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Old 02-17-2016, 09:27 PM
 
Location: Covington KY
123 posts, read 188,545 times
Reputation: 125

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Quote:
Originally Posted by marino760 View Post
One of the things I'm looking forward to is growing a real veggie garden when I move out there as well as being able to purchase locally grown fruits.
I live in the desert area of So Cal and it's really hard to grow anything here. It's too hot in the summer even for tomatoes to do well come July/August/Sept with daily temps about 100-110 being fairly normal and the soils here are nothing more than pulverized rock. A tiny little bag of black walnuts or pecans will set you back about $10 and store bought fruits and vegetables taste like card board.
A couple of years ago, I planted some heirloom tomatoes and babied them all summer. I planted them in large containers and had them on casters to I could move them in and out of the shade depending how hot it was during parts of the day. I became a slave to them, rushing home from work to move them and water them daily before they began to wilt lol. I vowed never again.
I can relate, some of the veggies do really well here in Florida and some don't - even if you babysit. I am really excited about having 4 distinct seasons in Kentucky. I think that will make it a little easier to plan a garden. I know the weather can be unpredictable in Kentucky but there are good indicators of when the seasons change. I can't wait! I love growing tomatoes but I have to put them in containers to babysit - mainly because of bugs. Tomatoes are heavy feeders so you can feed, water and watch the sun every single day, get it all just right and come home to the whole plant invaded by bugs.

Have you decided on where you're moving to in Kentucky yet? Are you moving this year? So exciting, isn't it!?
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Old 02-17-2016, 09:56 PM
 
Location: Covington KY
123 posts, read 188,545 times
Reputation: 125
Quote:
Originally Posted by CraigCreek View Post
There are many farmers' markets in Kentucky, plus roadside stands and produce outlet stores other than groceries and supermarkets, and farm fresh produce is one of the summer delights of our Commonwealth. In addition, many larger farmers' markets offer flowers and ornamental plants and a few plant-oriented crafts, Kentucky raised meat, cider, baked breads and pies, honey, beeswax items, even geodes and Kentucky agates! There are also local orchards which offer various kinds of fruits and vegetables, along with related items and family activities.

Additional fruits grown in Kentucky include berries of almost all kinds, melons of all kinds, pawpaws, which are native to Kentucky, pears, and persimmons, also native. Cider can be found at orchards and farmers' markets in the fall, and is delicious. Corn was a pioneer staple, and continues to be popular in many forms: on the cob, corn bread, corn pudding, and more. Vegetables of all kinds can be grown in Kentucky, starting in spring with Bibb and other lettuces and other green crops. Cantaloupe is a summer treat, with Casey County cantaloupes being the best. Fresh Kentucky tomatoes are delicious.

Apples of various kinds do well in Kentucky, and are readily available at farmers' markets, starting in June with early varieties which usually are great for homemade applesauce, and peaking in the fall. Pumpkins, squash, and non-edible but very decorative gourds are found in fall farmers' markets, along with bittersweet and chrysanthemums.

Kentucky wildflowers will be starting to bloom next month, but you won't find them in the farmers' markets! However, they're welcome harbingers of spring (some literally!), and once they begin to appear, we know that winter is over and the warm days are returning.

Welcome to Kentucky.
Thank you CC, you are always too kind and willing to share a wealth of knowledge.

What are pawpaws? I will look that up! I didn't know pears and persimmons were native to Kentucky! Blackberries grow wild here in some specific areas but it's typically a challenge to reach. When I was a kid, we had wild blackberries growing near our house. My friend and I would pick them sometimes but we had to really watch for snakes and those thorn vines would wrap around our legs every single time! It usually wasn't worth the bounty of just a handful of berries.

I have seen quite a few pictures of corn growing in Kentucky so I figured it was definitely a staple. I'm happy about that. I used to help my grandpa grow corn when I was a kid and I remember eating it raw. He grew turnips too and I ate those raw lol

What about peanuts? Some people grow peanuts here in Florida but they are usually small and I'm not sure why. The boiled peanuts found here are big and I don't know where those come from.

I'm glad you mentioned the flowers. My sister lived in Tennessee for a few years and we drove up a couple of times. There were daffodils growing wild on the side of the roads! I couldn't believe my eyes! Some bulb flowers will pop up in the spring here for a few weeks (mainly just a few lily varieties) but they are not wild. If you want daffodils in Florida, you buy them. They are sold for quite a bit of money around Easter and then you watch them die in a few weeks.

