Ken - hint 1A - LOL! Agree with that regarding perennials and annuals but NOT shrubs - shrubs are an *investment* that need to be thought out and spaced appropriately. It's not so easy to move established shrubs - either on the gardener or the shrub/tree. It can be done, but best to put a lot of though into the "bones" of the garden and plan on that being permanent. But yea, with other stuff (perennials, annuals), plant it and see how it does, deal with it if needed when the time comes. My most used tool (besides the checkbook) is the shovel! And I got over the guilt of ditching plants that don't perform, don't look good, or I just don't care for - life is too short to grow thing that don't make you happy!!

I'll answer the last question from this first year's experiences. You dig the new hole and try out the watering routine. Unless the clay has been heavily amended at least 2'X2' planting hole it's going to create a holding pool of water. The only way to really avoid it is to amend an entire bed which is difficult to do if you've already got some established plants in the bed. Got four new "own root" roses in early May to add to father's rose garden. Waited for Spring rains to stop and let ground "dry" for a week. Dug 2'X2'X2' holes between existing bushes and amended holes with manure compost, sphagnum peat moss and bone meal as instructed by vendor. Holes the poor little roses were in didn't look "right" after a week. Gently lifted one up on shovel as it's roots were still more or less intact in original soil "cube"...it was a gloppy mud pool under the roses. Surrounding clay was like cement wall holding water in. Dug all holes larger and built up planting places to at least get some drainage for this year...3' all around and under little roses. Don't know how they'll do in future but they seem to be doing well and have all bloomed multiple times already. Mind you, roses that have been in this same bed for 30+ years must be accustomed to clay since they started their lives out in it and survived perfectly well. Go figure. Places I made few garden beds last Fall were amended with even more additives...anything organic that said it increased drainage...LOL. I even threw in some garden gypsum. Figured it couldn't hurt. Seems like every garden bed I make here ends up being a "raised" bed without benefit of walls. My perennials are all VERY well spaced since I took into account very seriously stated mature size when planting. Things would look pretty sparse if I hadn't filled in with annuals. Didn't want to commit to all perennials until I got more experience particularly in arranging plants MUCH better in regard to cultural requirements and growing season sunlight. I don't know how people with packed beds dig up plants to transplant and get enough roots without hacking into roots of other plants. I should be so lucky to have that problem...LOL. I've found the most important thing with our clay us to keep it covered with either mulch or something growing all year round or it'll be like cement when you're ready to plant. I mean you literally need an axe to break it up in spots and then it's a mean son of a gun to amend with only a shovel and garden fork. I learned that lesson after being cavalier and/or lazy thinking I could just amend it with a shovel and garden fork in a day and plant during next week. Wrong! That's why I say make sure wherever you're transplanting to in clay should already be a well amended place that's been allowed to settle. I keep telling myself to prepare everyhere over next month to receive transplants or new plants in Fall. I'll be amending & regrading beds in Fall for whatever I want to plant in Spring. That may seem obvious to experienced gardeners but it was a rude awakening for me. Some of my plants paid the price for my mistakes and have struggled and/or just plain died what was a slow, painful and expensive garden death for ME...LOL. What seems and is more work to start out a bed is more than worth it when you run into the inevitable problems you created for yourself trying to cut corners in the beginning. The amending I did was quite a bit of work but time can slip away and you run out of "amending time" before you know it. Sorry for saying the same thing about 10 different ways to Sunday! Your "tip posts" make me rethink things and remind me what I need to PLAN and then execute. Thanks!

Susan, I took some seeds from last year's Ipomoea alba and scattered them in spots where I'd like for them to grow. They self sowed last year, so I figure they might actually come up this easily. I bought some red verbena to go in the metal gizmo that a hummingbird feeder hangs from. Butterflies really like verbena, or anything in that family, for that matter, like lantana, porterweed, etc. I'm making a lot of changes in my garden, and I accidentally dug up the Brazilian button, which is too bad, because it's a good nectar plant for butterflies, especially the smaller ones. If I can find a plant for sale, or if some volunteer here, I'll put it in a place where it can thrive. My Salvia guaraniticas, including 'Black & Blue' have returned and are growing vigorously, as is the 'Hot Lips' salvia, which has colonized a bit, surprised me there. I've ordered some tropical milkweed from Almost Eden, and I added some rose red colored pentas to the order, which are annuals here, never return. But they're so popular with butterflies and hummers both, I buy them every year. I love 'Lady in Red' - if I can find it somewhere, I'll definitely buy some and put it in front of other plants, maybe my new Aristolochia tomentosas. I've been working outside all week long, and I've made a new bed for two of the three A. tomentosas. I'll plant the other one on the edge of the woods, also, I dug up a volunteer A. tomentosa that's come up too far from the fence around the garden to be useful. If it takes, I'll plant it on the woods edge, too. I also dug up a volunteer of my own hybrid passionvine to plant in a bed up front. The flowers look like 'Incense' the female parent, but it's got the vigor of P. incarnata the male parent, and gulf frits like to lay eggs on the leaves like P. incarnata. I can't think of any other annuals I've planted - I mostly go for perennials, but there are some that are great for butterflies. I just thought about Mexican sunflowers - if I can find a place for them, I'll plant those for sure, even though they're a bit of trouble to start from seed. Mexican sunflowers are probably the best flowers to use for making pictures of butterflies, being so big and providing that platform for even the biggest ones. Speaking of making pictures, I've ordered a new camera, this one with a good zoom, so I can, hopefully, make some good hummingbird pictures. Here's hoping it's as good as advertised! Sherry

Take a look at the Winter Sowing forum here on Gardenweb. Most of my annuals are already growing outside - no planting inside. I have snapdragons, asters, bachelor buttons, painted daisies, clarkia, bush morning glories, cosmos,cynoglossum, african daisies, tidy tips, lavatera trimestris, statice, allysum,stock, baby blue eyes, nicotiana, nierembergia, poppies, dusty miller, and nasturtiums all sprouted and growing very well without being planted inside or using any heat or lights. I just planted marigolds today. Unless you want very early spring blooms, it's a fabulous inexpensive way to start plants.