Mmm, autumn always seems like the start of the gardeners year - new bulbs, lots of pruning, cuttings for overwintering, harvest, ladling on compost and planting the new bare root fruits, roses and shrubs. After a truly bizarre rainless summer, the allotment has turned sere and brown much earlier than usual. Rudbeckias, dahlias and heleniums and asters had an attenuated show - I always struggle with these prairie type beauties on my sandy soil but one must have them. This year, not even emergency hosing was going to prolong the luminous late summer show of golds, bronzes and purples so I turned my face to the gravel garden which never fails to thrive. Melissa, how I love spanish broom - yep, Spartium junceum can be a thug but what a gorgeous fragrant and elegant one. They twist and bend, making fantastically gnarly shapes and grow huge and fat in East Anglia. Cytisus also grows to shocking tree size, as does Tamarix. Desperate savage pruning has been done. even though the shrubs in question are less than 6 years old, they are eating the shed. A glorious stipa gigantea, planted so carefully to filter the low evening sun, has been overshadowed one one side and totally mugged by a giant acanthus on the other. In truth, the entire gravel garden has to be redone, lifting the remnants of the old membrane (which utterly failed to prevent the millions of verbena, centranthus, ox-eye daisies, althea and eryngiums from seeding with total abandon) and replacing plants which should never have been placed there (legion - Dieramas, Schizostylus, echinaceas - embarrassing how clueless I was to plant these moisture lovers in gravel!!!)Then there are the plants which clearly love it but are far too keen - helianthemums, nepetas, salvias, hebes - small cushions are ground swallowing mounds. Apart from lots of lavender - I have hedges of L Hidcote - the deepest blue, I do not have as many silver plants as I would like. A colony of pulsatilla does well with summer silky seedheads. Santolina and a lone artemisia (Powis Castle - another huge thing). Would like to try astelia and also celmisias. A plant grown much by Ingrid, and a revelation to me, was Limonium - violetta, I have and it looks terrific with eryngiums and stipa tenuissima. Stachys or Phlomis have, so far, failed to touch my heart and I have done verbascums to death. Still throwing out flowers is the modest Zauschneria, looking good with the last of the escholzias, Salvia greggii and microphylla are flowering profusely and unstoppable. Also, pushing out another cycle of flowers - a lovelu silver leafed mound of erodium chrysantha (might be good for you, Melissa, it is a lovely thing). However, much of this is happening out of my sight since I am woefully stuck at home in a kitchen which resembles Entebbe. A simple flooring job turned into armageddon - the massively heavy cast-iron and enamel sink is upside down on the sofa, the old washing machine has been drug to the tip and a new (to me) one has arrived - although the sink issue means it is still in the middle of the kitchen. Am running out of knickers and socks - may have to be a slut and turn them inside out since the whole water system is now only usable with a lot of fiddling about with stopcocks. In a moment of frenzy, I thought we may as well go the whole way and ripped off great swathes of old painted wallpaper - which of course, came off really easily....on one wall - the rest seems as though it was cemented in position. The ingrates (offspring) have absented themselves for large amounts of time yet still manage to materialise at sensitive (shouty, sweary) moments and chip in with ludicrous suggestions (we could put speakers in the new sink cupboards, why don't we have an indoor hammock?)Estimates of finishing time have gone from 'around a week' to 'in time for Christmas'. We are eating a lot of 'bread based snacks' - although the rate of jam consumption is worrying as I was definately slack this year, using the virusey raspberries as an excuse to cut down on all the 'earth mother' nonsense I had somehow got myself into(what was I thinking?) May be forced onto chocolate spread - sweetheart can have marmalade (shudder). Even so, it has been a spectacular tomato year (no rain - no blight)- have had kilos and kilos from 40 plants. I now have wrists of iron from poking hundreds of tomatoes through a sieve. The first bareroots will be arriving soon so I will have every reason to flee the kitchen chaos.

I don't think there is anything wrong with using a few cultivars or non-native plants, as long as you choose plants that won't spread to the wild. To be safe I'd use only those non-natives that have been in cultivation on this continent a long time. For example, lilacs don't spread to the wild as far as I know, and they've had a hundred years or more to try. On the other hand, new introductions like Russian Sage - Perovskia spp. - are new to this continent and I think will be recognized as invasive of natural areas within a few years. It's your yard, and you should plant what you like as long as it won't negatively impact the wild areas near you (that is, as long as it is not invasive.) Nevertheless, I think you may find, like many of us have, that as you get more into native gardening you prefer natives and sometimes wish you hadn't planted non-natives, especially those that live a long time and take up space where you could have one more nice native plant if the exotic one wasn't there. Garlic Mustard will sprout and set seed in shade, under shrubs, and even within blackberry thickets. To get rid of it you'll have to diligently stop it from flowering and seeding for a number of years