I have both black lace and the lemony lace. Both from Rpoven Winners. They are planted about 3-4 away from each other. Full sun. Well drained neutral soil. Watered regularly. Zone 8b, Everett WA area. The lemony lace took off the first year (planted in the spring) and has never looked back. I’ll be pruning it hard this fall. Nether black lack is producing leaves but isn’t any taller than it was 2 years ago. It’s certainly not dead but sure not a fast, showy grower. On its third year, there is not enough to prune. My ninebarks grow everywhere, anywhere, ferociously. I love my copper and dark purple ninebark! I’ve been pruning the ninebark since the first year. I love the idea of the lacy black leaves on elderberry but it seems to be a very temperamental plant that looks good in the nursery.......

dottie - I probably should have realized (from just common sense) that the "soil" under the leaves (the browns) need to be mixed with "greens" - I guess I was hoping that there would be more nutrients in that "soil" under the leaves - but it's probably just carbon - with a bit of clay if I scrape a little harder - which have some nutrients. I think I am going to grind my peanut shells too - with an attachment from our Vita Mix - but i also want to buy a large bag of bone meal to keep on hand. I love going into my woods and having an abundant supply of this beautiful "dirt" "soil" "composted leaves" - whatever you call it - - LOL Carrie

I just made a home for my Black Beauty Elderberry in the same neighborhood as my Black Walnut. Hope they get along - I will keep a close eye. After I though I had the perfect plant in the Black Beauty - I discovered Black Lace. Both look like go getters. I think the openness of the Black Lace will be a show stopper against my yellow house.

I only need to get the pictures uploaded to snapfish... it's possible the bowl of the boy's is going to be not grouted...we don't know yet, cuz court is in an hour and a half..it'd be a fine bowl, as is..... I need to leave in a few minutes, to the juvenile court house...if his mom gets custody, they will be leaving for Oregon this afternoon. this girl/lady is the same age as my oldest daughter..eleven days apart and is the daughter of a friend of mine, that I've known for 40 years... my friend lives in Corpus Cristie and advised her to call me, when she was at the CPS office, here in town and needed a safe place, right then...man, expedited background checks and a visit from the case worker and CPS case worker, here at the house and my place was approved, right there on the spot... ( I swear, they must have had blinders on...lol cuz my place is filled to the rafters with art supplies and not a lot of space to do any square dancing, in my front room!!) that was last Monday..and here we are, 11 days later and the future is unknown for them but it's a new beginning, either way... Zach went through trama and I watched a transformation, while he worked on his glass piece.. here, on this forum, we all talk about how doing mosaics is a healing process.. Zach got a broken finger, when he blocked a blow to the head, when his dad was beating him up... the dad had also taken everything important to Zach, including little clay pieces he had made, from first grade on...the kind made in the classroom, with clay, glaze and firings...all of his favorite games, his laptop (I think I mentioned he's 14 and is a very sensitive boy)and made Zach ride with him to the landfill...then threw all of his belongings in the dump and said he would have to work to pay for the trip to throw it all away... it was a cruel and needless assault on Zach, both physically and emotionally.... This week's journey helped him take something broken, both from himself and other things and make something beautiful from it.... he first walked in the house with a rather empty look in his eyes.. this morning he's full of hope... I only wish and pray the judge sees the same thing.... I have his bowl and some of my projects, in a display case right now, with an overhead light and it's so pretty... it's a 6 hour drive to where she lives and we've already been talking about her coming up to visit friends and an aunt, or me driving there for a couple days..but not in winter...I would take grout with me...lol the lexel is in a tube just like the GE11 and is 5 oz...it was under $5...I think it was like $4.85 or so.... it's a lot cheaper if it can be found in a 12 pack but then again, I'm not going to do that...lol it's gone a very long way, with just the 5 oz... the number on the tube is 13013, evidently to be sure which one it is, between clear or white or something... at least that's what I noticed, ....it's on the bar code and this one says 31525 13013 super elastic sealant it also says it sticks to wet surfaces...guess that would be in an emergency, to maybe fix an aquarium...?? I'd better be going now, to get to the court house...