If you end up planting just half of the suggestions that have been offered, you will have a tree collection, not a forest. Perhaps that's what you're after, in which case, go for it. But honestly, diversity is a good thing but at that point, you would have FAR more diversity than typically occurs in a temperate zone forest. Two acres is a nice sized lot, but it's two acres. I'm surprised that most respondents felt compelled to give you their lists of favorite trees. Why not do some editing instead of expansion of the list? Take your favorite oak, your favorite maple, your favorite spruce-like conifer, etc. That way, you'll have all of your main bases covered, but will end up with something that at least aproximates a natural N. temperate zone setting. If it were me, I'd also not get too caught up in the native versus non-native issue. I like sycamore better than London plane. That's why I'd opt for the sycamore. Norway maple is a fine tree, but really does have disastrous potential to supplant native species, therefor sugar maple is a better choice. And such things as yellow birch and hemlock are some of my favorite trees, but I'd not think them reasonable choices for a wide open sunny site. I guess it all depends on what you are trying to do. If it is to trial as many species as possible, like an arboretum, than yes, plant one or two of every tree suggested. If it's to end up with something that looks like a natural grove, pare that list down! +oM

No camelliaphile should be without copies of the Gerbing and Hume books on the camellia, published in the 1950's. One of my copies was discarded by the local public library and the others bought from used/antiquarian book dealers on the American Book Exchange (www.abe.com): Gerbing, Gustav George. _Camellias_. St. Augustine, FL: The Record Press, 1950. Gerbing's work is filled with beautiful, full-color, full-page illustrations, each with a facing page of expert commentary on the cultural requirements of the variety as well as his observations of its performance in his Fernandina, FL, garden. He covers many of the antique, or heritage, varieties as well as some of the better seedlings he selected and propagated from his North Florida camellia garden. Hume, H. Harold. _Camellias in America_. Rev. ed. Harrisburg, PA: J. Horace McFarland Company, 1955. Hume includes scores of superb, full-page, full-color japonica and sasanqua illustrations. The illustrations are so good that they are suitable for matting and framing. Affiliated with the University of Florida, Hume was, no doubt, the leading American academic authority on the genus _Camellia_ of his day. He writing style is clear and suitable to the layperson. His cultural knowledge of the camellia is vast. __________. _Camellias: Kinds and Culture_. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1951. This book has fewer full-color illustrations than _Camellias in America_, and they are of poorer quality, especially after fifty-seven years. However, Hume's descriptions of the leading japonica and sasanqua cultivars of his day are outstanding. This book is also valuable because of its several chapters focusing on the history of the camellia in Europe and North America. He discusses a variety of propagation methods in other chapters. Hume provides information on the numerous early nineteenth-century camelliaphiles in Boston, MA, but regrettably, fails to mention Andre Michaux's introduction of the camellia to Middleton Place Gardens in Charleston in 1786 or Louis LeConte's work with camellias at the LeConte Botanical Garden in Liberty County, GA, in the eighteen-tens and eighteen-teens. Michaux's gift of four camellias to Arthur (Or was it Henry?) Middleton mark the advent of American camellia culture. At least one of those four camellias is still growing at Middleton Place, well over two centuries after it was planted.

Here's Ann's Sticky Toffee Pudding. Sticky Toffee Dessert ===================== Source: Vancouver Cooks - Chef Rolf Gunter from Rim Rock Cafe & Oyster Bar 1 cup whipping cream 1¼ cups unsalted butter 2¼ cups brown sugar 6 oz. Pitted dates 1 tsp baking soda 1¼ cups boiling water 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ tsp. Baking powder NOTE: I used Medjool Dates This comforting Pudding lives up to its name! For an extra touch, garnish dessert with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Serves 6 to 8. Note: I used my Caramel sauce over this dessert. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 inch springform pan with aluminum foil and butter it well. Place cream, 1 cup of of the butter and 1 3/4 cups of the brown sugar in a saucepan on medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to turn brown and thicken slightly. Pour half into the springform pan. Save the rest of the sauce. Place dates and baking soda in a bowl. Add boiling water, mix and let cool. Place the remaining butter , the remaining sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer. Beat on medium high for about 5 minutes, until well creamed. Beat in the egg, then stir in the date mixture. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl. Fold into the egg mixture until evenly incorporated. Pour into the springform pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn down the oven to 300°F and bake for 60 minutes, until golden brown and firm when touched lightly. To serve: unmould the pudding, slice it and place on individual plates. Drizzle with the warmed reserved sauce. NOTE: I found that this cake cooked much quicker than the time called for in the recipe. I baked it for 30 minutes at 350°F and then for another 20 to 25 minutes at 300°F. Caramel Sauce ============= Caramel Sauce 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup cream pinch of salt 2 teaspoons vanilla Mix all the ingredients together and simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes. Serve over Bread and butter pudding, apple pie and icecream, warm gingerbread, etc.. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Deb, I also want to thank you for hosting at your wonderful place .... and for the tour of your barn, house and gardens. What a spectacular view from that side lawn! I can just imagine the fabulous art gatherings that were held there many years ago .... who was that owner/artist again? I also left something behind.... a slotted spoon for the meatballs. Deb, could you bring the next time we meet? Jane, as soon as we got home, I took your Delphinium out of the plastic bag and planted it. Mother Nature has kindly taken care of the watering and so I'll wait for it to open. I forgot to ask you if you know the variety.... maybe yes? maybe no? Everything else will have to wait until the rain stops... maybe Wednesday. Hope everyone got home before the skies opened... Carl, you had one of the longest rides. You weren't riding into the storm, were you? And speaking of Carl.... yes, let's do this again where we can bring more wine ... your chardonnay was delicious! Marty, I can't remember what I may have requested ... don't worry about it. I like your and other's suggestions of a summer soirée .... with bermuda shorts, summer hats and pearls, of course. It's not important to swap plants then, especially because transplanting can be "iffy" in the hotter weather. But it IS important that there'd be... ..... More great food. By the way, I'd love the Chicken Salad and Quiche recipes (email them to me?) .... Lots of fruits and salads... those were delicious .... Desserts of chocolate and peanut butter .... More Wine And to avoid confusion about my name, this time I sign off with my "real" name. "Molie" is the nickname my children gave me years and years ago. Besides "Mom" they usually refer to me as "The Mole." Merla