I've seen a lot of clay in Kentucky, will fruit trees and veggies grow in clay?
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Old 02-17-2016, 10:11 PM
 
Location: In the Pearl of the Purchase, Ky
11,010 posts, read 17,383,046 times
Reputation: 44118
Quote:
Originally Posted by wlc74 View Post
Why are you glad the black walnut tree didn't produce? I don't think I've ever seen a black walnut tree before. Are they messy?
I can tell you've never walked across the driveway and had a walnut fall out of the tree and hit you in the head. It aint pretty! lol My back yard is usually covered with at least 30-35 gallons of black walnuts. It's a pain picking them up so you can mow or do anything! My parents used to live in this house and my mother kept an old 5 iron in the garage where she could "golf" the walnuts into a pile by the corner of the garage. I'm not a big fan of walnuts. I'll take the pecans. We have one pecan tree in the yard but you need two to produce nuts.

wlc, I meant to say something when you mentioned boiled peanuts. I have found one store that sells them in W. Ky. There's probably others but there's a convenience market at exit 65 on I-24 at Cadiz that sells them. But, on our several trips to visit my step daughter and family in South Carolina, I finally stopped to buy some. I loved them and left a trail of peanut shells on four interstates between Camden, SC and Cadiz, Ky. lol

If you like turnips they grow very well around here. Knew a farmer, up where all the pecan trees were, would plant 10 acres of turnips in his river bottom farm land for anybody that wanted them. They can have them! Some of the men I worked with would sit there and eat a couple of them raw.
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Old 02-18-2016, 07:13 AM
 
17,264 posts, read 11,085,176 times
Reputation: 40516
Quote:
Originally Posted by wlc74 View Post
I can relate, some of the veggies do really well here in Florida and some don't - even if you babysit. I am really excited about having 4 distinct seasons in Kentucky. I think that will make it a little easier to plan a garden. I know the weather can be unpredictable in Kentucky but there are good indicators of when the seasons change. I can't wait! I love growing tomatoes but I have to put them in containers to babysit - mainly because of bugs. Tomatoes are heavy feeders so you can feed, water and watch the sun every single day, get it all just right and come home to the whole plant invaded by bugs.

Have you decided on where you're moving to in Kentucky yet? Are you moving this year? So exciting, isn't it!?
No, I haven't decided yet. I still have 4-5 years before I actually will buy a house there and then move. I need to get all my ducks in order because my plan is to transfer from my job here (full time) to a job in Kentucky (part time) when I'm 62 and sell my current home here. I have a 4 year degree in horticulture and have worked running the garden center here at the local Lowes for 14 years. I need to find a Lowes in Kentucky that will let me transfer there and become part-time but I hope that won't be a problem. That limits me to which towns I will move to unless I commute which I really don't want to do.
I'll spend some time the last 2 years before semi-retiring visiting a few towns in Kentucky and then requesting a transfer when I decide.
I think each area of Kentucky has it's good qualities that need to be balanced with things that may not be so ideal. For instance Western Kentucky has a milder winter climate but hotter summers. The cost of living there is lower and I think it will be easier to find a home there. I really like both Mayfield and Madisonville but they are more likely to have tornadoes. In Central Kentucky, there is so much history and the downtowns are so lovely which includes Bardstown and Danville just to name a couple but the home prices can be higher. Eastern Kentucky (Corbin) has the topography and natural beauty but the winters can have more snow.
Taking all these things into consideration, I seem to always lean towards Mayfield because overall it seems to be very well balanced, is very affordable, low crimes rates, still has a nice quaint downtown. I just need to not be paranoid about tornadoes.
Either of these homes would be a dream home for me. I don't mind putting some money and time into them to make needed repairs and updates. Can you tell I like old houses?

703 N 13th St, Mayfield, KY 42066 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®

944 W Broadway, Mayfield, KY 42066 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®
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Old 02-18-2016, 09:49 AM
 
Location: 78745
4,481 posts, read 4,532,378 times
Reputation: 7974
Quote:
Originally Posted by marino760 View Post
Speaking of Kentucky food in general, I recently found a recipe for Kentucky butter/bourbon cake. I didn't have any bourbon so substituted rum. OMG, what it delicious! Shamefully within a few days, I ate the entire cake by myself.
Eating a whole cake within a few days isn't so bad. Be thankful you have the discipline not to have eaten the entire cake at one sitting.
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Old 02-18-2016, 10:26 AM
 
Location: In the Pearl of the Purchase, Ky
11,010 posts, read 17,383,046 times
Reputation: 44118
Quote:
Originally Posted by marino760 View Post
Either of these homes would be a dream home for me. I don't mind putting some money and time into them to make needed repairs and updates. Can you tell I like old houses?

