These are all very interesting. The Cornell information explains a lot. The french site appears to break the pruning methods by rootstock/tree size, but I like the looks of the M106 rootstock type. Still, the others have some interesting features. The lattice look on dwarves is very attractive, but must be terrible work to maintain. I will probably go with pruning towards a vase shape. Other than some fireblight, disease really isn't a problem, although we like to feed birds in the winter and have a lot of english sparrows, house finches, and gold finches. The house finches and sparrows seem to really enjoy digging into the apples. I haven't been able to convince any of the cats to take up residence in the trees, though. Maybe I can hang rubber mice in the trees? Ha! As a side note, these birds seem to enjoy eating the buds off my blue plum trees in the winter. The plum they like to roost in is nearly stripped clean in the spring and has only scattered blossoms, mostly on lower branches. I always have some sunburn on the apples on the south side of the trees but it isn't really a problem and doesn't appear to do any more damage than to hurt the eye-appeal of the apple. I was concerned that maybe there was some production or ease of care advantage with central leader systems that I just couldn't figure out. When trying to maintain a smaller size to a tree that wants to grow, do you periodically take out one of the scaffolds or cut it back severely to spur newer growth lower down (then train one of the new shoots that come out as a replacement scaffold)? Otherwise, it seems that eventually you would end up pruning branches back to roughly the same place every year and have a tree that looks like it is on steroids--big, thick limbs, no smaller fruiting branches?

Isn't it wonderful getting more sun? I've had lots of treework done (mostly Norway maples and thinning), and my lot has gone from mostly shade to partial shade. I want more sun! I have a plan with my tree guy to take down the last huge Norway maple in my yard as soon as the snow melts (we have about 2 feet right now). I can't wait to get rid of that thing and grow more stuff. :-D I grow bronze fennel and it doesn't produce the bulb. That is "Florence fennel" and it's a cultivar of Foeniculum vulgare that has an enlarged bulb. It is similar to celery but has a mild sweet licorice taste. I cook them with brussel sprouts and carrots, or other winter veggies. It sounds like the pesticide applicator is targeting the woody plants. Hopefully he won't hit the host plants. Next time you see the sprayer, I would go over and ask him about the herbicide. Probably Triclopyr or 2-4-d. I think they kill broad leaf plants but not grasses?

Kathy, "Wild's nursery in misouri(sp) has a sale early spring and again in the fall and list a b unch for $1.50,$2.,, $2.50.I had ordered 6 that year and they sent me Painter's Splash as a bonus.My order was way under $ 20,including the postage.Strawberry Candy was part of that sale, too that I ordered.I will post a photo of it when it blooms.. Julia: No, that one being in a pot is not why its not opening good.Its been so rainy and cool,the nights lately in the mid 40's.I have some others with nice ruffles is not opening good either right now and they are in the ground And yes,Braveheart was only $ 2. on a sale. Thank you all for your very nice comments. JAN; The package at wal mart had said they were NIGHT BEACON and I love purple,so I got it and planted them,and I know from every ones photos,it is NOT NIGHT BEACON,as I had hoped it would be.It looks alot like my LITTLE WART,but is darker,so can't be that either I guess.Oh well,,its A bloom of some kind. Jean

So often, where you sit determines what you see. If I were in your shoes, I would be equally angry that this adult stepdaughter violated my personal space/home by sneaking in when she knew that we were out of town. And that she had the "audacity" to do so would make me feel anger...as if it was not really my home...but my husbands and his family. I would feel like a guest, and never feel like it was actually mine. And the truth is, it is not actually "yours" and may very well, never be. Because if you look at this from "their" perspective, this home actually does represent "their family" and the life memories they built there as a family. You are in their "mothers home" and that must be painful for them. Can you try and see this from the perspective of your own family. I do not know if your parents are together, or alive, but can you imagine if you will, that they are, and the pain that if you lost your mom, another woman moving into her home, sleeping in her bedroom, cooking in her kitchen, relaxing in her family room, etc. Most of us are pretty healthy emotionally, and yet I think most of us would have trouble coming to peace with "that" senario. It would be a painful reminder of the loss of the parent who "belongs" in that home. Even as adults, when we reflect back on family memories, and our childhood homes, the memories would become too painful, because along with the sorrow of loosing a mother, we would have to deal with the raw and painful emotions that another woman has taken not only her place, but has also taken over her home, and intruded upon, and tainted the memories of their childhood family home. They cannot fondly "remember" because the complex feelings of warmth and sorrow are now intermixed with the bitterness of another woman in this sacred place called "home" for them. Looking at this from the viewpoint of you (a grown woman) and "your parents" - well, can you begin to understand????? If your DH is close to these girls, he should consider whether he is able to "let go" of this home, and buy a home that represents "your" marriage and life together. Is he financially able to do this? Once he comes to a personal decision on what he is able to do, he needs to decide what he is "willing" to do. If he is actually willing to sell the home, and buy something else...then before he does so, he should talk to his daughters about it. He should tell them that he understands how painful this is for them, and would they feel better if the house were sold, and you and he lived elsewhere. He may find that it is the right thing to do, or he may find that they are willing to respect your right to feel it is "your" home now, and be OK with him keeping the house, and letting you make it "yours" with paint, furniture, etc. Perhaps it would help him to talk to a counselor to work through the grief of loosing his wife, and to come to peace over the fact that he has started a new life. Perhaps a new home would help him move forward, and the memories would not haunt him so. I imagine he too has mixed feelings about another woman living in "their" home. Perhaps he moved on too quickly, due to the shock of being alone, and now he is conflicted with grief, guilt, love (for you), love for his daughters, etc. Remember again, that where you sit determines what you see. That where you sit, determines the perspective that is drawn. Friends in your shoes, would see this from your perspective, and be angry too. Friends that have lost their mother, and had their father remarry, and move the woman into their "mothers home"...thereby replacing their beloved mom, will see this from the perspective of a daughter or son, and feel their pain. You are in a hard place, perhaps through no fault of your own. Try not to take it personally, because they would feel the same way no matter what woman took the place of their beloved "mom".