We opened the FM early for '09 this Passed Sat.(3/7). I didn't have much so I dug up strawberry plants(bundle of 25 for $6.00) and daylilies(bundles of 15+ for $3.00)...sold them bareroot. Also had qt size pots of mousetail jack-in-the-pulpits($5.00 per qt). Had some surplus Stilletto hostas so I knocked them out of the pots,washed and packaged them up and sold those bare root($2.00 for bundle of 3-4 div.) also. Sold bags of Gold Ball turnips and greens. I also brought 1 gal.ornamental purple leaf plum and giant pussywillow. I sold everything but 4 of the jacks(they didn't have any blooms) only sold 1 pussywillow and none of the plums(customers were interested until they found out they were only ornamental). Weather was warm but very,very windy but still we had a very good customer turn-out. I'm primary a potted ornamental grower and vendor so only time will tell what the economy does to my sells for '09. I do plan on doing more bareroot sales for the early season to help gardeners afford to keep gardening and to move out my more common and surplus stock to make room in the greenhouse for newer plant material I'm growing off. Peggy

IME planting garden plants in unimproved woodland soil may be a frustrating exercise. Your yard has a long edge, so planning the whole thing out now, but then executing it over several years in stages will end up giving you the most finished and cohesive look. I would think about design goals as Kevin suggested. Do you want to create a gentle transition between the woods and the yard? Do you want a bazzilion flowers? Do you want fall color or winter interest? Are you looking to reduce the "new" look of your yard? Or . . . ? If you put a single row or even a double row of perennials along the base of those tall trees, they will just disappear because of the height difference and it won't look too different. There are books on woodland design that you can peruse in a bookstore and may be able to borrow from the library, but in general, the edge of a woodland naturally goes from the tall tree layer to small trees and shrubs to perennials and lower growing plants. When I started in a similar situation, I started with planning and setting up a beds during my first year or two. I tested my soil, watched where the sun and shade are at different times of the year, checked out sources for organic matter to make the soil better for growing plants, and found inexpensive sources for plants. In my succeeding years I planted native plants (mostly rooted cuttings and seedlings) suited to the area in unimproved soil area and more finished beds were planted with garden plants. I ended up planting my woodland edge with large clumps of plants rather than straight beds. That gave me "windows" into the woods, but still allows the woods to step down more gradually than simply tall trees to grass. I planted largely for spring flowers and fall color. Possible sources for inexpensive or free plants: - Consider buying a shrub or two each year that can be used to start more from cuttings (this won't work with all plants, but there are some like willows or dogwood shrubs that root easily from cuttings) - Buy small starts of plants from your local conservation service, usually a state or county agency. For instance, in spring I can get from the NH state nursery seed-grown first-year or second-year woody plants for two or three dollars apiece. When planted in a prepared bed, they grow well. - You might be able to collect cuttings or small seedlings from shrubs in the surrounding woods that are local natives and so will grow well, and start your own. I don't want you give you specific plant names since our growing conditions are too different, but take the time to learn what grows well where you are without being invasive, and then plan where you want shrubs, small trees and perennials. - Are there plant exchanges in your area that might be a good sources for plants? (Around here new gardeners need not bring plants and may just take plants.) Possible sources of free or inexpensive materials to improve and add organic matter to your soil: - city compost - tree trimming services for woodchips - horse farm for manure Is there a nature center or university or arboretum that has displays of ornamental native plants in a woodland edge setting, or are there talks or courses you could attend? Are there garden clubs in your area where you can hear other local gardeners' experience? That will help you figure out what critters other than deer might be problems for your plants, and what plants will grow happily in the soil and sun/shade conditions you have. I realize that it may appear that I am raining on your parade, but having gardened on two properties that included open areas carved out of woodlands, I am hoping to prevent you from making some of my mistakes.(Also, since you mentioned ticks, get in the habit of checking yourself, and if you have them, your pets and kids, every time you come into the house from the yard and every evening before bed.)

Upon further inspection of the plant, I am not so sure that it is Cornelia. The blooms are not clustered, nor is the foilage especially leathery or vigorous. Also, the bloom form is more semi-double than double. Any other ideas? Erika

Plant in the existing soil, between large roots, and use mulch to encourage establishment and growth. Do not pile mulch against the base of the fence or place anything else against it, that might cause the wood to be kept moist. (Also if the bottom cross pieces are resting on the soil the dirt should be dug out beneath them so they do not rot. The depth need only be enough to eliminate soil contact). Fruit should be out in the open, where it gets full light. Persimmons are hot summer climate trees, not a regular feature of British plantings. In addition to the R.H.S. web site and magazine you can get ideas for plants, read discussions of methodology in magazines that are on display at libraries and book stores - I see ones like B.B.C. Gardener's World and English Gardening over here. It seems a source in the U.K. itself might have multiple additional titles available. And as I believe was suggested previously visits to any nearby private or public gardens could be quite instructive. Public ones in particular might even have classes, guest speakers or other events of interest. If you are saying you want the plants to be hardy to the equivalent of 5 degrees F. then that is comparatively mild by continental U.S. standards, except in parts of the southern and Pacific Coastal areas. You can see here where you fit in relation to U.S. winter climates, with the coldest British USDA zoning being 7 whereas large sections of the U.S. fall well below that: http://www.trebrown.com/hrdzone.html Note - as it says in the discussion at the page linked to - that the minimum temperatures associated with each Zone are average temperatures and not the coldest it gets in each Zone.