A Gardening Vacation?

[digitS']

You have probably already planned your summer vacation - bought tickets, made reservations . . . packed your bags . . .

Okay, then how about next year ? These things should be like wine, in the cask for a good long time to mellow and develop complex, rich flavors, right?

How about a gardening vacation :coolsun?

Would it help to go somewhere different - like if you live in the mountains to go to a tropical beach or if you live somewhere with a hot summer to go somewhere cool? Well sure, if you can benefit from a refreshing change of scenery. And, couldn't we all ?!?

But, how about going somewhere with a different culture but a very similar environment to your very own backyard garden? How would you go about finding that place?

Well, maybe you could start by looking up your city (or closest city) in Wikipedia. The climate section gets you started - look for the Kppen climate classification if you are lucky enuf to have that listed. But, look at it carefully - you are interested in the SUMMER, growing season climate. And remember, Wikipedia is not always 100% accurate about anything. Still, getting some idea of what your growing season climate amounts to is important to finding that destination, half a world away.

Check out the Kppen climate classification that you are able to come up with. Wikipedia will give you some worldwide examples. Now, you are getting somewhere !!

You may be able to make use of the Weather Channel's Vacation Planner, Climate Comparison (click). Or, go thru the links Wikipedia provides for climate services in the country that looks like it might be just about right . . .

A gardening vacation destination for me is Burgos, in the mountains of northern Spain . I have kept track of the weather there for about 12 months now on my Yahoo homepage . Really, the winter weather isn't all that much different and Burgos is getting the warm weather we are supposed to be getting right now in our neck of the woods but summer averages for temperature highs & lows and precipitation . . . average out .

Now, find that local bed & breakfast, find out about local transportation (because you might miss by 20 or 40 kilometers ) make your reservations, pack your bags, and you are off -- to explore someone's backyard garden, half a world away!!

Now, if I could just get one summer day off to go anywhere . . .

Steve :coolsun

 

[lesa]

Well, Steve on the rare occasion that I take a summer vacation... I go the Flower Festival in Vermont (it was just this weekend, I didn't go....) You have an opportunity to tour lots of different gardens. Some tiny, on a city lot- and some huge. It really is wonderful time, and you leave feeling so full of good ideas, that your head is in danger of bursting!
You are the weather guru- Vermont has a growing season similar to mine, but they have amazing soil. I am told one of the most fertile in the US. Everyone's yards and gardens are beautiful. Even the landscaping in front of the local Subway is super attractive....
Where ever I end up- I try to squeeze in a Botanical Garden or something of the sort!

 

[Carol Dee]

Great Idea Steve

 

[digitS']

Soil makes a difference - a very important difference. Only once in the last 45 years have I tried to grow things in a quite different soil than what I'm used to. The climate 85 miles south is much the same but the soil really threw me!

There would also be something of cultural imperatives. Sort of like Americans who simply must grow tomatoes even if they have no other vegetables. Or, gardeners like me who try and try to grow melons even tho' my garden environment is just not quite right for melons.

The Spanish gardener may have to grow or try to grow some pepper or salad green despite the fact that Burgos has an inappropriate environment. Coming up with a very limited harvest after the struggle might be good enuf just so that he or she can participate in the experience. Still, I can't think of anything that would broaden my horizon better than visiting gardens in the mountains of Spain . . . unless it was in the Carpathian mountains of Hungary . . . or, the Lake District of Argentina .

Hoodat has already told me that the Japanese island of Hokkaido is much like Maine which is probably somewhat similar to some of the country around here. A few people from Vermont end up living in northern Idaho and talk about the similarity of climates. I suspect that if the soil is very fertile in Vermont, some of the similarities end there. Don't know Vermont personally, my experiences in New England was in Connecticut.

Steve, Western Hick.

 

[Greenthumb18]

Hey Guys,
I don't mean to change the subject but, I'm having some problems today with posting a new post. I changed my quote just today and instead of it saying "Post new topic" it says "Post item for Sale". Anyone know why it says this?

Thanks!

 

[lesa]

Same thing happened to me- I am guessing it is a bug from the forum updates....

 

[Greenthumb18]

Same thing happened to me- I am guessing it is a bug from the forum updates....

Lesa,
Thanks for replying! Is their anyway to get out of this? I can't post a new reply.