Hi trilliumgreen, Well, here's some late interest in your thread. First let me introduce myself. I have no training in landscape architecture or design. But I like to see gardens, I like plants and I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of gardens in books when I was too ill to read during a couple of extended medical treatments. I live on the wet side of the mountains from you. I feel I'm somewhat out of my league posting here, but have some thoughts. Is your garden for grownups, or is it for children too? I ask this because gardens can be magical places for children. You mention the wildflowers near your home; do you see your home environment also as a place for nature? You might think of your garden also as a habitat for birds, butterflies and insects (but not the marmots). For example, for a climber you could consider honeysuckle, as hummingbirds like its flowers. I've seen some very nice gardens in the Denver area, and there are books written by Colorado authors that might be an inspiration for gardening in your dry climate. Perhaps your library could help you with these. "Plant-Driven Design, creating gardens that honor plants, place and spirit" by Scott Ogden & Laren Springer Odgen and "Cutting Edge Gardening in the Itermountain West" by Marcia Tatroe are a couple of these. Both books include quite a few photos with low growing plants in gravel or pavers. Both include plant lists, including some trees. One of the places where I've seen the golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) was in the Portland Chinese garden; I can see why you are interested in growing it. Tatroe lists it as "xeric", so it should be fine for you. Have you seen Cynthia Kriebe's garden in Ellensburg? Garden photographer Mark Turner likes it so well that he has posted over 100 photos from 4 visits. He names the plants, which is very helpful. The western larch, a deciduous conifer, is in this garden - I think it's a fairly fast grower. I think gardens with a serene and spacious feeling can work well in semi-rural settings because these blend well with the surrounding countryside. For me, using low plants (even in gravel) with tall conifers and upright-growing deciduous trees is a starting point. Best wishes - you should be able to create a garden that brings you and your family great pleasure. -m

Would anyone know of the varieties of white double flowering peaches that might grow or have been offered in SoCal in the 90's? I am trying to ID a double white flowering peach. I am guessing my dad planted it in the 90s. He liked to get a good deal on unknown plants from a local nursery. I am thinking with the poor fruit quality, he might have picked up this one thinking it was a fruit tree and it was actually the ornamental type. It was planted fairly close to an ornamental plum and where he planted a mystery lime that was just rootstock. Dad was not the kind of guy that planted ornamentals in his orchard on purpose. On the other hand, if something sprouted he might have let it grow just to see what it was. Any name ideas so I can try and figure out my tree mystery? Thanks

Aint there a Musa "Bordelon" or something in that nature that has an upright flower and red splotches on the leaves. But that variety is no dwarf though and I don't think it has purple fruits. You got a very nice looking plant there, I don't think I've ever seen anything like it at that height. I hope other folks here might be familiar with it. You may just have a very unique hybrid. I love your bananas except for the very tiny pics. hehe =)

Since this IS a Hydrangea forum, it is more appropriate to post this on the Trees forum. You'll get lots of suggestions - perhaps more than you need :-) The tree folks are an opinionated lot!