It's all my fault, bahai! I spent most of the day yesterday pulling things out of the green house! Looks like I'll spend today putting them back! Oh Well, good exercise I guess!

nova

We're supposed to get to the high 50s. I'll just leave the mistbed on all night.

Yeah, I am going to have to shove a few things back through the door my own self. I just know it, as soon as I started taking them out.

Fawnridge, I would love to come to your swap! But I think its too far. How far are you from Gainesville??

bihai - according to Yahoo Maps - 4-1/2 hours. Long trip to make, but we'd love to have you. Maybe carpool with someone? Spend the night?

How many cold nights/days are there in the Gainesville area for winter? We're moving to FL for the warmth for some health issues and don't want to get into the really hot areas since I love trees and absolutely cannot live without them by my porches. Anyway :-)

Hoping the Gainesville area will be the perfect fit as long as there aren't many really cold winter days. My understanding from research charts (and would love actual people input instead) is that it's in the 60's in winter months during day and never freezes -- other than a few days of each mo. Jan-Mar outside of this typical pattern.

does that sound true? I've just emailed bihai on the summer issue - whether there are cool nights and mornings to garden in.

It's an odd move to be making, having to choose a place for health reasons rather than passion. Positive thing is more gardening season, so I'm focusing on that! My garden here in VA has been the love of my life (besides my sweet husband/gardening buddy).

Here's a link to our garden photos ... I'm hoping we'll still be able to grow many of these plants in Gainesville. I've gathered seeds from them all.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Garden Photos

Wow - thanks for the smile. I just leapt in and started reading.. It was a fun read.. and a bit cooling. when I saw cold night... I was hoping for low 70's - Made me feel cooler to read 30's.

Hi-I was hoping against hope that we were in for some cooler weather.

But to answer Sharingsun's question--Gainesville weather is wonderful, the best of both worlds (We lived there for 11 years, before moving to Fort Myers)It freezes in Jan and Feb (Cold nights, warm days...dress in layers)You have true seasons--(well, maybe not winter...) Trees lose their leaves, and when the redbuds and azaleas bloom in late February and eary March...makes me homesick to think about it...

You may be able to grow some things from VA...plant in Feb and September...Summers are hot, humid and buggy, just like the rest of Florida.

Maggie

Dear sharing sunshine,

I mean nothing but tenderness when I ask, where in the world did you get the idea that south Florida is to hot

to grow trees ?

Yes , you can find a house ...with a porch... you can even buy a porch swing if you would like :)

I just spent the day in south Miami with a good friend. We had lunch in Cauley Square.

Now, you want to talk about some trees..........................

D`Ann

Perhaps she meant some kind of temperate tree, familiar to Virginia?

it sounds like you REALLY don't want to be here in FL? That will be a tough one to master for you then. we have tropicals growing all over and love it! no daffodils, no tulips, no lilacs! Veggies grow in winter, all 'rests' in summer.
And no, in August (now) we do not have cool mornings, but 100+ % humidity, keeps us look young and beautiful, all that moisture in the air

OH WOW, my mistake...I saw the post "MONDAY NIGHT WILL BE COLD" I guess I was just dreaming or Wishing!! LOL

Doncha ya just love August in Florida blech!! Somebody turn on a freaking fan or 2 pleeze.. Monday night will be cold..yeah..uh huh, sure it will and the moon will be purple!!! Dang it TURN the AC way DOWN I want it 68 degrees for sleeping...........sheesh I live with 2 men, go figure.

Soooooo Monday night is gonna be cold ya say??? (psst I go see my therapist on Monday, his office is always cold!!) Bihai - bless yer heart, honey. I bet you didn't expect people to make you PROMISE that prediction last March!!!!

cindea..... I don`t mind August . We have a small house, and we keep it at 75 !
it feels great !

There is nothing worst than stepping into one of these big houses that is kept at a stifling 80 degrees
because it cost to much to cool it !

And musicman , you are right ! I predict about 2 years of homesickness for them.................

Well, let's see if I can be totally truthful and objective here.

I don't agree with Maggiepearl that Gainesville's weather is "the best of both worlds". But it is nice some of the time.

Whether you will be happy gardening here depends on exactly what you want to grow. I looked at your photos on your site. Some of that stuff will grow here (azaleas are, next to crape myrtles, the most OVERUSED landscape plant in this part of the state), but a lot of it won't. It's too hot.

