I'm glad I read these forums it makes me think my crazy questions are not so crazy and that others are dealing with the same issues. When I started putting in my veggie garden a few years ago I threw them all into a pile by the corner of the house within easy tossing distance of the veggie beds. Then I decided to build a small raised border area next to the house for some perennial herbs. Guess what? There was a big pile of rocks and stones there so I started to move them all to a new place and realized that that would be a location I would probably want to use next year. Then I wandered the back yard looking for good places to deposit them. There was a small hole under the fence that the rabbits and local cats come through. That got filled. Still a big pile of rocks to rid myself of! Maybe something decorative? No they are all clay filled chunks of ugly chert and old broken bricks the developers left behind. Maybe a ground cover somewhere? But I like growing things... Maybe in the front yard? Nope not there either... Recently I have been depositing them in the trash, but I am sure that as I continue this my yard will someday be three to four inches lower than all my neighbors' yards and my garden will become a lake. Steve

I have this book and love it!! Got it on a trade here at GW too!! :) ~Dusty~

Hi there, I have new wooden pyramid garden trellis's 4 to 6 feet tall, I would like to trade for large established plants shrubs or tree's hardy in zone 6, I live in Guilford Connecticut. Also interested in Dahlia's Canna's Brugmansia Plants. Pyramids rather exspensive to buy, so looking for large trades. Email and I can send you a picture if you think you have enough to trade. Pyramid is in great shape and wonderful to grow clematis, roses etc up on, beautiful !! Thanks a bunch ! Diane :0)

I am new to this forum business. I have about 25 years of gardening experience. But many years of that was experimenting, attempting, fails and successes. I am a big fan of container gardening. This year I have 5th n 6th generation cherry tomatoes, sunflowers, purple beans, sweet peas and many other 2nd or 3rd generation flowers and peppers etc. This is our first full summer in our new house outside of Madison. My significant other bought me (to arrive in May) 2 different zone 4 grapes. Dwarf self pollinating peach tree and D.S.P. cherry tree along with 2 dwarf apple trees. I am huge on doing my research but I figure practical advice is always welcomed. My two main questions are 1. I plan to train/prune my trees into the "bowl" or "goblet" style. 3 prong best? Anyone with any suggestions forhow to go about getting the best quality (not quanitity) from my dwarfs? 2. I am huge on recycling. I'd prefer to use "found" materials for my grapes vine trellis. My original idea was to build a few vertical bicycle tire trellis' for the vines to grow. My questions and concerns are - would the rims be bad for my plants? Rust or burn the vines in the sun heat? Could I paint over them to avoid rust or burning and if so would you recommend Rustolium? Or another paint? (Rustolium has lowest voc and we have used it succesfully in the past with our birds cages) Any suggestions are very much appreciated. If in Madison area and would like to do a seed trade or trellis supply drop off also would be appreciated. Thank you!