Wow, you all are so kind and welcoming! Thanks! Let's see, to address a few comments: Yes,it's flat...but not as flat as Nebraska! (as we like to say) Actually, I live not far from the Loess Hills, which can give the lower parts of the Ozarks a run for their money. Lucy is my special baby cat. I have 7 others (people keep dumping strays on us) but Lucy knows she's Top Cat. The monarchs in the photo are congregating on a silver maple. They do that every year prior to migration, now, and it's tremendously exciting. That photo just shows a small portion of the sometimes HUNDREDS that flutter down and settle for the night... Yes, there *are* days when it seems like Heaven...but then there are days like now--it's 5 below and the wind is howling--and those days when it's 105 and you can fry eggs on the sidewalk....or those days when the humidity is SO thick it literally makes Hot Fog...or those days (since we live on the Buffalo Ridge wind plane, that stretches all the way up to Canada) when the wind blows so much it peels the shingles off the roof and tosses over my heavy teak bench. We didn't realize it was SO windy when we bought the house (the sellers having been blessed with three windless days, to sucker us in ;-) but WOW did we learn about it next spring. Our arbor blew away! It just howled for days and days, and we have the Big Blow every spring and fall, like clockwork. I'm not a lightweight and it literally knocks me over when I'm on my knees trying to plant or weed. The old farmer down the road just laughed when I expressed surprise at the wind: "Wahhhlll, why do ya think all those windmills are around here?" he chuckled. Duh. I didn't notice, right away, that all the power lines on my street are buried underground, too. Anyway, it made for a lot of interesting challenges the first year. My husband had to go around and sink stakes in the ground to keep the benches and arbors from toppling....I have to stake ALL the delphiniums asap--no exceptions....and I've watched all my young apple, pear, and peach trees grow on the diagnonal! They all lean north! Well, enough rambling. I'm looking forward to hearing your spring tales from those of you who live in warmer climes. I can't do much till April, myself.

Thanks for all the invaluable information. It looks like I wasn't the only one that needed some guidance, alas. Even though we have had so little rain this year, I've managed to keep most of the new and newer small/medium sized trees happy. I have lost almost every single small potted or miniature type conifer I planted this year and lots of perrenials. Live and learn. I haven't lost one thing that I mail ordered or bought directly at Klehm's on my bus trip however . I personally think it speaks to their stock and their caretaking. Ken, you really helped me understand something important. Brown needles from the inside means something different than turning brown on the tips and receeding in. Guess I'll stop watering a few more "goners" and start dreaming about what I'll replace them with in the future! Yes, it makes me sick but I will never give up the enjoyment and personal satisfaction. I am also guilty of buying and planting another tree this past week. It looked good, the price was right, and it was talking to me. I do plan on trying to plant in the fall and spring when possible but in that case, it will have a better chance in the ground, IMO. Robyn

I'm new to the Iowa Forum, too! I don't live in Iowa, but was born in Sioux City, raised at Ames (my first 5 yrs while dad went to college) and then we moved to the Illinois Quad Cities. I still live here, but we go to Okoboji every year to our family cabin, so my heart is in Iowa. I just discovered this forum too, I've been a member of GardenWeb for a couple years now and usually frequent the Rose, Lily and Daylily Forums. So Julie we can be Iowa forum newbies together! Ginni

Not too early at all! We started with a floor plan Jan 2008, and made many, many changes to it with the builder's designer (a very patient guy!!). Everytime we made changes, we kind of sat with the changes for a few weeks and 'lived' in the house on paper (if that makes sense). We found that having the time helped us greatly to think everything single detail out. We also made selections for fixtures, flooring, cabinets, and got price quotes from various sources. Only then (in November) did we sign a formal contract. With our current home which we also custom built, we signed a contract too quickly and then once the build started, we incurred numerous costly change orders. We did not realize that we had signed on a very low bid for the home, with inadequate allowances for almost everything. This time, we were well armed with what it would actually cost for all items. That way, we could discuss/negotiate with the builder before we signed on a realistic price for the home. So far, (we broke ground in nov.), there have been no plan changes or other finish changes (that would constitute a change order plus upcharge). So, spend the time....if the builder truly wants your business, he should be more than willing to be patient with you. And only after you are 100 % happy with the floor plan and all the various selections should you send it out for bids. Good luck!