Gainesville is not considered to be located on "peninsular" Florida even though we are located only 45 minutes from each coast, because we are supposedly too far North. We are 'officially' in zone 9A since they redrew the USDA zone maps, but its a weak 9A and I actually garden like its 8B.

The heat here is intense in summer. Its much worse than the South Florida heat, because we don't have that much of a cooling ocean breeze. The heat and humidity settle in here. It bakes. We live in a "convergence zone" where the East coast and West coast seabreeze meets over our heads in late afternoon in summer, and this causes us, in good years, to get plenty of rain in the form of afternoon thunderstorms. In a bad year, we can have pretty significant drought and the fire danger can be very high. There are lots and lots of trees here. Mainly all sorts of oaks, pines, hickory, palms, magnolias, that sort of tree. People do plant flowering trees as well. But as developers try to build houses and strip malls on every speck of available ground, trees get lost.

I came to Gainesville directly from Los Angeles. Before that I lived on the Texas Gulf Coast. It almost NEVER froze where I lived in Texas or in LA. But it does freeze here every winter.

If I were to try to be totally truthful, I would say that it actually "freezes" between 1-5 nights in an entire winter on average. (We consider 'winter' to be between roughly Dec 1 to mid-March). When I say FREEZE, I mean below 29-30F for more than a couple of hours. Enough to actually do damage. But there are several nights in the upper 30's, more nights in the mid-40's, but the majority of winter nights are in the 50's. The usual daytime temp in winter is about 68-75 with an occasional few days where the high is only about 55-65. I can't recall any days that the high has ever been below the low 50's in the years I have been here (since 1992). There is no ice, no snow and the ground does not freeze.

It FROSTS more often. Frost is usually not that big of a deal, it may frost several times a winter but usually nothing is really damaged.

I find Gainesville extremely difficult to garden in, because its too cold in winter to plant out the plants I really like (for example, most heliconias, etlingeras, tender palms like a bottle palm or a Salacca magnifica etc, plumeria). I have to keep those in a greenhouse. These plants can thrive here outside 9 months out of the year, only to be knocked down or killed in a single night of a hard freeze.

But by the same token, its too hot in summer to grow a lot of stuff you grow in zone 7. No peonies. No daffodils or tulips (they will come up but they are pretty short lived). Clematis has never thrived for me and I have tried all kinds. Foxglove? No. We do have those little native violets here though. There are bluelerries here, strawberries, and there are some strains of stonefruit trees that UF has developed for the heat here.

The low last Wednesday night was about 76F. It was already over 80F by 8am. I know this because I ran 17 miles in that heat. It was in the 90's by 10am. On Thursday, I was in my car at 3pm and it was 99F. The heat index was about 105. It will be this way until roughly November. We have had some of our hottest weather in September here. October starts to cool a little, there have been record lows in the 40's in October, but Halloween night is usually still in the 70's at night so the kids have to wear lightweight costumes most years. We went to a party last year and I was in a miniskirt, spaghetti strap corset and fishnet hose and I was still too hot outside. Thanksgiving, we are still out by the pool in shorts most days. Christmas, we usually grill a turkey or something, again, usually in shorts by the pool. It can still be 85 in December, but its usually in the 70's.

I do have a winter coat (actually its a leather Harley motorcycle jacket) but its rarely cold enough to actually wear it except on the coldest nights. Otherwise a sweater or fleece and a couple pair of jeans will get you through all winter here. I only wear jeans if it is going to drop into the 50's. I wear shorts as a matter of course, with maybe a long sleeve T shirt on cool days. Layering is a must, it can start out 45 and be 80 again by noon.

For me personally, I say yes, you can garden here "year round". But I myself like tropical plants, not temperate plants, so I have had to find ways to compromise.

#1 I have a large greenhouse that's my own personal Tropical Rainforest. I propagate a lot of zone 10 and 11 plants that I can use in my yard as ANNUALS every summer.

#2 In my yard, I plant what I refer to as 'sustainable' tropicals...stuff like Hedychiums, crinums, costus gingers, deciduous gingers like curcuma, globba, zingibers, all sorts of bananas, all sorts of alocasias and colocasias and xanthosomas,clerodendrons, hardy palms like needle, pindo etc, passifloras, bromeliads under canopy, brugmansia, tibouchina, and more 'regular' plants like salvias, chenille plants, hardy begonias, etc. I grow plants that can either go dormant in winter then pop right back up in March/APril, or freeze to the ground and not be killed but also pop back up in Spring, like Ti leaves. They defoliate but come back. I fill it in with tropical looking perennials that come back every year.

