To revert to your original post, if you want another spring-flowering, small tree of a different color - redbud, crabapple (some are white flowered), Flowering cherry, etc. - would be a good substitute. Fringe tree is another one, but IS white flowering, and is late to leaf out. Hawthorns (some are native and some European or hybrids) do have white flowers for the most part - some have red - but the red fruits are interesting, and some have good fall foliage - being members of the rose family, they can get common rose family diseases, including fire blight, and they do have thorns. If you want a summer flowering tree, then there are possibly one of the hardier crape myrtles, stewartias (possibly not hardy), franklinias, and a few others - some of which will also have white flowers. You might also be able to grow and limb up a Peegee hydrangea, although the weight of the blooms will bow down the branches to a degree. If you can find one, a sourwood is summer-flowering, whitish and come in July-Oct., with good fall foliage. Virginia Witch hazel flowers in the fall, with yellow flowers - there are hybrids with European varieties, which might be hardy for you, in orange to red colors, that flower in early spring. Fall foliage is yellow.

Hi Rookie, I, too, have very mixed feelings on the lupines! I mentioned further up that Ive never had any luck getting them goingbut I havent given up! I got a couple small ones at the Spring Swap, and just finally got them planted in the ground yesterday. In the past Ive started them from seed a couple times, but after a while they didnt seem to be doing too well in the potspossibly because of my comings and goingsbut when I put them in the ground they did even worse, and eventually died. Id really like to have a couple, so I hope it works, and I have my fingers crossed this time! If you really like them, I think you should give them a trybut I dont think Id recommend basing a major portion of the garden on them. I was going to say that I think they might do better at higher altitudes, but apparently Nancy has some trouble too, so maybe Im wrong about that. But they are on my altitude list at 9500', and since youre even higher than she is, maybe youll have better luck with them. Youll never know if you dont try them! I do agree with Nancy that they are short lived perennials, and if you get them going youll probably either want to ensure that they reseed each year, or start some new ones in pots to set out each year. If I ever get some going enough that they produce seed, Ill probably collect seed and replant right next to the original plant(s). I way agree with Nancy on checking out the preferred menu of your local wildlife before you put too much money into any one thing! When I was making up the deer resistant list at Paulinos, I ended it with: .....trying a variety of these plants in your own backyard is the only effective way of determining which will be most useful in your area. Her idea of sitting them out in the pots first to see what happens to them is sure a good way to avoid all the work of planting themonly to have them disappear a day or two later! Im not at all surprised that you werent impressed with your landscaper! In the years I worked with different landscapers at Paulinos, there were very, very, very few that impressed me! Most of them knew very little, had a "menu" of 12-18 plants that they put in for every job they didand charged a whole lot to do it! What always amazed me was that they had (presumably) gone to school to study what they were charging the hefty fees for, yet they seemed to have learned very littleexcept maybe how to put their dozen plants onto a fancy looking sketch! If you enjoy gardening and have time to do the work (play?) involved, I very strongly recommend making your own decisions about what you want and where you want it! There is no right or wrong in gardening. If you like it, its right! If you put something in and it doesnt look like you envisioned it, you move it! Perennial gardening is a "perennial" sportand the game never ends! I definitely recommend more of a variety of the columbines, as Nancy mentioned. As a matter of fact, living where you do/will, it would be almost sacrilege if you didnt have at least one Aquilegia caerulea, Rocky Mountain Columbine! I definitely want one, but just havent gotten it done yet! And there are so many different columbines that would work for you. I like the A. chrysantha so much because of the fragrance, so its always the first one I mention. It seems to bloom longer than many of the others too. I second the suggestion for hardy salvia too! May Night is a really nice, dark purple one that blooms for a long time, and, as Nancy has said, if cut back will produce a whole second flush. If you just deadhead the dying primary blooms, itll keep producing secondary blooms that are smaller than the first, but if you cut it all the way down when the first flush starts looking ratty, itll come back and bloom as big and beautiful as the first time. That can be hard to do sometimes, of course, but the result is way worth it. The Campanulas are something else that would work well for you out there. They come in species from under a foot to the peachleaf bellflower, Campanula persicifolia, which in my yard right now, it 3' tall and in full bloom. I have some pics in the camera, and will post one when I get around to downloading them. Actually, heres a pic of just the flowers from a couple years ago, but its more than twice as big now. Heres a not-very-good pic of C. Glomerata Acaulis, Clustered Bellflower, about 18". Most of the Dianthus would do well for you out there. This ones Sweet William, D. barbatuslove the fragrance! Most of the Dianthus have a spice scent. Then theres always shasta daisies! Becky is the best tall one! Anduhhhif you decide to come down for the Fall Swap, you CAN transplant at least some of these things from my garden to yours! Weve had someone come in from the Colorado/Kansas border for one of the swaps, and HiAlt, Bonnie, has come in from Silt (thats way on the Western Slope) for, is it two or three now, Bonnie? And we always have people come up from the Springs. You can do it too! No date is set yet, but itll probably be the first week in September, or right around then. And remember, Ive been working on my perennial gardens for 5 years now! It takes a while with perennials, and I recommend you dont try to go for a "finished look" in the first year. You can always fill in bear areas with annuals until things fill inand you figure out which plants you like the bestand which the deer like the best!!! Part of the fun is exploring the different possibilities and trying new things. When are you actually moving out? Skybird

Hi Ritholtz - Leylands are beautiful trees. If you want to trim them that short, they may be more prone to disease over time. It's better to find a plant that you can prune a bit closer to it's mature height. Maybe other can weigh in on this? Neil Sperry says never to "top" a tree. Because I read recently that Neil Sperry (or Howard Garrett) no longer recommends Leyland Cypress for Texas, I marked it off of my consideration list (arborvitae's are prone to a lot of insects?). Because of that, I am focusing more on junipers. You can google evergreen plant nursery for dimensions, "mature" rate, etc... If you are interested, I would do some further research. Last night I was looking at some videos of Wax Myrtle on youtube. I recommend checking the videos and google "wax myrtle trees" images. Yes, they do need to be pruned and trained as a tree (some people want them to grow more as a shrub). They take really well to pruning so it is possible to make them look like a nice tree. I found some really nice ones. Right now, I'm looking at the Majestic Beauty Indian Hawthorne; It grows to the right dimensions, is evergreen, drought tolerant. I would have to find a larger size since it is only moderate growing... Here's what I'm doing - a combination of spartan juniper, Nellie Steven's Holly, Blue Point Juniper, Majestic Beauty Indian Hawthorne, and Cleveland Pear (hardier version of the Bradford Pear - a bit larger and still very dense). I know some people hate the pears but I think they are "well-groomed" and provide good density. Cleveland is less prone to blowing over in an ice storm. Also, according to Neil Sperry, they have a moderate lifespan (25-50 years) and fast growing. In all these trees, I'm taking into consideration - hardiness, drought resistance, density (for privacy) and beauty. I've been reading Neil Sperry's gardening book to help narrow down choices; I recommend it! Hope you can find some answers!

Thank you Flo Mangan for your suggestions. I have a large row of various evergreens just across from this area so don't want to go that route. The Chinese Pistache is beautiful but I don't think it will work where I live as this is what I read. "Unfortunately, planting a Chinese pistache tree also comes with some cons, including its susceptibility to root rot and verticillium wilt, its cold weather intolerance, and its rather awkward appearance before maturation."