the meaning of blog to him..he is very computer illiterate! We are secluded pretty much...no close neighbors..surrounded by national forest~love that, wouldnt change a thing...but it is fun to share your garden..with other garden enthusiest...my husband and son sometimes think I am crazy for getting sooo excited over a bud, or bloom, or bug... anyways...enjoyed your blog...and your post, and your beautiful photo's.
Very Nice site! Mary t
I'm very glad you're blogging. All my friends were surprised when I started, but I wanted to tell the stuff I knew along with asking questions about the stuff I didn't.~~Dee
Tracey,
Thank you for your wonderful blog. I am really enjoying your combination of gardening and music. I have found growing vegetables very rewarding the past few years, and I love your music selections. Based on your rotations, I can also recommend Band of Horses and Nada Surf - both recent visitors to Charlottesville.
Thanks,
Laura
Tracey-
I just, after all of this, read your bio. I had no idea you were a YANKEE. :)
And I say that affectionately. You're adapting to the south surprisingly well. As always, I love reading your blog. Keep up the amazing writing and sharing.
Thank you!
Kate
i think that blogging is for the private person. I'm someone who isn't very social. I like to come home and chill out alone, or just with my fiance or my mum.
IMHO, blogging is a great way of expressing thoughts and opinions without actively being social (at least social in a traditional sense). I don't think it makes the connections you make online any less real, in fact I think that you can get to know other people very well.
Sorry for the essay, just some thoughts after a couple of wines on a Saturday night...
Love your blog! I know how you feel out in the countryside...although not as big a move as you, I packed up my nice and neat New York co-op and moved up...way up, to the far reaches of the Hudson Valley. Its certainly different, but nothing has been so rewarding as to be able to grow my own food!
I'm wondering what you recommend for those pesky mosquitos (no-see-ums) We live down the road from you in Waverly subdivision. Can't enjoy being outside for too long due to this.
Mary Anne
Hi Mary Anne!
Believe it or not, we don't have a ton of no-see-ums out our way. I think it is because we have a lot of birds, bats, etc. Maybe try to encourage the wildlife - so they can take care of the bugs themselves?
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