in a row. After the first couple of years you'll see fewer and fewer new plants, but you'll have to be on guard for a long time. You can pull, spray, or smother the plants, but it will take some work. Raspberry, on the other hand, is native but grows a bit too rampantly to make it welcome in many yards. It will not grow well in the shade, so once you have trees and shrubs established you won't have nearly as much raspberry. Also, as others have said, establishing thick stands of other plants like native grasses and wildflowers will help slow down the raspberry and the Garlic Mustard. Raspberry grows from a system of underground roots or stems, and when you pull or cut a patch a lot of the underground material remains and will quickly resprout. After a few cuttings or, especially, pulling of canes, the underground part will diminish and you'll have a lot less resprouting.

Fringed Bleeding Heart Here's a list of plants to try for the middle zones of 5, 6, and 7. The weather is less extreme during Winter and Summer than the other regions. Many, many plants will thrive and grow in this temperate climate. As alway, please do a bit of research to assure that the plants you would like to Winter Sow are appropriate for your zone and climate, and if you're ever unsure then do hold back some seeds to start indoors. Trudi =========== Abronia fragrans - sand verbena Abronia villosa - desert sand verbena Acacia angustissima - whiteball acacia Acer grandidentatum - bigtooth maple Acer leucoderme - chalk maple Acer negundo - box elder Acer pensylvanicum - striped maple Acer rubrum - red maple Acer saccharinum - silver maple Acer saccharum - sugar maple Aconitum columbianum - Columbian monkshood Actaea pachypoda - white baneberry Actaea racemosa var. racemosa - black cohosh Actea rubra - red baneberry Aesculus glabra - Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra var. arguta - Texas buckeye Aesculus pavia var. pavia - red buckeye Agarista populifolia - Florida hobblebush Ageratina altissima var. altissima - white snakeroot Ageratina havanensis - Havana snakeroot Aletris farinosa - white colic-root Allium canadense - meadow garlic Allium cernuum - nodding onion Allium stellatum - prairie onion Allium tricoccum - wild leek Allium validum - swamp onion Alnus serrulata - brookside alder Alnus viridis ssp. crispa - green alder Amelanchier alnifolia - Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier canandensis - Canadian service berry Amelanchier laevis - Allegheny service-berry Amianthium muscitoxicum - crow poison Amorpha fruticosa - false indigo-bush Ampelopsis arborea - peppervine Amsonia ciliata - fringed bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana - eastern bluestar Anaphalis margaritacea - pearly everlasting Andropogon gerardii - big bluestem Andropogon glomeratus - bushy bluestem Andropogon ternarius - split-beard bluestem Andropogon virginicus - broom-sedge Anemone canadensis - Canada anemone Anemone caroliniana - Carolina anemone Anemone cylindrica- long-head thimbleweed Anemone multifida - Pacific anemone Anemone quinquefolia - wood anemone Anemone virginiana - tall anemone Anemopsis californica - yerba mansa Aniscanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii - flame acanthus Antennaria ssp. - pussytoes Aphanostephus skirrhobasis - Arkansas doze-daisy Apocynum androsaemifolium - spreading dogbane Apocynum cannabinum - Indian hemp Aquilegia caerulea - Rocky Mountain columbine Aquilegia canadensis - red columbine Aquilegia chrysantha - golden columbine Aquilegia flavenescens - yellow columbine Aquilegia formosa - scarlet columbine Aralia nudicaulis - wild sarsparilla Aralia racemosa - American spikenard Aralia spinosa - devil's walkingstick Arctostaphylos alpina - black bearberry Arctostaphylos patula - green-leaf manzanita Arctostaphylos uva-ursi - red bearberry Argemone albiflora ssp. texana - white prickly poppy Argemone munita - flat-bud prickly poppy Arisaema draconitium - greendragon Arisaema triphyllum - jack-in-the-pulpit Arnica cordifolia - heart-leaf arnica Arnica latifolia - daffodil arnica Artemisia filifolia - silver sagebrush Artemisia frigida - prairie sagebrush Aruncus dioicus - goatsbeard Aruncus dioicus var. vulgaris - sylvan goatsbeard Asarum canadense - Canadian wild ginger Asclepias asperula - antelope horns Asclepias fascicularis - narrow-leaf milkweed Asclepias humistrata - sandhill milkweed Asclepias incarnata - swamp milkweed Asclepias lanceolata - red milkweed Asclepias speciosa - showy milkweed Asclepias sullivantii - prairie milkweed Asclepias tuberosa - butterfly milkweed Asclepias verticillata - whorled milkweed Asimina triloba - common pawpaw Astragalus canadensis - Canadian milk-vetch Atriplex canascens - four-wing saltbrush Baptisia alba - white wild indigo Baptisia australis - blue wild indigo Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea - plains wild indigo Baccharis halimifolia - sea willow Baccharis salicifolia - seep willow Bacopa monnieri - water hyssop Baileya multiradiata - showy desert marigold Balsamorhiza hookeri - hairy balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata - arrow-leaf balsamroot Baptisia alba - white wild indigo Baptisia australis - blue wild indigo Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea - plains wild indigo Berlandiera lyrata - lyre-leaf greeneyes Betula nigra - river birch Betula papyrifera - paper birch Betula populifolia - grey birch Bignonia capreolata - crossvine Blephilia ciliata - downy pagoda-plant Borrichia frutescens - bushy seaside-tansy Bouteloua curtipendula - side-oats grama Bouteloua eriopoda - black grama Bouteloua gracillis - blue grama