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Anyone who has moved from the north to the southern US knows that there is a world of difference between the two places. Customs are different, the foods and beverages of the South are revelations and the events that mark the change of seasons are completely new.

Moving from the colder northern climes of the US to Atlanta, for example, opens up a new world of culinary and gardening possibilities. The heat of the summer produces okra, peppers, eggplants, and melons and restaurants that cook seasonally will reflect these fresh ingredients in their menus. Even the cooler days of late fall and early spring produce collard greens, carrots, and lettuces.

A new resident of Atlanta who has grown up in the north will find the gardening seasons exhilarating. No more hard freeze at the end of September or October. No more waiting for the snow to melt and the ground to soften in May. Gardening in Atlanta is practically year round with only a few light frosts during the dead of a Southern winter.

The change of the seasons in the south is just as marked as in the north, but the transition is more genteel. Winter means sweaters and light jackets when outdoors. The change over to spring is noted with blooms in March as the trees and shrubs once again kick into full gear. Summer is upon us when the nights are sultry and hot and fragrant moonflower and jasmine wind their way around fences and tree trunks. Autumn means cooler temperatures just right for a long walk in the woods and the abundant harvest of summer vegetables.

The first thing a northern gardener will learn in Atlanta is that, rather than the winter being too cold to grow vegetables and flowers, the southern summers can be to hot for some plants who prefer more temperate growing conditions. Tomatoes may languish in the heat of July and August but thrive in June and September. The benefits of the Atlanta climate on the flip side are many. Watermelon and cantaloupe that are difficult to keep warm for long enough in a northern environment grow unchecked in the heat of a southern summer. Lettuces, broccoli, and carrots can grow practically all winter long in the cool afternoons and warm evenings of November and December.

For those who love flowers, buying a house in Atlanta also generates delight in those used to more severe northern weather. In the north, azaleas and rhododendrons are purchased for a small fortune, allowed to be outside for a few months in the summer, and otherwise generally succumb to a slow death on a windowsill in the colder months. Atlanta is literally covered in azaleas and rhododendrons which bloom wild in riotous color in March and April and herald the beginning of spring in the south.

Moving to Atlanta can open up a world of possibilities that are unknown in the north- gardening in shorts in January, spending Christmas Day on the golf course, and enjoying fresh seafood and local produce year round. It’s like being on a permanent vacation.