Are we looking at them now or recently in the pots they spent the summer in? I'm finding pots more fun and easier to maintain than in the soil and more work of course. Well, I guess watering once a week is not a lot of work.

They look great!

Most are either fearful of my bogs or they don't want to go to the trouble but the final result leads to easy care and excellent growth.

Here is a link that might be useful: constructed bog

Yup, they're all still in pots. They won't go into the ground until spring -- if ever. I suspect I'll keep some or maybe even most in pots. I haven't had the "soil" on our ridge tested, and, while I have a pretty good feel for what's fertile soil in Indiana, this Tennessee red clay is really foreign stuff to me. It just looks and feels as if there's no organic matter there! So until I buy and/or make myself some good soil, I may just become a pots-gardener, at least for a while.

The watering takes me about 90 minutes each time, but when we finish at the new house, I'll have a watering system so I won't have to do everything by hand, thank goodness.

They look great, especially Paradigm. I've put lots in pots too, I've got those maple roots to contend with as well.

"I haven't had the "soil" on our ridge tested, and, while I have a pretty good feel for what's fertile soil in Indiana, this Tennessee red clay is really foreign stuff to me. It just looks and feels as if there's no organic matter there!"

Before you spend a lot of money or time on this clay talk to me. I can wear you out with all this, bottom line it is easy and cheap! And there is no reason or value to test the soil, the only area important for the plants is what is called the rhisophere and that can be changed from the top down.

Here is a link that might be useful: clay

Butch, that's basically what I did in my yard in Indiana. In my veggie garden, I just buried appropriate kitchen waste between plants and in the yard where I expanded the garden, and added grass cuttings and ground-up leaves on top. I threw in some topsoil from somewhere else when I had it, and a couple bags of composted cow manure. It made me sick when I went back 2 months after moving and saw that the new owners had expanded their parking lot over this yummy soil. Wish I could have dug it up and brought it along, but I had enough problems moving the hostas!

In the flower bed borders I did lasagna. In one empty front planter, I just put bags of 3-year old leaves, grass, and kitchen waste, inoculated with a couple buckets of topsoil from elsewhere, and stood back. Best soil on the property!

I figure if I put the right stuff on top, the earthworms will carry it up and down for me. If there are any . . . I might have to buy some!

"I figure if I put the right stuff on top, the earthworms will carry it up and down for me. If there are any . . . I might have to buy some!"

Lasagna or sheet compost is the basis of my arguments which is exactly what you have done. Worms as it works out are indicator organisms but not even necessary, micro-organisms are necessary.

Another point about your clay, usually it is a better basic soil than a lot of Indiana black soil. Indiana black muck soil is great for many seed crops but not so much for perennials.

Relax about the soil, your methods will take care of everything.

Here is a link that might be useful: rhizosphere

I don't know what kind,if any trees you have at your new place,but your hostas will do fine in red clay. That's all we have here in western NC,and mine do just fine. Of course,I live in a wooded area,with Oaks, Dogwood,and Poplar trees overhead. Just a thought for you to ponder. Phil