I also have tropicals in containers that I can bring out and set about the place.

Winter is usually actually a sort of relief when it comes, after the first hard freeze when a lot of stuff disappears until spring its time to refresh mulch and stuff like that. And you don't have to water much then. Winter is naturally very dry here. Agaves do well here due to the dry winters.

I don't know how old you are, but whether you like Gainesville will depend on your tolerance level. We have 2 large universities here, University of FL and a junior college called Santa Fe. The transient student population is well over 60,000, probably closer to 75,000. The base population without students approaches 175,000. Everything here is geared to students. They are the slave labor of Gainesville. They work in every store, every restaurant. They ride bikes and scooters all over. (That's good) They add so many cars to the roads when school is in session that we have traffic gridlock on most of the major roadways even at non-peak driving times. (that's bad) At rush hour this city's traffic is every bit as bad as a major city like LA, Dallas or Houston. There are also a huge number of traffic accidents here.

Most restaurants are chain restaurants, there's a Walgreens or a CVS on almost every corner, and we have one real mall. I like to go to Jacksonville or Orlando for clothes. Bigger selection not all geared to 20 year olds.(I am almost 50 but still wear a smaller size than my 13 year old daughter but that doesn't mean I like to shop at Wet Seal or Limited Too all the time, LOL)

If you are serious about moving here, I would advise you to look in older neighborhoods (or live outside the city limits on acreage like we do) that do not have Homeowner's Associations or deed restrictions to contend with. You will have freedom then to plant what you like. Most of the sub-D's have "acceptable plant and landscaping lists" that you have to adhere to (at least in the front yard) as well as rules about how tall your grass can be, what color you can paint your house and all that silly stuff. Most of those houses are zero lot line houses too so you don't really GET a yard.

Expect to pay high taxes, Gainesville has some of the highest taxes in the state and we have the most consistently high gas prices (When gas was $3.50 in Orlando it was $3.70 here). We also have rampant runaway development, they are trying to strip mall us to death, and yes we do have BUGS. Mainly mosquitoes, wasps, biting flies and gnats. But we also have nice bugs, like butterflies.

We sit out by our pool in the evening almost all year no matter what the season. A pool is a MUST here. Fortunately they are pretty standard on a lot of properties.

All that said, there are a lot of really good housing values here at the moment. Just make certain you are ready to accept a lower wage than you may be used to. I was earning over $28 an hour as a day shift ICU nurse in Los Angeles when we moved here in 1992. The best job I was offered, with over 10 years of experience, paid $14 an hour and was night shift with an inflexible 7 nights on 7 nights off schedule. My husband told me to quit working rather than accelt those conditions, so I retired at the age of 32.

There are a lot of what are called "trailer" spouses here...wives who are professional people used to good jobs and good salaries who come here with husbands that get teaching positions at UF. The trailers can't find the same types of jobs as they are used to, and either have to accept a lower paying job or no job. Many can't get a job in their field. Lots of "retired" ladies here well under 50.

If you are choosing to move to Florida for the warmth and aren't tied to one particular area, think about something a little closer to a coast than Gainsville. Or, as Bihai suggests, someplace with a better ratio of students to residents. Have you looked at Lakeland?

No matter where you choose, your first couple summers will be brutal. It's just too hot for most of us to enjoy being outside working. There's a few who love it but you won't be used to the heat or the humidity and it will be hard. But that doesn't mean it's all bad. I've lived in 7 states and gardened in all of them. I love Florida. At 55 I still work full time (yes, the wages are pitiful even for skilled professionals) and have a large garden. In the summer my garden can look pretty terrible, but from mid October through June, it's tough to find a nicer place to live. Mild temps with a few dips under 40. It's enough to justify keeping a sweater or two. I have an orchid rack set up so that I can toss blankets over it when I need to.

You'll miss some of the plants you can no longer grow but you'll fall in love with some new ones.

Kate

I kinda wondered why we can't grow trees either, perhaps all those green things in my yard are my imagination.

August the most brutal month of the year. You can sail through June and July, but by August you're ready to cry Uncle. September gets here and is actually worse, but you feel like you're in the home stretch so at least you can tolerate it!

Amen Bihai and Soltice!

As a native from south Florida (Lake Forest, Broward County) we grew up with no A/C and survived the summers. I will agree that there is a time to sweat and a time to enjoy a nice breeze.

If I had to chose a spot to live in Florida, it would not be Gainesville! G-ville doesn't have a breeze and it can/and does bake in the summer. It gets too hot and it gets too cold and you can't grow mangoes!

