Here's my take on the agricultural sulphur/ferrous sulphate and iron chelate. Agricultural or elemental sulphur will provide more acidifying power per pound of material applied, however the soil microbes have to convert it from the sulphur form to oxides of sulphur, which can then act to acidify the soil. It takes time for the acidification to work and it will occur over a period of time, you have to get the sulphur into the ground for the microbes to attack, and the effect will be a bit longer acting. The larger the sulphur particles you spread, the slower the process. Elemental sulphur is relatively cheap so is often used agriculturally. We generally use sulphur strictly as a fertilizer to replace what the crops are removing from the soil, being leached away, or tied up into mineralized compounds, plus it is relatively low volume. As a fertilizer, we often apply it at 30 lbs/acre. Another option is to use gypsum, calcium sulphate, which is commonly used to treat highly alkaline/saline soils as it is quite cheap, acidifying, and provides additional calcium. (In moister climates where soils are more acidic, they do the opposite, applying lime -- calcium carbonate-- to raise the pH). When applying gypsum, we would apply it on the order of 1000-2000 lbs/acre or more. With ferrous sulphate, you have moved up a step in cost but you are providing sulphate ions (or is it anions?) that will provide the acidifying effect, and because it is already converted to a soluble and ionic form, it will work quite quickly. At the same time, you are providing free iron that the plants can take up and the acidifying effect of the sulphate slows the process of tying the iron up in the soil. Many soils, particularly in alkaline areas, have plenty of iron, but it is tied up in the soil and unavailable to plants, and that is the situation here. We have a lot of red soils, the red coming from oxidized iron (rust). There is no deficiency of iron but it is mineralized and unavailable. Combine that with a pH of around 8 or higher and there are a lot of plants that will die of iron deficiency. Conifers, golden willows (lost a row of them in the cemetery to that, and nearly lost the spruce trees), petunias, raspberries, and even kentucky blue grass where the lawn is only sprinkler irrigated, for example. With iron chelate, you have a form of iron that is more available to plants, however it is relatively much more expensive. The chelate can be absorbed into the leaves if used as a foliar spray, though too strong a solution will burn. Because it can be pretty well directly absorbed by the plants, it can have an almost immediate effect on new growth. I've seen it recommended to water the ground with the iron chelate, but I think it tends to get tied up in the alkaline soil fairly quickly (I think the chelate breaks down fairly quickly, then the high pH ties up the iron again, and you need large quantities which become quite expensive. I had always had recommendations from the extension service to use iron chelate for iron deficiency, but later I was advised to use the ferrous sulphate by a professor for the combined free iron/acidifying properties. When I used the iron chelate, I never had much in the way of results unless I sprayed weekly at least, and that just doesn't happen with me. With the ferrous sulphate, I could spread it once and see lasting effects for anywhere from the remainder of the summer to several years. Part of my lawn is watered with a sprinkler using well water which is very high in lime. Gradually it turns yellow and thin with iron chlorosis. Fertilizing with nitrogen had no effect. Add some ferrous sulphate and in a week it was turning green, growing like it was badly overfertilized, and the stand thickens up. One year my supplier stopped carrying the ferrous sulphate but had ferrous gluconate and said it was much easier to use and worked the same--so I wondered but tried it. Think I still have most of the bag. It showed no effect on the plants, smelled like molasses and had no irritating dust so I found a new supplier for the ferrous sulphate (I'm not going to apply it if I don't get results). I don't fully remember my chemistry from school, acids/bases, oxidizers/reducers, strong vs. weak acids & bases & the chemical reactions that take place when these chemicals are placed in solution and I'm sure there are those out there that can more than adequately cover the subject (not that I'd want to learn it all over again, though!) I mainly try to cover some of the principles and describe what has worked from experience. Plus, I've never tried to grow blueberries as trying to provide an acid environment in my soil seems like too high a maintenance. Overall, what is being dealt with here is that in drier climates, the soils tend to have a large reservoir of lime and an alkaline pH. Acid loving plants may not need acid to live, however they consume quantities of minerals which are mineralized and unavailable at high pH, but become readily available at lower pH and blueberries have adapted to soils where these minerals are readily available. Trying to lower the pH of the soil to create an acid one suitable for blueberries is very hard, because to make the soil acid you have to essentially eliminate the alkaline lime in the soil, and it will take tons of amendments to do that. To compensate, you remove the soil, replace it with organic matter which is naturally acidic, then work to counteract the ongoing process of your climate and geology from turning the new acidic, organic soil back into an alkaline, mineralized soil and add a few of the more important nutrients the plants need so that they are readily available, even if the pH is a little higher than the plant desires. One last caveat--in acidic soils, NEVER add ferrous sulphate for an iron deficiency. You don't need more acid (unless you actually want a more acidic soil). Use iron chelate or the ferrous gluconate. Sorry this is much too long, but hopefully it explains the basis of my thoughts so you can judge for yourselves what is best in your situation.

