Here in the Piedmont of NC..two hours or so from the mountains and the sea..we are mostly zone 7B with pockets in our yard that I think are more 7A.
Many homes in the rural buffer (just outside Chapel Hill) are on minimum of two acres...much of it wooded. Temper runs high about the issue of how to manage the deer. the deer are a huge problem. We have (I have no experience ) coyote. I see red fox -- not a problem. Every now and again (actually less than that ) a bear will cause problems -- on the highways. Once while gardening a peacock strolled right on by me. I said not a word... I thought it was my psychedelic past catching up with me. Later, the hubby saw it and did mention it...he has no psychedelic past.
Not counting bee keeping and farms with animals ( those may have a different take on the greatest problems) the main gardening nuisance problems are the deer and the rabbits...birds to some extent and squirrels. Snakes don't impact the garden except in a beneficial way ...except if I think there IS a snake..I don't care if the Publisher's House AND the HGTV Dream Home folks come a knockin' -- nothing is getting done by me out there..and I ain't opening the door.
This area is flush with nurseries..very big and sorta small...ditto landscapers and garden designers. The big thing now is water features. Botanical gardens big and small, garden tours, educational opportunities related to gardening, and recycling, the environment, growing food, and conservation. There.are beautifully landscaped parks and lots of art and open studios. The county and the city offer reduced priced well made compost bins and composting classes and water collection barrels. The landfill offers no toxic chemical compost and mulch -- including glass mulch.
Our farmers markets are plentiful and the restaurants - many award winning - are farm to table. I believe the RTP/ Durham area won a national contest for food trucks..in short order many go in to successful small restaurants. Well, that is a bit of intro to this area...notice I did not mention Tarheels, Blue Devils, Wolfpack or anything sports related....I will probably go missing by morning! I would absolutely LOVE to hear about your area and access to all things green and growing.
To that end, I've included links in our info box to the state forums that are in our region.