I would recommend you try something more on the coast, with access to G-ville.

South Tampa (Davis Islands) is nice - it's where I live now.

My opinion.

If it wasn't for my husband's job being here, I'd push for us to live farther South. As in Ft Lauderdale/Plantation. That far South. Just shy of Miami, easier access to the Keys. But I don't think we could have the amount of land and the size of house we have here down there. Just not affordable.

Tampaart, I hear you. I grew up as a child in West Texas (Abilene). We did not have an air conditioner, and if you have ever been up to that part of Texas, its in the 100's many endless days in summer. We didn't have a pool either, LOL. We had a Slip and Slide and a water sprinkler to rin through.

In South Texas we did have an AC. It was hot there too, but we lived within 3 miles of the ocean so there was always a breeze. But my grade school, Jr Hi school and High School were NOT air conditioned. We sweltered.

In Los ANgeles we didn't have AC in the house we rented, but we rarely needed it. Again, we lived only 6 miles from the beach at Venice/Santa Monica and we were fine. My husband's car didn't have AC either.

When we moved here, in JULY of 1992, the house we initially rented did not have AC central, only 2 window units in 2 rooms. We almost died that summer. But we did have a pool. That helped. We bought a house with 2 AC's, and my husband traded his car in as soon as he could for one with AC.

I worked in the greenhouse all day today, I am kicking back now with a cold Fresca and about to take a nap in the coolness.

Don't get me wrong, I don't totally dislike big G. It has been a pretty decent place to live as my child has grown up, and the cost of living here is definitely lower than it was in LA. But if we didn't live outside the city, on acreage, I am not certain I would like it so much. We spent 11 years "in town" and finally got smart and moved out here to get away from everyone and get some nature for our child. We moved at just the right time when mortgage rates were rock bottom in 2002. I couldn't have had my greenhouse in town, and I enjoy it a lot. Also I like the wildlife...this morning before I went running I was eating a Zone Bar at the computer and looked out the sliding glass door of my office and there was a rabbit in the sideyard eating grass. When I got back from my run and finished taking a shower, I looked out the same door and there were 5 little Florida Wild piglets in the sideyard rooting. I had to run them off. They are destructive. But I have deer, raccoons, armadillos, bobcats, hawks, big owls and just about any animal you can think of out here. We have a creek on our property and there are some otters that come and go. We wouldn;t have that stuff in a larger more urban city.

Watching this discussion, I just have to say: I grew up in Washington,DC and the truth is, it's simply nicer here in August than it is in the northeast or the central eastern seaboard. And we never have the dreary winters.

Fact: It hasn't hit 100 degrees in Miami in a generation or more. It happens for weeks at a time every single summer in DC. My parents came to visit last week and my brother and his family are coming next week. Seriously, my DC relatives come to Miami to cool off in August.

So your move could make your life much easier. No ice to scrape, no jackets to worry about, and no brutal heat in August. But I live near the coast in Miami. Gainesville isn't near a coast.

In Florida, you should try to live as close to wide open water as possible. The people with lots of money want it for their boats. The rest of us want it for the breezes.

And it makes a huge _ I can't emphasize it enough _ difference. We didn't turn on the A/C until June. Many of our friends here in Miami-Dade County had to air condition much earlier and will have to much later, just to be comfortable, because they live a few miles farther from the coast. Gainesville is many miles from the coast.

And we're not in a fancy neighborhood, we're just closer to wide open water. It's truly lovely outside right this very minute. Doors and windows open, in fact.

Stay close to the coast! As close as you can afford.

It is a totally different kind of gardening, but I've got huge trees here _ the only difference is they bear amazing tropical fruits that you can't get in a grocery store because they don't travel and have never been commercialized (sapodilla, for example, a true ambrosia, and a gorgeous and huge tree. It is one of the true joys of my breakfasts.)

And it's been really fun learning what will grow well, what will grow too well - and consume my house if I'm not careful - and what won't grow at all. You will have to give up on daffodils, tulips and lilac, and I miss all of them. I still try bulbs here, and they pretty much always fail. But mom always planted bulbs and I'm having a hard time gardening without doing it like she taught me.

But there are so many beautiful things that grow here that won't grow anywhere else in the US, things that people actually build greenhouses in Georgia just to grow, and we grow in the yard.

Think orchids. The cheap ones you buy and put in a window until every last bloom falls off. Here, you don't throw them out. You can actually put it in the boot of a palm tree here, and a year later, you'll get more orchids. I've done it.

