Sorry all...it's been a very busy last couple of days and this is the first chance I've had to get back on this issue. lilium -- Thanks for the info on the dogwood...yes, I suppose it could've been overly wet, but didn't seem to be so as I was digging the hole for it. Could've been a little too much clay though and might've held whatever water was there, for too long. It was very frustrating though, because small (almost wild-looking) dogwoods used to grow in that area perfectly well, but had to be cut down due to construction issues. esh -- Thanks! I will definitely take some pix sometime this week...probably Thursday or Saturday (nice weather those days). The area I want to plant in now IS at the bottom of a hill, so it does get excess runoff, But, the soil is pretty easy to work...even with some clay, it's never very difficult to dig down there...except for working around roots of the existing trees. The dogwood WAS a B&B, now that I think about it...and it is the only B&B tree I've ever planted. I did cut away the twine and pulled the burlap down several inches, but didn't completely remove it. I'll keep the B&B-vs-container thing in mind for the future. I am more comfortable with container plants, obviously. The area is partial shade-to-full shade, depending on how close to the lawn you get (partial shade near the lawn, full shade next to the existing woods). I am looking for a little of everything I think. I don't want to plant TOO many varieties, but I think it could look more natural if I don't plant just one thing, right? Maybe one flowering (I like white and yellow...hence the dogwood), something for fall color (I already have maples in the yard, so more maples wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing...but open to other ideas), and sure...something evergreen would be nice. I already have quite a few varieties in the landscape...blue pacific juniper, Parson's juniper, Saybrook Gold juniper, blue point juniper (yeah...OK, I like junipers...), and a REALLY big no-idea-what-the-name-of-it-is cedar that actually came OUT of the edge of those woods many years ago. I also have Clarissa hollies in the existing landscape, needlepoint hollies, variegated pittosporums, and kaleidoscope abelia. So, obviously, I like evergreens too! :) I'm really open to anything...my main concern is that it looks natural.

mayland, a lot of people (including myself, till i really got into it) don't realize that gardening is a year-round endeavor, and you can keep planted with seasonal veggies with minimal effort on your part. grocery stores have spoiled me rotten to a degree (year-round everything), but i find it a fun challenge to adapt to a seasonal menu at home - my DW and I love to cook, although admittedly, i do 75% or more of all the cooking in the house. regarding my stackstone beds...i try to keep them planted year-round with (at minimum) salad greens, during warm months (late spring/summer/fall/early winter) they keep us outfitted with tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, herbs, peppers, etc. the beds are only ~12 ft each (~3.5' x 3.5') personally, i don't like needing to buy from the store, and it always taste better fresh-picked. typical exchange at home for us: "hey honey, you want salad for dinner tonight?" "sure!" "ok, i'm headed outside to cut some!" "grab a tomato and cucumber while you're at it!" i tell ya, it is SUCH an immense pleasure to go into the fridge, realize, "dang, i don't have any X or Y!" and not have to nix your dinner plans entirely or drive to the store in order to salvage them. it's also nice to get those occasional perks, like, for example, the brown turkey figs on the side yard, which go so well with balsamic vinegar and either greek yogurt or goat cheese (btw - fig is another one you could potentially grow in that spot...) we're always improving and improvising to find new ways to grow, and i think this year; i think we're going to look into adding something like this into the mix this winter to continue growing things which are cold-intolerant but don't require pollination. ultimately, the options are limitless. we picked up our fig in feb/march and planted - it had one fig on it from the store (it ripened a few weeks back), and it literally leaped already, doubled in size, and has at least 40 figs on it already :) at this point, i've got the edible landscape bug, whereas previously, i was all about xeriscaping. i can't help myself. the hard part is knowing all your options, there's just too much information out there and not enough time!!!

"kwoods - why do you highly recommend Prairie Nursery over the others?" Linrose, very robust (2nd yr?) plants and a diverse selection at very reasonable prices. Well packed and shipped in biodegradable packing material (excelsior which a put out for the birds to use as nesting material). The shipping is a bit high but the plants are ready to go straight out of the gate. Their seed selections are also excellent and coincide with their plant selections. If you're doing a large planting you can order plants for instant gratification and the same seed to fill in next year(s). "I am nuturing along some C. kentuckiense from SCL that came from seed collected at the single colony found in my state." Very cool! Nice to have the local genotype. I Have some kentuckiense out of flask from SCL that I'm on my fourth(?) year w/. Hopefully first blossoms this spring! "I have many Sarracenia species/hybrids/cultivars that require clean water to prosper." Again, very cool! I use a nearby pond to pump water to my bog where the Sarrs are located. Do you have one of those 100 gal tanks to collect rainwater, on those rare occasions, from the roof? Straight S. rosea is one I don't have that is very nice, good for you. I have been collecting antho-free (no red pigmentation) sarrs the last couple years. I hope they (and you) make it through the drought.

Try this site: www.everwilde.com They are in west central WI and sell seeds.