Bouteloua hirsuta - hairy grama Bouvardia ternifolia - firecracker-bush Bromus kalmi - prairie brome Buchloe dactyloides - buffalo grass Calla palustris - water dragon Callicarpa americana - American beauty-berry Callirhoe alcaeoides - pink poppy-mallow Callirhoe digitata - finger poppy-mallow Callirhoe involucrata - purple poppy-mallow Callirhoe papaver - woodland poppy-mallow Calochortus kennedyi - red mariposa-lily Calochortus macrocarpus - sagebrush mariposa-lily Calochortus nuttallii - mariposa lily Caltha palustris - yellow marsh-marigold Caltha leptosepala - white marsh-marigold Calycanthus floridus - Carolina allspice Calyophus berlandieri - squarebud primrose Calyophus lavandulifolius - lavender-leaf primrose Calylophus serrulatus - yellow evening primrose Camassia quamash - common camas Camassia scilloides - Atlantic camas Campanula rotundifolia - bluebell-of-Scotland Campanulastrum americanum - American bellflower Campsis radicans - trumpet vine Cardamine concatenata - cut-leaf toothwort Cardamine diphylla - two-leaved cutwort Carex stipata - stalk-grain sedge Carpinus caroliniana - American hornbeam Carya alba - mockernut hickory Carya illinioense - pecan Carya ovata - shag-bark hickory Castanea pumila - Allegheny Chinkapin Castilleja applegatei ssp. martini - desert paintbrush Castilleja coccinea - scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja indivisa - entire-leaf Indian paintbrush Castilleja integra - squawfeather Castilleja linariifolia - Wyoming Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata - meadow paintbrush Castilleja rhexiifolia - rosy Indian paintbrush Castilleja sessiliflora- Great Plains Indian paintbrush Caulophyllum thalictroides - blue cohosh Catalpa speciosa - northern catalpa Caulophyllum thalictoides - blue cohosh Ceanothus americanus - New Jersey tea Ceanothus greggii var. vestitus - desert ceanothus Ceanothus herbaceus - prairie redroot Ceanothus velutinus - tobacco-brush Celtis laevigata - sugarberry Celtis occidentalis - common hackberry Centaurea americana - American basket-flower Cephalanthus occidentalis - common buttonbush Cercis canadensis - redbud Cercis canadensis var. texensis - Texas redbud Cercocarpus montanus - mountain mahogany Chamaecrista fasciculata - partridge pea Chamaecrista nicitans - sensitive pea Chamaelirium luteum - fairywand Chamerion angusitfolium ssp. angustifolium - willow herb Chamerion latifolium - dwarf fireweed Chasmanthium latifolium - Indian wood-oats Chelone glabra - white turtlehead Chilopsis linearis - desert willow Chionanthus virginicus - white fringetree Chrysogonum virginianum - green-and-gold Chrysopsis mariana - Marland golden-aster Claytonia caroliniana - Carolina springbeauty Claytonia lanceolata - lance-leaf springbeauty Claytonia virginica - springbeauty Clematis columbiana - purple virgin's-bower Clematis crispa - swamp leather-flower Clematis hirsutissima - sugarbowls Clematis occidentalis var. occidentalis - purple clematis Clematis pitcheri - bluebill Clematis virginiana - virgin's bower Cleome lutea - yellow beeplant Cleome serrulata - Rocky Mountain beeplant Clethra acuminata - mountain sweet-pepperbush Clethra alnifolia - summer sweet Clintonia borealis - yellow bluebead-lily Clintonia umbellulata - white bluebead-lily Cocculus carolinus - Carolina coralbead Collinsonia canadensis - citronella horsebalm Collomia linearis - narrow-leaf mountain trumpet Commelina erecta - white-mouth dayflower Comptonia peregrina - sweet-fern Conoclinium coelestinum - blue mistflower Cooperia drummondii - evening rain-lily Coptis trifolia - three-leaf goldthread Coreopsis auriculata - lobed tickseed Coreopsis gladiata - coastal tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora - large-flower tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata - lance-leaf tickseed Coreopsis palmata - stiff tickseed Coreopsis tintctoria - golden tickseed Coreopsis tripteris - tall tickseed Coreopsis verticilliata - whorled tickseed Cornus alternifolia - alternate-leaf dogwood Cornus canadensis - Canadian bunchberry Cornus drummondii - rough-leaf dogwood Cornus florida - flowering dogwood Cornus racemosa - gray dogwood Cornus sericea - red-twig dogwood Corydalis sempervirens - pale corydalis Cotinus obovatus - American smoketree Crataegus marshallii - parsley hawthorn Crataegus mollis - downy hawthorn Crataegus opaca - river-flat hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum - Washington hawthorn Cyrilla racemiflora - swamp titi Dalea candida var. candida - white prarie-clover Dalea formosa - featherplume Dalea frutescens - black prairie-clover Dalea purpurea var. purpurea - purple prairie-clover Dasiphora fruiticosa ssp. floribunda - golden hardhack Decodon verticillatus - swamp loosestrife Delphinium barbeyi - subalpine larkspur Delphinium carolinanum - Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolianum ssp. virescens - prairie larkspur Delphinium glaucum - tower larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum - two-lobe larkspur Delphinium parishii - ocean-blue larkspur Delphinium scaposusm - bare-stem larkspur Delphinium tricorne - dwarf larkspur Desmanthus illinoensis - prairie bundle-flower Desmodium canadense - showy tick-trefoil Desmodium illinoense - Illinoise tick-trefoil Dicentra canadensis - squirrel corn Dicentra cucullaria - dutchman's-breeches Dicentra eximia - fringed bleedingheart Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum - wild hyacinth Diervilla sessilifolia - southern bush-honeysuckle Dimorphocarpa wislizeni - spectacle pod Diospryros virginiana - common persimmon Dodecatheon amethystinum - amethyst shooting star Dodecatheon