I'd seperate them for sure, even seperate the moms from each other. Chickens can be unpredictable, especially the 'mean roo'. Chances are more than good that he'll kill the chicks. I once felt comfortable enough to leave two little chicks with their mom (a pretty darned mean banty hen) in with the flock. All was well for an entire week, then at seven days old I guess the hens got to fighting over who would get to mother the chicks and they were trampled to death. :( I learned the hard way. Mom can't be everywhere at once, and while she is chasing off one or two attackers, another just swoops in. I'll never leave chicks in with the flock again, no matter how much I trust them. Velvet ~:>

Lower leavs do dry of ... especially on the end of summer. That is somehow normal, do not worry. Just keep good plant higiene and remove the dried leaves. I mself have more than 1.500 different semps ...

Hi Traci. I've had the same problem--grass or clover growing among the semps and impossible to remove without separating most of the rosettes. But when that happens, you just plant the rosettes back together or, like dividing any perennial, relocate them to a more bare spot in your bed/garden. I guess the solution--especially with tough weeds like clover--is to keep on top of the weeding. I have found that if I weed regulary, the grass or clover does not get a chance to really settle in among the hens and chicks. I wouldn't worry about the winter. One fall my wife left a bunch of semps sitting in a cardboard box with about an inch of soil still around the roots. They were out all winter (zone 1B) and were fine in the spring. They did have snow cover, however, which, I think, is all that these plants need to handle the winter. Rand

You didn't like our advice on the other thread to wait to plant? ;>) I do understand that you want a beautiful view NOW if not yesterday. As a newbie, it's really really easy to spend money that ends up being wasted . . . wrong plant for the spot, or your tastes in plantings haven't really developed so that 3 years from now you wonder "What was I thinking?!" or you order from a nursery that sends out almost dead twigs though their photos looked lovely. I've done all these and more. I am sending you an email with a website that you can use to check out the reliability of a mailorder or internet nursery. (I can't post it here as GW views the other website as competition.) I know it's difficult, but until you know how much sun you have there during the growing season you really can't decide on what plants to put there. You also need to know what kind of trees you have since some trees aren't likely to let other plants grow under them due to root competition (maples in particular.) An unhappy plant (spindly or diseased quite often) is worse than no plant in my opinion. Both Nellie Stevens and Green Giant like full sun to part shade and it looks to me like there's a good chance that you won't have that, but you won't know until you've actually observed it. I've known several folks who put up a temporary light weight bamboo fence until plants have grown up enough, and something like that between the big tree and the corner could get you through the first season, along with some large potted plants. How tolerant of salt are Nellie and GG? Being alongside the road whatever you plant will need some salt tolerance unless you are in an area where salt isn't used, especially since at an intersection more salt may be used. Around here, the salt spray thrown up by tires does damage to evergreens' foliage. Your yard is higher than the road so you may not need to worry about root damage from salt. You commented at one point in the previous thread: "Maybe our main goal is more about creating something beautiful and also adding a little privacy than just about closing ourselves in." I agree with Steve that Molie is giving you good advice in recommending a berm set back a bit with a variety of plants that are evergreen but shade tolerant. Check out hedges of all of one kind of plant vs a mixed planting by driving around areas with plantings you like. Look at different plants used to block unsightly views and how they are used. Do you need a whole wall of green and do you like that look? (One of the problems with this is that if one dies or grows slower, it can look unbalanced, like a mouth with broken or missing teeth.) Will a mixed shrub border work better? Will tall grasses or a clumping bamboo work better? (though neither of those will work if you have too much shade.) Would just 3 or 5 shrubs and a couple small beautiful trees be enough to pull your attention away from the road and let your eyes rest in the yard? Are you willing to prune to maintain height or width? Would a relatively low fence (to block headlights and some sound) be enough if it had plantings set back from it on one or both sides? Have you figured out if you want to use your front yard or just look at it? The Missouri Botanical Garden's Plantfinder has the option of putting in plant requirements, and I'd look at plants that are happy with part shade at least. Get a soil test done so you know what your soil has now and may need added. It will also tell you what will grow there, since some plants will only grow in certain conditions (like acidic and high organic content or lots clay and moisture.) It's good you are asking questions, since it will save you problems in the long run. Here's link to a thread on a mixed border I created for full sun. You would want different plants, but it might help you start thinking about whether you like a mixed planting vs a planting of all of one type of plant. I planned mine to distract from a utility area, partly by adding interest and partly by blocking the unsightly view. There are photos at both the beginning and at the end. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/neweng/msg1208322318994.html Here is a link that might be useful: Missouri Botanical Garden Plantfinder