If you have to come for health reasons, I'd look into living closer to a coast. Either coast. And look for the things that you used to grow as delicate specimens in the house and might be able to grow in the yard here.

Also, one more note to Bihai's excellent insight...if you are coming for health reasons -- UF /Shands Hospital is one the highest ranked / regarded hospitals in the country.

Plus being in a university town has it's advantages with all the 'brain power' buzzing around and the cultural opportunities.

When I retire I would like to be within 30 minutes of a major university and the beach but I may just settle for one of those beautiful wide lakes in Central Florida, somewhat close to UCF.

Ok, grow up in an apt. in NYC on the top floor of a building with a black tar roof and you're parents won't put the fan on "in" only "out" because they say it creates more of a breeze and then tell me it's hot in Florida!lol

If I could move anywhere, it would be the Ft. Myers area. Which brings me to my reason for joining this thread: We were at Sand Key Beach in Clearwater today and the seaweed was so bad that you couldn't go in the water or walk along the beach. It has been this way for weeks and it's all up and down Clearwater. Are you having the same problem down at Ft. Myers Beach, as we're thinking of spending a weekend down there soon. We try to make it there at least once or twice every year. Thanks.

Julie

TampaArt,
I spent a lot of time in Lake Forest as a kid, my Aunt had a house on one of the lakes.

.....and I'm another one who grew up with no a/c. I'm beginning to think we need a Florida holiday to salute the great Mr. Carrier. Any idea how we survived without a/c?

One big difference in our S. Florida heat vs. say Wash. D.C. is the sun is a lot more intense here, since we are a lot closer to the equator. However, I spent a couple of weeks in D.C. one summer and absolutely thought I was going to die.

I guess I didn't check to be notified of posts. I didn't know there were any responses until solstice98 on another forum gave me the link.

Thanks SO MUCH for all the comments and especially bihai's detailed response to Gainesville (thank you!) since at least we have spent a few days there looking around. It's definitely easier on me to take the heat than the cold. It took me too many years in VA to admit it but all the structural damage seems to occur in winter, so it's best to make the move. We moved here to VA after 18 years in AL (15 of which I had the rheumatoid issue with no damage). I wanted to get away from the heat and humidity of central AL. Oh well .... I enjoy change and I've lived in a variety of states, but always wanting the woods since I can't be in the sun. Sure does make it difficult with conflicting health issues [grin].

Solstice98: Does Lakeland have a lot of forests? When I look on the map, I see lakes and those are generally sunny areas, other than maybe some riparian buffer around the lakes. We're not water folks. Haven't done the beach since the mid-70's since I can't be in the sun. That kinda tosses the coast ideas out doesn't it? Or is the "nature coast" I see pop up on searches a different story? I love the sounds of tropical fruit trees!

Would the Ocala area fit more? Or Dunnellon? As far as the "catching the breeze" areas mentioned because Gainesville was so far north. We like the theater and places to volunteer (nature centers, botanical gardens gift shop, etc.) University towns are great for this, although the medical emphasis of Gainesville isn't an attraction. We've used "alternative" choices since the late 70's so have been out of that industry for quite some time, other than bloodwork now and then for thyroid.

To answer juniperplants, I had family in Hollywood when I was a teenager and young girl and I remember it as being really sunny. I love the outdoors and like to spend a lot of time walking in forests, so that's where I got the idea it wouldn't be an option. I'm also not a city gal, so I like walking out of my backdoor into the woods - not having to drive to them. With rheumatoid stuff going on, the woods out back are what entice me outdoors for the exercise I need ... but the thought of driving a car would not get me there - mornings are a bit overwhelming at times. We even order our food (other than produce) every 5 months so I don't have to do grocery shopping.

I was talking about temperate trees. Neither my husband or I like palms, although mixed into the rainforests of Costa Rica they are lovely. And as far as humidity in Costa Rica ... it depends on the area you're in. It can be in the 70's year round with a cool breeze other than mid-day and early afternoon. International living might appeal to me if we didn't have an FIV kitty that would never be allowed in. And it does seem "odd" not to live in the USA. :-)

I love most plants, so I don't mind growing flowers I don't know. It's not that I'm looking for a place to have all my "old friends" and I did see some of them during our visit to Gainesville ... and also some things we had in AL, so that won't be a problem. I did like the mix of trees in the forests there with some saw palmettos on the ground. The list of things grown in Gainesville is a nice blend.

