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I just moved to Huntersville from Grand Rapids, MI due to a job change. We had almost an acre and a huge house at my old place, which I used to create a little urban homestead. Here, I have a 3-rd floor 3 bedroom apartment with lots of windows but a small, shady porch.
As you can imagine, I miss my dirt.
What resources are available for urban homesteaders in the Charlotte area? I'm interested in community gardens, local greenhouses, community groups, that sort of thing. Even just a place to buy worms for a vermicomposter!
It's been a long time since I was a porch gardener, and even then it was a completely different climate. I'd love to hook up with fellow urban gardeners to learn and hang out
LOL, chromekitty. It's very unlikely that that particular law will have any significant impact on community gardens, especially because most gardens are for individual/family produce, not for food production for resale
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by summeralyssa
I just moved to Huntersville from Grand Rapids, MI due to a job change. We had almost an acre and a huge house at my old place, which I used to create a little urban homestead. Here, I have a 3-rd floor 3 bedroom apartment with lots of windows but a small, shady porch.
As you can imagine, I miss my dirt.
What resources are available for urban homesteaders in the Charlotte area? I'm interested in community gardens, local greenhouses, community groups, that sort of thing. Even just a place to buy worms for a vermicomposter!
It's been a long time since I was a porch gardener, and even then it was a completely different climate. I'd love to hook up with fellow urban gardeners to learn and hang out
Thanks in advance!
Summer
Hi Summer.
I can't answer your specific questions (I live west of Charlotte), but I'm curious. Is the apartment temporary while you look at houses?
I spent a good part of my childhood in Grand Rapids. (NE end of town, ~3 blocks from Fulton St, between Aquinas & Marywood) My parents moved us in the mid '60s to South Jersey, where we encountered Piedmont clay, which is what you have here.
Where I'm going with this is that there's a learning curve with the clay, so even if you had a house with a yard, you'd still be missing your dirt.
LOL, chromekitty. It's very unlikely that that particular law will have any significant impact on community gardens, especially because most gardens are for individual/family produce, not for food production for resale
Well we shall see.....but I can tell you that its very real.....also I can tell you of TWO community gardens in Gaston County that are not being allowed to operate this year. The government doesn't make laws etc....for something to do. So do with that what you will and good luck!
Hi Southbound! Thanks for your reply! I lived on the NW side (out by Remembrance & Leonard), but I love that area of Fulton. My nonprofit's summer program operates at Temple, right across from Aquinas
I don't think we're moving to a house any time soon... due to the crappy housing marketing in MI, we had to rent out our house because it wouldn't sell from what we owed on it.
I have noticed that all the dirt around here seems to be an unnatural shade of red, so you're probably right, lol! Though I bet the climate is going to make up for what I miss about loamy soil
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by summeralyssa
Hi Southbound! Thanks for your reply! I lived on the NW side (out by Remembrance & Leonard), but I love that area of Fulton. My nonprofit's summer program operates at Temple, right across from Aquinas
I don't think we're moving to a house any time soon... due to the crappy housing marketing in MI, we had to rent out our house because it wouldn't sell from what we owed on it.
I have noticed that all the dirt around here seems to be an unnatural shade of red, so you're probably right, lol! Though I bet the climate is going to make up for what I miss about loamy soil
Summer, I understand your housing situation, totally. My best friend from kindergarten is still in GR & she & her husband are thinking of coming here for retirement. They have a house in Grand Rapids, just north of Marywood that had been her grandparents', & a winterized cottage at Baldwin Lake.
When it gets closer to your lease being up, you might want to consider renting a house. Just ask if it's OK to make a garden. A small garden at a rented house would be better than what you're dealing with now.
You will have to acclimate to the summer temps, but except for that little glitch, I think you're going to love this climate. If it makes you feel any better, my friend sent me a picture the other day of the snow at their cottage. Eek!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by southbound_295; 04-06-2011 at 09:55 AM..
Welcome to the area. Here is a link to a site with several listings for Charlotte. Cooks Garden should be relatively near you. The only ones of these that I can vouch for actually being there is the one on 51 in Matthews.
Hi Southbound! Thanks for your reply! I lived on the NW side (out by Remembrance & Leonard), but I love that area of Fulton. My nonprofit's summer program operates at Temple, right across from Aquinas
I don't think we're moving to a house any time soon... due to the crappy housing marketing in MI, we had to rent out our house because it wouldn't sell from what we owed on it.
I have noticed that all the dirt around here seems to be an unnatural shade of red, so you're probably right, lol! Though I bet the climate is going to make up for what I miss about loamy soil
Hi-don't be mislead by that red clay soil-it's actually very fertile if ammended with some organic material.
We live up in Mooresville and have just over an acre and grew veggies for the first time ever last year, with (to our surprise) fairly good success, although the squash kinda took over.
We only have a small veg patch, but are trying to create "areas" in the reaminder of the yard which includes lawn, wooded areas and landscaped areas with shrubs etc.
It certainly keeps us going-I don't work so most falls down to me!
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