jeffreyi - tall mountain shootingstar Dodecatheon meadia - shooting star Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata - flat-top aster Dracopis amplexicaulis - clasping coneflower Dryas octopetala - white mountain avens Dyssodia ssp. - dyssodia Echinacea angustifolia - narrow-leaved purple coneflower Echinacea pallida - pale purple coneflower Echinacea paradoxa - yellow coneflower Echinacea purpurea - eastern purple coneflower Echinocereus engelmannii - strawberry cactus Echinocereus fendleri - pink-flower hedgehog cactus Elaeagnus cummutata - wolf willow Elymus canadensis - Canadian wild rye Empetrum nigrum - black crowberry Encelia farinosa - brittlebush Engelmannia peristenia - Engelmann's daisy Epigaea repens - trailing arbutus Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium - hummingbird trumpet Epilobium obcordatum - rockfrunge Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa var. nauseosa - rabbitbrush Erigeron compositus - dwarf mountain fleabane Erigeron divergens - spreading fleabane Erigeron modestus - prairie fleabane Erigeron peregrinus - coastal fleabane Erigeron pulchellus - robin's plantain Erigeron speciosus - aspen fleabane Eriogonum douglassi - Douglas' wild buckwheat Eriogonum inflatum - Indian pipeweed Eriogonum umbellatum - sulfur-flower wild buckwheat Eriophyllum lanatum - Oregon sunshine Erodium texanum - Texas stork's-bill Eryngium leavenworthii - Leavenworth's enrygo Eryngium yuccifolium - button snakeroot Erysimum capitatum - prairie rocket Erythrina herbacea - red cardinal Erythronium albidum var. albidum - white trout lily Erythronium americanum - american trout lily Erythronium grandiflorum - dogtooth violet Escholzia californica ssp. meixcana - Mexican gold poppy Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus - Cascade wayside-aster Eunonymus americana - American strawberry-bush Eunonymus atropurpurea - burning bush Eunonymus obovata - running strawberry-bush Eupatorium fistulosum - joe-pye-weed Eupatorium maculatum - spotted joe-pye-weed Eupatorium perfoliatum - common joe-pye-weed Eupatorium purpureum - sweet scented joe-pye-weed Eupatorium occidentale - western thoroughwort Euphorbia corollata - flowering spurge Euphorbia maculatum - spotted joe-pye-weed Euphorbia marginata - snow-on-the- mountain Eurybia macrophyllus - large leaf wood-aster Eurybia sibirica - Siberian wood-aster Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum - prairie gentian Euthamia graminifolia - flat-top goldenrod Fagus grandifolia - American beech Fallugia paradoxa - Apache plume Fendlera rupicola - false mock orange Filipendula rubra - queen-of-the-prairie Forestirera pubescens var. pubescens - desert olive Fothergilla gardenii - dwarf witch-alder Fragaria virginiana - wild strawberry Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala - western alpine strawberry Frangula caroliniana - Carolina false buckthorn Fraxinus americana - white ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica - green ash Fritillaria pudica - yellow missionbells Frittilaria recurva - scarlet missionbells Gaillardia aestivalis var. aestivalis - parairie gaillardia Gaillardia aristata - great blanket-flower Gaillardia arizonica - Arizona blanket-flower Gaillardia pinnatifida - yellow gailliardia Gaillardia pulchella - Indian blanket Gaillardia suavis - rayless gaillardia Galium boreale - northern bedstraw Galium triflorum - fragrant bedstraw Gaultheria procumbens - eastern teaberry Gaura biennis - biennial gaura Gaura coccinea - scarlet gaura Gaylussacia baccata - black huckleberry Gelsemium sempervirens - Carolina jessamine Gentiana andrewsii - closed bottle gentian Gentiana calycosa - Rainier pleated gentian Gentiana clausa - bottle gentian Gentiana parryi - Parry's gentian Gentiana saponaria - soapwort gentian Gentianopsis crinita - greater fringed-gentian Geranium carolinianum - Carolina cranesbill Geranium maculatum - spotted cranesbill Geranium viscosissimum - sticky wild geranium Geum rivale - water avens Geum triflorum - prairie smoke Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida - prairie vervain Gleditsia triacanthos - honey locust Glycyrrhiza lepidota - American licorice Grayia spinosa - spiny hop-sage Gutierrezia sarothrae - broom snakeweed Gymnocladus dioicus - Kentucky coffee tree Halesia diptera - American snowdrop tree Hamamelis virginiana - American witch hazel Hedyotis nigricans - bluets Helenium autumnale - fall sneezeweed Helianthus annuus - common sunflower Helianthus debilis - cucumber-leaf sunflower Helianthus giganteus - giant sunflower Helianthus maximilliani - Maximillion sunflower Helianthus paucilflorus ssp. paucilflorus - stiff sunflower Helianthus petiolaris - prairie sunflower Helianthus strumosus - woodland sunflower Helianthus tuberosus - Jerusalem artichoke Heliomeris multiflora var. multiflora - showy false goldeneye Heliopsis helinathoides - ox-eye sunflower Hepatica nobilis var. acuta - sharp-lobed hepatica Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa - round-lobed hepatica Heterotheca villosa var. villosa - golden-aster Heuchera americana - American alumroot Heuchera parviflora - little-leaf alumroot Heuchera rubescens - red alumroot Heuchera villosa - hairy alumroot Hexastylis arifolia var. arifolia - heart-leaf ginger Hexastylis shuttleworthii var. shuttleworthii - Shuttleworth's ginger Hibiscus denudatus - rock hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos - crimson-eyed rose-mallow Hibiscus moscheutos ssp. lasiocarpos - rose-mallow Holodiscus dumosus - glandular oceanspray Houstonia caerulea - innocence Houstonia procumbens - round-leaf bluets Hydrangea arborescens - wild hydrangea