My profile used to say zone 5 ME, I just noticed it says just Z5 now. Sorry. I'm on the border of zone 5b/6a (I generally plant for zone 5, and take a chance on some zone 6 perennials), in the southern-most area of Maine about 3 miles inland from the ocean. The house faces east, so the tree is on the north east corner. Full sun. The wind generally comes down a hill from the north (across the open yard). The spot where the tree is, is 12' from the house, I could move it out further for the right tree, but I don't want a 40' wide tree there. The native soil has quite a bit of clay, but when we built the beds last year we removed quite a bit and brought in sand and loam with compost. That garden you see there was planted less than one year ago. I have a Bloodgood Maple in another bed in the back yard (the northwest corner of the house) that gets the same wind and is doing well, also planted last year. Pests...well, I have Japanese Beetles I'm handpicking off a rose bush and a hybiscus. I don't have any lilies, but if I did have them I'd have lily leef beetles on them. No Gypsy Moths in this area that I know of. I can't think of anything else. Humidity...typical New England, summers can be humid, but it's not as bad as, say, Boston (the average high in July is 83). We get maybe 5 days a summer above 90. I just looked up the precipitation, we get between 3.4 and 4.8 inches per month. May-September is just under 4" per month. I want an ornamental tree, I know it sounds cliche, but this is a prominent position in the yard (and from the street), so I want something pretty. Except in bloom, I don't really think of Crabapples as pretty. I also considered Kwanzan Cherry, but I was told they can split in windy locations. I'd like something that will reach 20', but won't exceed 30'. The current spot was chosen for the size the Aurora Dogwood would have reached, but I can move the spot out to accomodate a tree that will get wider than 20' (there aren't any pipes or anything in the way). I appreciate the help, let me know if you need anything else. If you go to the album you can see lot more pics of what the site looks like.

Thank you all for your input! Hubby and I are leaning towards the parthenocissus for the majority of the wall planted somewhere near the right (front) end. But I'm not sure which species would do well in my climate zone and in these conditions where the sun would be on that section for the entire day. Mine is fine with sun hitting it the entire day. If the leaves look scorched, water a bit more. Avoid P. quinquefolia (Viginia creeper) because it is too rampant. Named varieties of other species will be more tame. Expect a year or two to establish a good root system before the plant really takes off, but you should get some coverage the first year. Also, if those sticky suckers flake off, will the plant be at risk of falling off the wall? No. If some bit of the plant accidentally gets pulled off the wall, just cut that part off because it won't re-attach. A new bit will grow and stick on its own. Also, I'd still like to do one bougainvillea on the opposite corner. Anyone have tips for pruning to keep it the shape I want? Use a hedge trimmer and just shear it close to the wall. Bougies bloom on new growth, so new growth = flowers, so cutting back = more flowers, not less (within reason). Do not trim a baby plant too much. Let it establish. I'd like to have it climb up the wall at the corner and then most trail across the top section of the wall. In this situation where it will be attaching itself to the wall, how can I help direct its growth since there's nothing to tie pieces to as one would if growing on a trellis. Bougies won't attach themselves. You will have to install some strong wires or a trellis and use them to attach. Would also appreciate help on choosing a bougainvillea veiety suitable to this location/climate. I'm hoping "Orange Ice" will work because I really love the colors. A non-red color will be much less rampant and would be a good choice. Check on performance for that particular variety in your area--have you seen one growing in your neighborhood that looks good? Plant bougies in June or July when the soil is warm and do not disturb the rootball. Baby bougies are easily killed because the roots are so frail and brittle and need warmth. Established bougies are nearly impossible to kill. For planting slit the planting pot up, place the pot in the planting hole and gently pull out the pieces of the pot, leaving the roots as undisturbed as you can. Should I purchase online or would local nursery be better to ensure getting plants that are best for my area? If you have a good quality garden center nearby, that should be fine. Neither genus is particularly rare or hard to find.

Jelly is safe. It's always "safe" even if you don't cover it with anything. Just don't eat the moldy jelly. (Don't scrape the mold off and eat what's underneath - the mold's still there.) As Annie said, the USDA doesn't differentiate between what's not recommended because it's unsafe, because it results in reduced quality or just because it's a pain in the neck. For inexperienced canners, paraffin is the latter. Paraffin is harder to do properly and get a good seal and if you're the kind of person who keeps jellies on the shelf for eternity, they won't hold up as well. Plus, of course, as Annie said, it's messy and for the kitchen klutzes like myself, there's always the risk of burns. The advantage is you can use a variety of glasses and other non-canning jars, etc. They can be attractive for gifting and thrifty. I celebrated when my family gave up paraffin and I don't plan to go back. But if someone gave me a jar sealed with paraffin, I would happily eat it. (The jelly, not the jar, LOL.) Carol

Don't I feel stupid now! Babying a weed for the last couple of months. Oh well, back to the drawing board. A very nice lady (horticulturalist from Penn State University) has also concluded that the "weed" is a Paulownia. At first, she too suspected it was a velvet leaf. And wow, what a wealth of information you folks have been. Thanks for taking time in your day to help me out by responding. Like I mentioned, I have a tree in my yard with seed pods on it, is it to early to try to germinate them? Shall I wait till the fall? Any tips or advice? Would it be easier to take a cutting and try from there with rooting powder? I would like to thank each and everyone of you for your time and let you know its greatly appreciated!