To answer your question, the green wall on the left of the pic of my SG is a bunch of huge bushes and some volunteer trees, left over from a formal garden which was started in 1905 by my DH's great grandfather. However, I think you can certainly start a SG without inheriting it! A blooming vine which grows in shade and likes your climate (I use star jasmine here, but it is only hardy zones 8-10) would be perfect for that fence. Rhododendrons and hydrangeas like shade, too - and I know there are types of both which would be hardy in your zone (in fact, I had to search to find rhododendrons for my garden here which were heat hardy enough). You could plant a hedge of one or the other in front of that fence, with a flowering vine growing on the fence. You could even make the fence a little taller for the vine by adding one of those lattice things to the top of it - it is sold in lengths to be added to the top of fences - my DH increased the height of the neighbor's fence in our back yard by about 18 inches by adding that. I have a hedge of hydrangeas here in front of a tall fence with star jasmine growing on it - both types of flowers are white, which looks good in the shade, and it looks great. So, there are all kinds of possibilities, including of course planting rose in the sunny parts. Personally, I would not struggle to plant any roses in the shade, where even if they survived they would not be happy. Plants planted where they are happy will make you happier in the long run. When you get your SG planned, please share the plan and pics with us! Jackie

The best laid plans of mice and men...it's happened to all of us, lol! I learned early on when gardening with my Mom that plans are only good on paper and never in the garden! Something always happens to change them. I have a huge diagram of my beds on graph paper, supposedly to scale, that is so far off now that I'd have to trash it and start over to make it even remotely resemble what's really out there. Color scheme, HA! Not a chance. During my rampant acquisition years that went quickly out the window. It was more, "now where the heck can I squeeze this one in?", than, "where would it look best or fit in with the colors". But you know what, it doesn't matter. I love my garden in all it's riotous jumble of colors and shapes and sizes!

Yes, I actually do have a plan and while I am not there yet (are we ever done with a garden?) I feel like I am doing well in terms of continual waves of bloom. I have a few spring flowering bulbs here to start things off. I plan to put in lots more this fall. Going for crocus, Daffs and tulips. Then I have many spring flowering trees and shrubs such as serviceberries, crab apples, cherries and many types of viburnums. That takes me into Azealea flowering season and very shortly after the azealeas finish, the roses start their spring flush. Next come lily bulbs as the asiatic lilies start soon after the spring rose flush. Then the oriental lily bulbs. This year I added even more lily bulbs than last years 400 bulbs of all oriental and asiatic. This year lots of trumpets, orienpets and OT and LA hybrid lilies. All new to me as I used to have only asiatic and oriental. But I added some of those also. This takes me into daylily blooming time and some of the lilies and daylilies will be blooming at the same time. This brings me into August and I don't know how much bloom for august as I have added many late flowering daylilies last fallm should bloom late July and early august. There should be some late flowering lily bulbs also. For fall, well nothing unless daylilies rebloom. I have also been working on more bloom before the start of the daylilies and lily bulbs by planting lots of Siberian Iris, which blooms now here and am working to make a tall bearded iris bed for the TB iris I ordered comeing this july. Of course there are many other plants in the yard blooming at various times. I like Hollyhocks, Purple coneflowers, Butterfly bushes, Sunflowers, Mexican Sunflower, Catmint, Hummingbird mints, various milkweeds and lots of annuals such as marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, varius annual salvias, Snapdragons, impatients and more. Usually looks pretty good here.