Hydrastis canadensis - goldenseal Hydrophyllum virginianum - Virginia waterleaf Hymenocallis caroliniana- Carolina spider-lily Hymenopappus artemisiifolius - woolly white Hymenoxys hoopesii - orange sneezeweed Hypericum hypericoides ssp. hypericoides - Saint Andrew's cross Hypericum prolificum - shrubby St. John's-wort Hypoxis hirsuta - eastern yellow star-grass Ilex decidua - deciduous holly Ilex opaca - American holly Ilex verticillata - common winterberry Ilex vomitoria - yaupon Iliamna rivularis - streambank wild hollyhock Ipomoea leptophylla - bush morning-glory Ipomosis aggregata ssp. aggragata - scarlet gilia Jeffersonia diphylla - twinleaf Juglans micropcarpa - little walnut Juglans nigra - black walnut Kalmia angustilfolia - sheep laurel Kalmia latifolia - mountain laurel Kalmia polifolia - swamp laurel Koeleria macrantha - prairie koeler's grass Kosteletzkya virginica - seashore mallow Krascheninnikovia lanata - winterfat Larrea tridentata - creososte bush Layia glandulosa - white tidytips Leckiella brevifolia - gaping bush-beardtongue Ledum groenlandicum - rusty Labrador-tea Leersia oryzoides - rice cut grass Leiophyllum buxifolium - sand myrtle Lepidium montanum - mountain pepperwort Lesquerella fendleri - Fendler's bladderpod Lesquerella gordonii - Gordon's bladderpod Lesquerella gracillis - spreading bladderpod Leucothoe fontanesiana - highland doghobble Lewisia rediviva - Oregon bitter-root Liatris aspera - tall gayfeather Liatris elegans - pink scale gayfeather Liatris mucronata - cusp gayfeather Liatris punctata - dotted gayfeather Liatris pycnostachya - prairie blazingstar Liatris spicata - dense gayfeather Liatris squarrosa - scaly gayfeather Lilium canadense - Canadian lily Lilium catesbaei - southern red lily Lilium michauxii - Carolina lily Lilium michiganense - Michigan lily Lilium phildephicum - wood lily Lindera benzoin - northern spicebush Lindheimera texana - Texas yellowstar Linnaea borealis - American twinflower Linum lewisii var. lewisii - blue flax Linum rigidum - large-flwered yellow flax Liquidambar styraciflua - sweet gum Liriodendron tulipifera - tulip tree Lithospermum canescens - hoary puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense - hairy puccoon Lithospermum incisum - friged gromwell Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal flower Lobelia glandulosa - glade lobelia Lobelia spicata - pale-spike lobelia Lobelia siphilitica - great blue lobelia Lobelia spicata - pale-spike lobelia Lonicera albiflora - white honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata - four-line honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens - coral honeysuckle Lupinus breweri - matted lupine Lupinus caudatus - Kellogg's spurred lupine Lupinus concinnus - Bajada lupine Lupinus perennis - wild lupine Lupinus polyphyllus - meadow lupine Lupinus sericeus - Pursh's silky lupine Lysimachia ciliata - fringed yellow-loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia - prairie loosestrife Machaeranthera tanacetifolia - Tahoka daisy Magnolia grandiflora - southern magnolia Magnolia tripetala - umbrella magnolia Magnolia virginiana - sweet-bay Mahonia repens - creeping Oregon-grape Maianthemum canadense - Canadian mayflower Maianthemum dilatatum - two-leaf false Solomon's-seal Maianthemum racemosum ssp. racemosum - false Solomon's-seal Maianthemum stellatum - starry false Solomon's-seal Malus ioensis - prairie crabapple Marshallia casepitosa var. caespitosa - Barbara's buttons Melampodium leucanthum - blackfoot daisy Mentzelia laevicaulis - giant blazingstar Menyanthes trifoliata - buck-bean Mertensia ciliata - mountain bluebells Mertensia virginica - Virginia bluebells Mimosa borealis - pink mimosa Mimosa microphylla - little-leaf mimosa Mimulus bigelovii - yellow-throat monkey-flower Mimulus cardinalis - scarlet monkey-flower Mimulus guttates - golden monkey-flower Mimulus lewisii - great purple monkey-flower Mimulus primuloides - yellow creeping monkey-flower Mimosa microphylla - little-leaf mimosa Minuartia obtusiloba - alpine stitchwort Mirabilis multiflora - Colorado four-o-clock Mitchella repens - partridge berry Mitella diphylla - two-leaf bishop's-cap Monarda citirodora - lemon beebalm Monarda didyma - scarlet beebalm Monarda fistulosa - Oswego tea Monarda punctata ssp. punctata var. villicaulis - horsemint Monardella odoratissima - mountain pennyroyal Morella cerifera - southern bayberry Morella pensylvanica - northern bayberry Muhlenbergia capillaris - Gulf muhly Muhlenbergia reverchonii - seep muhly Myositus asiatica - Asian forget-me-not Myrica gale - sweetgale Napaea dioica - glade mallow Nemophila phaecelioides - large-flower baby-blue-eyes Nolina microcarpa - Sacahuista bear-grass Nolina texana - Texas bear-grass Nuphar lutea - cow-lily Nuphar lutea ssp. polysepala - pond-lily Nymphaea odorata - American white water-lily Nyssa sylvatica - black gum Oenothera albicaulis - pale evening primrose Oenothera biennis - common evening primrose Oenothera brachycarpa - short-fruit evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa - tufted envening primrose Oenothera deltoides - desert evening primrose Oenothera elata ssp. hookeri - giant evening primrose Oenothera flava - long-tube evening primrose Oenothera fruiticosa - narrow-leaf evening primrose Oenothera macrocarpa - big-fruit evening primrose Oenothera nuttallii - Nuttall's evening primrose Oenothera primiveris - desert evening primrose Oenothera rhombipetala - diamond-petal evening primrose Oenothera speciosa - pink evening-primrose Oligoneuron rigidum var. rigidum - stiff goldenrod Opuntia acanthocarpa - staghorn cholla Opuntia basilaris - beaver-tail