Is there anyone from that area participating in the forum?
I'd say
@VAFisher,
@penumbra,
@rockm, and I are probably the most active members from VA, but there are more here. I'm not sure about local Charlottesville members though.
Richmond Bonsai Society is pretty active and is only 45 minutes to an hour drive east of Charlottesville. There are/were other clubs in Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Lynchburg but I'm not sure how active they are.
The only challenge I would see for growing bonsai there is the snowfall. It is zone 7, but they usually get at least 15 inches of snow every year.
Summers are warm to hot (80-100°F), but cool down considerable at night (upper 60s to upper 50s sometimes).
I personally love the Blue Ridge mountains and everything it has to offer, but I unfortunately don't get enough time to enjoy it. Plenty of lakes, rivers, hiking and biking trails. Tons of history everywhere you go in the state. You can literally be in the mountains in the morning and be at the ocean in the afternoon, or drive up I95
to D.C.
The only other challenge I can think of in that area is black bear.
Maybe us Virginia folk can answer more questions if you have any!