703 N 13th St, Mayfield, KY 42066 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®

944 W Broadway, Mayfield, KY 42066 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®
Marino, I used to live 2 blocks from the 13th St. house. I drove by it the other day going to work. It's a pretty good neighborhood. Not the best but not the worst either. You're about a half mile from our hospital
Home | Jackson Purchase Medical Center, and the county fairgrounds is just before you get to the hospital. They have trade days there on Mondays. There is also a bowling alley pretty close. You're within walking distance of Dairy Queen and the Dollar General store. (You'll also walk by the furniture store where I work!) lol
The bypass around Mayfield, part of the Purchase Parkway, is being brought up to interstate standards since it will be part of I-69, which is going from near Galveston, Texas, to near Detroit Michigan. This part of town will be built up more as the interstate traffic picks up. You're also a couple blocks away from War Memorial Stadium, home of the Mayfield High School Cardinals football team. The Cards have won 12 state championships since 1977 including last year's making 4 in a row.
The one problem with the Broadway house is there isn't a grocery on that side of town. It's about a mile from the next exit up from the hospital to get on the bypass I was talking about. It's about 7 blocks from the post office, 9 from the courthouse. Don't get me wrong, it's not a long drive to the store, just nothing on that side of town, for now. Well, block across from you does have a little convenience market with gas. There is also the fire department on one corner and a pawn shop on the other side of the store.
Didn't mean to drag on so much, but thought I'd tell you what I knew about the area.
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Old 02-18-2016, 10:43 AM
 
Location: Covington KY
123 posts, read 188,545 times
Reputation: 125
Quote:
Originally Posted by kygman View Post
I can tell you've never walked across the driveway and had a walnut fall out of the tree and hit you in the head. It aint pretty! lol My back yard is usually covered with at least 30-35 gallons of black walnuts. It's a pain picking them up so you can mow or do anything! My parents used to live in this house and my mother kept an old 5 iron in the garage where she could "golf" the walnuts into a pile by the corner of the garage. I'm not a big fan of walnuts. I'll take the pecans. We have one pecan tree in the yard but you need two to produce nuts.

wlc, I meant to say something when you mentioned boiled peanuts. I have found one store that sells them in W. Ky. There's probably others but there's a convenience market at exit 65 on I-24 at Cadiz that sells them. But, on our several trips to visit my step daughter and family in South Carolina, I finally stopped to buy some. I loved them and left a trail of peanut shells on four interstates between Camden, SC and Cadiz, Ky. lol

If you like turnips they grow very well around here. Knew a farmer, up where all the pecan trees were, would plant 10 acres of turnips in his river bottom farm land for anybody that wanted them. They can have them! Some of the men I worked with would sit there and eat a couple of them raw.
Ha! Thank you for responding, I've enjoyed the feedback! No, I don't know much about walnut trees or what they look like when the walnuts are dropping. I didn't even think about the mess in the yard or the potential head injury lol

We have a local joke here about boiled peanuts. They are called the "caviar of central Florida" lol, so tasty, arent they? One could become addicted. I'm happy to know that we will find them in Kentucky. It's a whole lot easier to buy them than it is to make them yourself.

Ten acres of turnips! That's a whole lot! lol One would definitely need a turnip truck for that many!
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Old 02-18-2016, 10:49 AM
 
Location: Covington KY
123 posts, read 188,545 times
Reputation: 125
Quote:
Originally Posted by marino760 View Post
No, I haven't decided yet. I still have 4-5 years before I actually will buy a house there and then move. I need to get all my ducks in order because my plan is to transfer from my job here (full time) to a job in Kentucky (part time) when I'm 62 and sell my current home here.

Good luck with you decision. Keep us posted!

Either of these homes would be a dream home for me. I don't mind putting some money and time into them to make needed repairs and updates. Can you tell I like old houses?

703 N 13th St, Mayfield, KY 42066 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®

944 W Broadway, Mayfield, KY 42066 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®
Older homes are so charming, I love them too. That second one listed on Broadway is beautiful!
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Old 02-18-2016, 12:19 PM
 
Location: In the Pearl of the Purchase, Ky
11,010 posts, read 17,383,046 times
Reputation: 44118
Here's another house to check out. Nice quiet neighborhood. Belonged to a family friend at church who passed away a few months ago.
714 E Walnut St, Mayfield, KY 42066 - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - realtor.com®
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Old 02-18-2016, 12:22 PM
 
17,264 posts, read 11,085,176 times
Reputation: 40516
Kygman, you are a wealth of knowledge on Western Kentucky and will look you up when I come to visit Mayfield. If I move to Mayfield, I'll probably buy some furniture from you since I doubt I'll be moving much furniture with me.
Wic74, yes I love old homes and it's always been a goal of mine to live in one. That one on Broadway is indeed especially beautiful.
Moving to Kentucky will be an adventure and one I'm very much looking forward to. I don't think I'm very picky. I at least try to be open minded, like southern culture and LOVE southern food. A few years ago I had grits for the first time in my life in Louisville, LOL.
When the time comes, my goal is to find an old inexpensive house with good bones and a little bit of charm in a decent neighborhood. A black walnut tree or pecan tree in the yard would be a nice plus
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