cactus Opuntia humifusa - prickly pear Opuntia imbricata - tree cholla Opuntia leptocaulis- christmas cholla Opuntia phaeacantha - purple-fruited prickly pear Opuntia polycantha - plains prickly-pear Orontium aquaticum - goldenclub Ostrya viginiana - eastern hop-hornbeam Oxydendrum arboreum - sourwood Pachysandra procumbens - mountain spurge Packera aurea - golden ragwort Packera cana - gray ragwort Packera glabella - cress-leaf groundsel Packera obovata - round-leaf groundsel Packera paupercula - northern ragwort Packera plattensis - prairie ragwort Panicum virgatum - wand panic grass Parthenium incanum - mariola Parthenium integrifolium - wild quinine Parthenocissus quinquefolia - Virginia creeper Passiflora incarnata - purple passion-flower Passiflora lutea - yellow passion-flower Pectis angustifolia - lemonscent Pedulicaris groenlandica - bull elephant's-head Penstemon albidus - red-line penstemon Penstemon ambiguus - pink plains beardtongue Penstemon angustifolius - broadbeard beardtongue Penstemon australis - Eustis Lake beardtongue Penstemon barbatus - beardlip beartongue Pentemon buckleyi - Buckley's beardtongue Penstemon canescens - eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon cobaea - cobaea beardtongue Penstemon davidsonii - timberline beardtongue Penstemon deustus - hot-rock beardtongue Penstemon digitalis - foxglove penstemon Penstemon eatonii - firecracker penstemon Penstemon fendleri - Fendler's beardtongue Penstemon gracilis - slender penstemon Penstemon grandiflorus - large-leaved penstemon Penstemon hirsutus - hairy beardtongue Penstemon jamesii - James' beardtongue Penstemon laetus - western gray beardtongue Penstemon murrayanus - scarlet beardtongue Penstemon pallidus - pale beardtongue Penstemon palmeri - scented beardtongue Penstemon rostriflorus - beaked beardtongue Penstemon smalli - Small's beardtongue Penstemon strictus - Rocky Mountain beardtongue Petrophyton caespitosum - Rocky Mountain rockmat Phacelia sericea - purplefringe Phlox andicola - prairie phlox Phlox carolina - Carolina phlox Phlox diffusa - spreading phlox Phlox divaritica - wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii - Sweet William Phlox glaberrima ssp. interior - marsh phlox Phlox latifolia - mountain phlox Phlox longifolia - long-leaf phlox Phlox pilosa - downy phlox Phlox speciosa ssp. occidentalis - showy phlox Phlox stolonifer a- creeping phlox Phlox subulata - moss phlox Phlox stansburyi - cold-desert phlox Phragmites australis - common reed Physocarpus opulifolius - Atlantic ninebark Physotegia digitalis - finger false dragonhead Physostegia intermedia - slender false dragonhead Physotegia virginiana - obediant plant Phyllodoce empetriformis - pink mountain-heath Pinguicula lutea - yellow butterwort Pinguicula pumila - dwarf buttercup Pityopsis graminifolia var. graminifolia - grass-leaved golden-aster Platanus occidentalis - American sycamore Platystemon californicus - California creamcups Poa arachnifera - Texas blue grass Podophyllum peltatum - May apple Polemonium foliosissimum - towering Jacob's ladder Polemonium occidentale - western Jacob's ladder Polemonium pulcherrimum - beautiful Jacob's ladder Polemonium reptans - Greek valerian Polemonium viscosum - sticky Jacob's ladder Poliomontha incana - hoary rosemary-mint Populus balsamifera - balsam poplar Populus deltoides - eastern cottonwood Populus tremuloides - quaking aspen Porteranthus trifoliatus - bowman's root Potentilla arguta - prairie cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa - sticky cinquefoil Potentilla nivea - snowy cinquefoil Potentilla simplex - common cinquefoil Prenanthes alba - white rattlesnake-root Prosobis glandulosa - honey mesquite Prunus mexicana - Mexican plum Prunus nigra - Canadian plum Prunus serotina - black cherry Prunus virginiana - choke cherry Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium ssp. obtusifolium - blunt-leaf rabbit tobacco Psilotrophe cooperi - white-stem paper flower Psilotrophe tagetina - woolly paper-flower Psorothamnus fremontii var. fremontii - Fremont indigo bush Ptelea trifoliata - common hoptree Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida - pasqueflower Purshia stansburiana - quinine bush Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida - pasqueflower Pyrola asarifolia - pink wintergreen Pyrola elliptica - shinleaf Quercus alba - northern white oak Quercus coccinea - scarlet oak Quercus gambelli - Rocky Mountain white oak Quercus macrocarpa - burr oak Quercus marilandica - blackjack oak Quercus michauxii - swamp chestnut oak Quercus muehlenbergii - Chinkapin oak Quercus palustris - pin oak Quercus phellos - willow oak Quercus rubra - northern red oak Quercus stellata - post oak Quercus virginiana - coastal live oak Ranunculus abortivus - early wood buttercup Ranunculus alismifolius - meadow buttercup Ranunculus cardiophyllus - heart-leaf buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis - tufted buttercup Ranunculus occidentalis - western buttercup Ratibida columnifera - red-spike Mexican hat Ratibida pinnata - grey-head Mexican hat Rhexia mariana - Maryland meadow beauty Rhexia virginica - meadow beauty Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. integrifolia - rosewort Rhododendron arborescens - smooth azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum - flame azalea Rhododendron canadense - rhodora Rhododendron canescens - mountain azalea Rhododendron catawbiense - purple rhododendron Rhododendron maximum - great laurel Rhododendron oblongifolium - Texas azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides - pink azalea Rhododendron prinophyllum - early azalea Rhododendron