Welcome New Followers and How Seven Oaks Got Its Name

We've reached a new landmark on the Seven Oaks blog - 50 followers. Welcome! I hope you enjoy tales from Seven Oaks, our 17 acre timber farm here in the middle of south central Virginia.  For those new to the blog, we moved onto this little piece of heaven on October 1, 2007.  Since then, we transformed a bare dirt clearing into the gardens you see on this blog.  Almost everything we grow is grown 100% organically.  We grow fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers for our family's enjoyment and consumption, and the rest of our land is planted with loblolly pine, a marketable timber crop used by the paper industry. Except for a little piece of land bounded by creeks on all sides and very swampy, almost everything here is pine trees. We're zone 6b in a good year, almost a 7, and in a bad year we're closer to a zone 6.  Old timers say that our town has its own zone and the farmers here tell me that is true; they have learned it's best in our little part of the world to read nature's signs rather than rely on the weatherman.

Before and After:  Spring 2008 saw the start of the sunny flower garden next to the driveway....

Spring 2008 - dirt, rocks, clay but the outline is there

Spring 2011:  Blooming shrubs, perennials, pathways and hardscapes.

Spring 2011

Spring 2011 - pathways, plants and more

Before moving to Seven Oaks, I lived on Long Island.  I worked as a marketing executive for a global publishing company in New York City.  I adore New York City, particularly the area around Lincoln Center where I used to work.  But I really love life in the country and life as a freelancer.

Today, I make my living providing marketing consulting and service as an editor for many websites including LoveToKnow Herbs, which is all about herb gardening for those who love herbs.  I write about home and garden topics, health and alternative health, business and marketing for major publications in print and online. 

I'm the author of two gardening books too - Get Your Hands Dirty, a Beginner's Guide to Gardening, and Attracting Birds to the Garden.

I hope you enjoy the Seven Oaks blog. Do leave a comment, and you can email me too.

Curious about how Seven Oaks got its name?  No, it's not because there are only seven oak trees on our entire property.  It's a funny story and you can read it here: How Seven Oaks Got Its Name
Thank you for following this blog!