Your flowers were beautiful. That's exactly what I am looking for. My yard is to bare and I am excited at the thought of huge flowering bushes. I plan on adding other plants and bushes but I wanted something big to start of with. I have no problem with the bare sticks in the winter, where I have them planted it shouldn't look to bad. I keep checking on them hoping to see something sprouting. It has been raining a lot lately so I they have had a lot of water. I hope they do really well because I want to add more in my garden. If they do well I want to put some in the front yard as well. I feel like a little kid. I am so excited!

I WOULD NOT recommend Surry Gardens at all, I spoke with "the owner" last year personally who told me prices I wrote down as we spoke and assured me he had a large selection, when I arrived "that day two hours later", 2 hour drive one way from my place, I gathered the plants we spoke of and they were double what he told me 2 hours before and said the sale didnt Include them...no I didn't make any mistake and he tried to back peddle and would not honor the prices he told me. We got nothing but attitude from his employees and it felt like a cartel run operation. There is no question his poor attitude runs into the veins of his workers as they all seemed miserable to be there. We left without buying a thing and will never go back. We are professional people and to be treated as we were was beyond unacceptable and it was deceiving knowing we were driving so far and he assumed we would buy things regardless.

In addition to local nurseries you could check out this great business called Edible Landscaping, which specializes in fruit trees. They're located in VA so most of what they carry will do well in our area. http://www.eat-it.com Juneberries/Serviceberries (amalanchier) are one of my favorite native fruits, and will do fine in some shade since they often grow in the forest. They have small red-purple berries with an edible seed inside. My husband says they taste like blueberries and I think they taste like Sweet Tarts (maybe I don't let them get all the way ripe!). The birds will love whatever you don't eat. I'll eat a pawpaw or two in the wild but the kerosene like aftertaste stops me after that, so I wouldn't plant them in my yard. Some people don't seem to be bothered by them though. Gooseberries and currants can also apparently take shade, especially afternoon shade (which side of your yard is the forest on?). Otherwise most fruit trees will do better in full sun. Figs THRIVE in my neighborhood in Takoma Park/Silver Spring. (There are so many trees within a few blocks of us, I have the theory that they're all cuttings off of one or two trees that have been passed around over the years.) I think the ones I like the best are Celeste, if I've identified them right. Animals seem to leave them alone, which is a major plus. You can dry whatever you don't eat fresh. If you've never had a fresh fig, there's nothing quite like it. I'm a huge fan. In general most folks I know seem to think apples and peaches are too high-maintenance to be worth it. I have a peach tree in my backyard that produces massive amounts of fruits but the squirrels like to eat them when they're green, so I get very few. It's kind of heartbreaking -- every year I see the number of fruits and my hopes are so high for good, fresh peaches, and it never quite comes out that way. We also have a pear tree that is not nearly as productive, but just as attractive to the squirrels. I have yet to eat a pear. I have a neighbor who grows plums somewhat successfully but loses a lot to the plum curculio bug. Mulberries grow pretty much as a weed tree in this area because birds eat so many of them and spread the seeds. I find them very tasty. You can easily feed yourself and the birds. You'd just have to stay on top of any seedlings that start coming up where you don't want them (especially along fences where birds perch). This year I have plans to plant a sour cherry. Birds are supposed to like them less than sweet cherries. We'll see. I'm also looking into Japanese persimmon. Blueberries also can do well here if you amend the soil to be acidic enough for them. You will have to fight the birds for them, too. Good luck!

I've planted many perennials, trees, and more in the fall. Great time for there is no harsh, hot and dry summer conditions. Plant wakes up in the spring like it has always been there. You will need to look at only US vendors as I seem to recall this plant is covered by CITES and import/export is strongly controlled. In looking at vendors be sure to look for how they get their plants. I would avoid wild collected over "farmed" plants - no sense in supporting the further depletion of wild plants. FataMorgana