vaseyi - pink-shell azalea Rhododendron viscosum - swamp azalea Rhus aromatica - fragrant sumac Rhus copallinum - winged sumac Rhus glabra - smooth sumac Rhus lanceolata - prairie sumac Rhus micropylla - little-leaf sumac Rhus typhina - staghorn sumac Rhyncospora latifolia - sand-swamp whitetop Ribes aureum - golden currant Ribes aureum var. villosum - buffalo currant Ribes laxiflorum - trailing black currant Robinia hispida - bristly locust Robinia pseodoacacia - black locust Rosa acicularis - wild rose Rosa arkansana var. suffulta - prairie rose Rosa carolina - Carolina rose Rosa palustris - swamp rose Rosa setigera var. tomentosa - Illinois rose Rosa nutkana - Nootka rose Rosa woodsii - Wood's rose Rubus parviflorus - western thimbleberry Rubus odoratus - purple-flowering rasberry Rudbeckia fulgida - orange coneflower Rudbeckia grandiflora var. alismifolia - large coneflower Rudbeckia hirta - black-eyed susan Rudbeckia laciniata - cut-leaf coneflower Rudbeckia triloba - brown-eyed susan Ruellia caroliniensis - Carolina wild petunia Ruellia humilis - fringe-leaf wild petunia Sabal minor - dwarf palmetto Sabatia angularis - rose-pink Sabatia campestris - meadow pink Sabatia dodecandra - large marsh-pink Sagittaria latifolia - arrowhead Salix discolor - pussy willow Salvia azurea var. grandiflora - blue sage Salvia columbariae - California sage Salvia lyrata - lyre-leaf sage Sambucus nigra ssp. caerula - black elder Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis - common elder Sambucus racemosa var. racemose - scarlet elder Sambucus racemosa var. melancarpa - silver buffalo-berry Sanguinaria canadensis - bloodroot Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii - soapberry Sassafras albidum - sassafras Saururus cernuus - lizard's tail Saxifraga bronchialis - yellow-spot saxifrage Schizachyrium scoparium - little false bluestem Sedum nuttllianum - yellow stonecrop Sedum ternatum - woodland stonecrop Senecio pseudoarnica - seabeach senecio Shepherdia argentea - silver buffalo-berry Shepherdia candensis - russet buffalo-berry Shortia galacifolia - Oconee-bells Sideroxylon lanuginosum ssp. oblongilfolium - gum elastic tree Silene acaulis - moss campion Silene caroliniana - sticky catchfly Silene douglasii - seabluff catchfly Silene regia - royal catchfly Silene stellata - starry campion Silene virginica - fire-pink Silphium integrifolium - entire-leaf rosinweed Silphium laciniatum - compass plant Silphium perfoliatum - cup plant Sisyrinchium albidum - white blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium - narrow leaf blue-eyed-grass Sisyrinchium campestre - prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum - strict blue-eyed grass Solidago caesia - blue-stemmed goldenrod Solidago canadensis - Canadian goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis - zigzag goldenrod Solidago juncea - plume goldenrod Solidago missouriensis - Missouri goldenrod Solidago multiradiata - Rocky Mountain goldenrod Solidago nemoralis - gray goldenrod Solidago odora - sweet goldenrod Solidago rugosa - rough-leaved goldenrod Solidago sempervirens - seaside goldenrod Solidago speciosa - showy goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia - elm-leaf goldenrod Sophora affinis - Eve's necklace-pod Sorbus americana - American mountain-ash Sorbus scopulina - Cascade mountain-ash Sorghastrum nutans - yellow Indian grass Spartina pectinata - prairie cord grass Sphaeralcea ambigua - apricot globe-mallow Sphaeralcea coccinea - scarlet globe-mallow Sphaeralcea parviflora - small-leaf globe-mallow Spigelia marilandica - woodland pinkroot Spiraea alba - white meadowsweet Spirea alba var. latifolia - meadowsweet Spiraea splendens var. splendens - subalpine spiraea Spiraea tomentosa - steeplebush Sporobolus heterolepis - prairie dropseed Stanleya pinnata - golden prince's-plume Stewartia malacodendron - silky camellia Stewartia ovata - mountain camellia Stokesia laevis - stoke's aster Streptopus lanceolatus var. roseus - rosy twistedstalk Stylophorum diphyllum - celadine poppy Symphoricarpos orbiculatus - coral berry Symphyotrichum ascendens - Pacific aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum - white wood aster Symphyotrichum drummondii var. drummondii - arrow aster Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides - heath aster Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. foliceum - leafy aster Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve - smooth aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae - New England American aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium - aromatic American aster Symphotrichum oolentangiense - sky-blue American aster Symphyotrichum pilosum var. pilosum - frost aster Symphyotrichum puniceum var. puniceum - swamp aster Symphyotricum sericeum - western silver American aster Symplocarpus foetidus - skunk cabbage Tephrosia virginiana - goat's rue Tetraneuris acaulis var. acaulis - butte marigold Tetraneuris scaposa var. scaposa - yellow daisy Tetraneuris grandiflora - alpine sunflower Teuchrium laciniatum - lacy germander Thalictrum dascycarpum - purple meadow rue Thalictrum dioicum - early meadow rue Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum - meadow rue Thalictrum pubescens - king-of-the-meadow Thalictrum thalictroides - rue anemone Thelesperma filifolium var. filifolium - showy Navajo tea Thermopsis montana - golden pea Thlaspi montanum var. fendleri - penny cress Tiarella cordifolia - heart-leaf foamflower Tilia americana - American linden Townsendia exscapa - Easter daisy Tradescantia bracteata - long-bract spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis - prairie spiderwort Tradescantia ohiensis - Ohio spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana - Virginia spiderwort Tridens flavus - tall redtop Trientalis borealis ssp. borealis - starflower Trillium cernuum - nodding trillium Trillium erectum - purple trillium Trillium grandiflorum - large-flwered trillium Trillium ovataum - coast trillium Trillium sessile - red trillium Trillium undulatum - painted trillium Tripsacum dactyloides - eastern mock grama Trollius laxus - American globeflower Typha latifolia - broad-leaf cattail Ulmus americana - American elm Ulmus crassifolia - cedar elm Uvularia grandiflora - large flowered bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia - merrybells Vaccinium angustifolium - late lowbush blueberry Vaccinium arboreum - farkleberry Vaccinium caespitosum - dwarf huckleberry Vaccinium corymbosum - highbush blueberry Vaccinium stamineum - deerberry Vaccinium ulignosum - bog blueberry Vaccinium stamineum - deerberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea - northern mountain cranberry Verastrum californicum - corn lily Verbena canadensi - rose mock vervain Verbena gooddingii - southwestern vervain Verbena hastata - blue verbena Verbena stricta - hoary verbena Vernonia baldwinii - western ironweed Vernonia gigantea ssp. gigantea - tall ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis - New York ironweed Veronicastrum virginicum - culver's root Viburnum acerifolium - maple-leaf viburnum Viburnum dentatum - southern arrow-wood Viburnum edule - squashberry Viburnum lantanoides - hobblebush Viburnum prunifolium - smooth blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum - rusty blackhaw Viola affinis - sand violet Viola canadensis - Canadian white violet Viola labradorica - alpine violet Viola missouriensis - Missouri violet Viola palmata - early blue violet Viola pedata - bird-foot violet Viola pedatifida - prairie violet Viola pubescens - downy yellow violet Viola rostrata - long-spur violet Viola sororia - meadow violet Vitis rotundifolia - muscadine Wisteria frutescens - American wisteria Wyethia amplexicaulis - northern mule's ears Xanthisma texanum - Texas sleepy daisy Xylorhiza tortifolia var. tortifolia - Mojave woody aster Xyris ssp. - yellow-eyed grass Yucca arkansana - Arkansas yucca Yucca baccata - banana yucca Yucca brevifolia - Joshua tree Yucca glauca - soapweed glauca Zenobia pulverulenta - honeycup Zephyranthes atamasco - rain lily Zinnia grandiflora - Rocky Mountain zinnia Zizia aurea - golden alexanders

Virginia, drainage is one of my big problems: I've lost some beautiful Teas to root rot. Still mourning 'Anna Jung'. I've tried a camelia or two in the ground, but they're just not suited here no matter how much I amend. The rainfall distribution is part of the problem, as winter is our rainy season and summer is dry, the Mediterranean pattern. You've told me some things about camelias I didn't know, thanks for the info. I know there are places in Italy where they're magnificent, but those are pockets where conditions are suitable, I believe, and not very common. Our local woods, in our arid gray clay (there are areas locally where the still-clay soil is much better) are deciduous oak, flowering ash, and field maple, with willows and poplars down in the drainage bottoms, and colonies of black hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) and the hated Ulmus minor scattered here and there. Elderberry, hawthorn, Cornus sanguinea, hazelnut, blackthorn, honeysuckle, wild clematis, brambles, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europeus, fly honeysuckle, Cornus mas. The number of native woody species is not that large. It's like anywhere else: the limitations of our growing conditions determine the character of our garden, making it different from all other gardens. As I said, I can't grow azaleas, but then the few daphnes I've been able to lay my hands on have done fine. Not everyone can grow daphnes. I've never had any luck with hollies, and have found osmanthus iffy, but sarcococcas are happy here. This is great country for the temperate climate fruit trees and for the European once-blooming old roses, for lilacs, mock orange, honeysuckle. I think what we can grow much of it you would also find in the milder parts of England, mixed with a good population of Mediterranean climate plants. Nik, I don't consider all magnolias impossible here, but their placement is very difficult. With us it's either bake, or drown in the low spots, and we must choose between woods, with their web of roots, rocks, and shade, and open fields of pure gray clay, blasted by sun and wind. None of the in-between, moderate conditions I believe they like. The amendment you're talking about is pretty formidable, too. People grow M. soulangeana locally and I've seen M. denudata as well, though those were down in the valley bottoms. We have a magnolia of our own. I suspect that what the nurseryman got for us wasn't what I asked for and it will turn out to be a Soulangeana, but it has been growing satisfactorily for two or three years, and should bloom soon. What I would like would be a M. x loebneri: they're supposed to be easy, beautiful, fragrant, and able to grow in clay. I have a spot in mind. If I had the conditions for them I would have a garden full of deciduous magnolias. Full. I think they're the most beautiful flowering trees there are. P.S. Another cross post. Grazie a te, mustbenuts! In italiano un "ornamental garden" si chiama "giardino" ("vegetable garden" invece è "orto"), quindi "bellissimo" è corretto. Sono contenta che ti sia piaciuto. Anche per me è un posto molto tranquilizzante.