Sounds like May through Sept. are the hottest times?? We were down there in June with unusual cool weather in the mornings till about 10:30 and then it cooled off after the rains at 5. That was lovely, but I understand not typical. The student population is something that came up all the time while we were there. Fortunately we work in-house with our own online business, so the traffic problem would not be a day-to-day issue, but it sounds like you don't want to be anywhere near the university or mall area, eh? We also were informed of the high taxes since Alachua Cty is so much Univ. and Hospital that don't pay them.

Do you live in Alachua County, Bihai? Familiar with HOA - ended up in a community here because we were going to find land and build, so it would be temporary and fast resale. Oh well ... you know how life takes it's turns. One thing we know is that we don't want HOA again. Gardening choices hasn't been a problem, but brush piles and a few other issues have been. Live and learn :-) The list of wildlife possibilities is very cool. We so enjoy the entertainment that it provides outside our windows and that's where I work, by a window, unless it's nice enough to be outside like now, I'm on the porch.

The pools have been an issue when looking online for a home. We don't want one because neither of us enjoy pools anyway. Haven't been in one since a hotel back in the early 80's.

Sure is a lot to think about and digest. I want to come back down there end of September to look around more but I know FL is a huge state, so will need to choose a few cities and make a decision.

Thanks again ...

Minibim,

It's a small world isn't it? I grew up on Lake Helen 31st Drive. My backyard was the lake and it was magical. It's a shame the south Florida I grew up is no more....

Where in Lake Forest did your Aunt live?

I know you are leaning towards central Florida but for the woods, etc Ocala with all the horse farms up towards Tallahassee, Lake City and over towards Penama City you will find more of the wooded areas. Tallahassee is a nightmare for driving anymore but Quincy or Hanava which are within a 15 mile radius of Tallahassee are nice as in Monticello. The difference is that in Tallahassee you will have about two months of cold weather and it has even gotten down into te single digits for a day or two but averages in the30's with a few 20's here and there. The summers are hot and humid but I love the area and really would like to live in the Miccossuki area. Then you have
Sebromg a little further south of Orlando that has wooded areas and is a nice area hough not that big. They do have a mall and there are places to volunteer. Winter Haven is another decent place to live. We all get a few weeks of 30's to high 20's but overall the weather is not bad. Happy hunting. Linda

Then there is the Vradenton Sarasota area and a wonderful little town just east of Tampa/

Tampa Art, my Aunt lived on 35th Street. I loved her yard with the lake in the back. You wouldn't even recognize the area now.

Sounds like Riverside in Fort Lauderdale...........

Yes I do live in Alachua COunty and IMO the people who run this county should all be herded into a cattle truck (un-airconditioned) and sent to Guantanamo Bay. I think we have some of the worst local government I have ever experienced.

I have never been to the Ocala National Forest, we used to love to camp out in California, but we never camp here. Someone suggested the ONF to us for that purpose but I wouldn't do it on a bet. It seems that its used more for a cover for violent crime than anything else. People are always getting murdered in there, there are always drug deals going on and going sour, homeless people squat there, and it seems to be a pretty commonly used body dump for people who kill other people elsewhere and want a place to hide the body where it won't be immediately found. Then there's a colony of people called the Rainbow People that live out there that are seemingly into smoking MJ, eating shrooms and drinking beer as a lifestyle and I can't see myself camping or hiking anywhere near that with a 13 year old in tow. Much less living in close proximity. I know the ONF is a big place, but all I ever see about it is bad publicity.

The Ocala National Forrest extends into north Florida and yes there are a lot of problems wit it around the Lake City area but then there are lots of problems in that area period. I would choose central Florida as parts of it especially around the eastern middle side are fairly undeveloped and there are lots of wooded areas left or if you ca tolerate a small amouth of cold weather for a month or so in the northern portion of the state then I definitely would cnsider Madison, Lee, Perry (these are smaller towns and not too many cultural events, etc but they have their merits and not too far from major cities about an hour but have lots of volunteer opportunities) Monticello, Havana (antique opportunities) Quincy, Crawfordville, Woodville (small town some of these but within 35minutes or so of Tallahassee). If I can be of any futher help pleas email me. Linda

About Lakeland. 5 miles north of the city begins the Green Swamp if that gives you a clue. Much cattle raised just west and north, where I live. Again just a couple of miles outside Lakeland. (15 minutes to downtown Lakeland.) Temps are both hotter and colder than Orlando or Kissimmee where I've also lived.
For insight on Lakeland or any other place visit
www.city-data.com for info and reviews written by people who live there.