Elle
04-29-2009, 01:18 PM
Hi everyone,
I'm a military spouse to an active duty service member (14 + years) living here in Fleming Island, FL (south of Jacksonville). We border a several hundred acre nature preservation that neighbors the St. Johns River. While we live here in the 'suburbs' .. this community is one of those concepts of 'small town U.S.A. where all of your needs are within a small radius. We moved here with the military a year ago and out of all of the areas, this was the greatest for it's ability to keep commute low and have an existence in balance with nature. While it's frustrating to see development, I think it's one of the best done I've seen in awhile (previously worked in real estate).
We're so excited with the surge of interest in urban sustainability. I have always wanted to do this but didn't realize that there were like minded families out there in residential communities.. We have 2 school aged children that are immersed in the outdoors and in touch with nature, and it's a great learning experience for all of us to be aware of our effects on the original residents (the animals and other wildlife) that call our backyard 'home'.
Anyhow.. with the gardening aspect that we've just started.. I could use some advice and suggestions, being that we are leasing a home. We can't do anything over the top that is permanent. We started with a gated/fenced garden area that can be resodded before we move out (long term lease so this is years from now). I'm also looking at another area of the yard that is neglected mulched, landscape space that had a dead tree. It neighbors a gutter downspout that husband wants to convert to a rain collection site to help with watering (it sure would be very accessible to this side of the yard!)
If anyone has time to look at the photos on the blog, I have mid-way down some photos of the back and side yards.
The side yard that is mostly Saint Augustine, husband doesn't want to alter. The other side yard (that has the bird bath/trees in view) is all weeded halfway down near the pond and gets full sun. That is a possibility for raised beds once we see that everything else is taking off. We have a great relationship with our neighbors (who even have an expansive flower garden), so I may even be able to get them to help and we can share in what we grow.
One major thing to mention is the amount of wildlife that we have back here. Raccoons, armadillo, oppossum, deer at times (we do have a pond gator but he obviously wouldn't be interested in our garden) and concern over their getting into anything we plant.. just north of that area that I just described we call a 'bird sanctuary'. There's usually 15 or so cardinals, woodpeckers, finches, etc.. so I wouldn't want to put anything berry related or that may attract my little feathery friends - it's too close in proximity to their feeders.
Any suggestions?
www.ourvictorygarden.wordpress.com
Thanks so much for reading...!!
I'm a military spouse to an active duty service member (14 + years) living here in Fleming Island, FL (south of Jacksonville). We border a several hundred acre nature preservation that neighbors the St. Johns River. While we live here in the 'suburbs' .. this community is one of those concepts of 'small town U.S.A. where all of your needs are within a small radius. We moved here with the military a year ago and out of all of the areas, this was the greatest for it's ability to keep commute low and have an existence in balance with nature. While it's frustrating to see development, I think it's one of the best done I've seen in awhile (previously worked in real estate).
We're so excited with the surge of interest in urban sustainability. I have always wanted to do this but didn't realize that there were like minded families out there in residential communities.. We have 2 school aged children that are immersed in the outdoors and in touch with nature, and it's a great learning experience for all of us to be aware of our effects on the original residents (the animals and other wildlife) that call our backyard 'home'.
Anyhow.. with the gardening aspect that we've just started.. I could use some advice and suggestions, being that we are leasing a home. We can't do anything over the top that is permanent. We started with a gated/fenced garden area that can be resodded before we move out (long term lease so this is years from now). I'm also looking at another area of the yard that is neglected mulched, landscape space that had a dead tree. It neighbors a gutter downspout that husband wants to convert to a rain collection site to help with watering (it sure would be very accessible to this side of the yard!)
If anyone has time to look at the photos on the blog, I have mid-way down some photos of the back and side yards.
The side yard that is mostly Saint Augustine, husband doesn't want to alter. The other side yard (that has the bird bath/trees in view) is all weeded halfway down near the pond and gets full sun. That is a possibility for raised beds once we see that everything else is taking off. We have a great relationship with our neighbors (who even have an expansive flower garden), so I may even be able to get them to help and we can share in what we grow.
One major thing to mention is the amount of wildlife that we have back here. Raccoons, armadillo, oppossum, deer at times (we do have a pond gator but he obviously wouldn't be interested in our garden) and concern over their getting into anything we plant.. just north of that area that I just described we call a 'bird sanctuary'. There's usually 15 or so cardinals, woodpeckers, finches, etc.. so I wouldn't want to put anything berry related or that may attract my little feathery friends - it's too close in proximity to their feeders.
Any suggestions?
www.ourvictorygarden.wordpress.com
Thanks so much for reading...!!