Thanks darth_weeder. The progress is going very good. I also picked up Bill Whitman's book, "Five Decades with Tropical Fruit" http://www.amazon.com/Five-Decades-with-Tropical-Fruit/dp/0971140200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294245479&sr=8-1 He accomplished what many thought was impossible. I was reading his book last night and I am on the right track (thank God). That book is truly a diamond for anyone attempting to grow tropical or subtropical fruits. I actually drove to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens and picked up a brand new copy for $40! (Cheaper than amazon and they should have phone orders in case someone is looking for a copy) He, like Julia Morton, also mentions of replacing a big area with acidic soil and removing the lime rock for the Mangosteen. If the tree I plant can produce one single fruit in 10 years, I feel something has been accomplished, also I am hoping to contribute something to other people interested in planting Mangosteen trees in a subtropical climate (and maybe even in colder areas with a greenhouse). I am going to setup a blog soon to show the progress and will post a message on this thread when it is ready. Thanks, Adiel

JeremyD - Not sure about your clay soils as I live close to the coast but I would say ammend the soil with some organic matter and it should help, or grow in pots. You will have to water more often if they are potted! Full Sun for sure! Trelis is the way to go! Have fun with them! I tooka bunch of old christmas lights and ran them along my trellis and it turned out flipping cool! Last season I grew long neck dippers, bottle, martin, and bushel. All where in pots at the four corners of my trellis. They took over everything in late summer! They found their way onto my japanese maples, tomatoe plants and even up and over my patio umbrella. We ended up with 60-70 gourds. We made birdhouses out of every variety along with bird feeders, vases and few other crafty things. This spring I have added a couple more trellis's for a few new varieties! Just have fun with them!!! I know we sure did. Here pictured are just a few of the birdhouses we have made. I placed a couple outside tucked into a J.Maple and a Camielia and already have new neighbors in them.

Lemon balm makes dense plants. In my opinion, they look best that way. I'd leave it be. Herbs do best if planted one type per pot. Yes, we've all seen the beautiful mixed herb planters. But they do grow best if not shaded or crowded by other plants. And they all have their own sun, water, and soil requirements. With keeping them separate, you can address those specific needs. I would keep the goji berry tree on its own so you can attend to its needs as you need to. I haven't tried growing hyssop from seed. They are short-lived perennials so while I wouldn't expect any/much usable plant material from it this year, I would expect it to reach full-size quicker than many other perennials. Maybe full-sized by the end of its second year? I would suggest starting your seeds for use next year. Buy an older plant for use this year. FataMorgana

Gardengal, didn't realize we were discussing transitioning a plant from greenhouse to garden. Delia didn't mention how the shrub was treated for the 2 weeks in her care prior to planting, nor whether steps were taken to acclimate it to open garden conditions. Completely agree on the importance of hardening off for the health & success of the plant! (See Jujujojo's thread "Two pots of hydrangea ready for spring" for one method.) Figured that horse was already out of the barn, since cold damage prompted the post. Even if the hydrangea had been adequately conditioned, the response to frost would have likely been the same, as it was unprotected. This often happens with even well-established plants in natural growth nipped by Spring frost & freeze if left to fend for themselves. An experienced gardener would have dodged this bullet. Counting the boards in the fence behind the hydrangea, I'm guessing the plant is already 2-3 years old by its size. Also guessing it was grown potted outdoors for the first year or two & brought into a greenhouse midwinter to force growth & bloom for sales ahead of this season. My guesstimate presumes there was no root damage from the cold, nor damage to the older wooded canes, and the plant has the resources to fully recover & put out new growth, given good soil preparation, good siting & good care. Cold, like water, flows downhill. Given the slight slope where it's planted & the barrier of the solid fence behind & to the side, the cold probably pooled & settled there, doing more damage than if it had flowed by unrestricted. For future reference, you may want to reserve that location for perennials that leaf out after last frost is past, those known to shrug off temperature swings, or evergreens hardy a zone or two colder than yours in that frost pocket. Because of the downward slope, it's also natural for moisture to drain and accumulate there, so it will likely stay damper than higher ground as well. Having gardened in two different zones within both VA & NJ, find them very similar in climate. Both states mainly range from 6a-7b, a 20 degree typical low variance in 5 degree increments, with a relatively small area in eastern Virginia along the NC border 8a. So each warms up later, cools off earlier, and stays colder longer. Like most gardens, there are microclimates within this one that vary as much as 10 degrees high & low on any given day. That's where cold & heat hardiness come into play, along with wind & sun exposure. Though the cold never fell below 0 this Winter, the unusual extended freezes were tough on the garden. Even though I hedge my bets by using only plants rated 2 zones colder than mine, a few of the broadleafed evergreens freeze-burned. Heard the same from many on these forums even in the deep South, so many of us are reevaluatng our concepts of cold hardiness in practical terms. Agree hydrangeas should be protected, especially in their early years. Since Delia's variety is currently unknown, good idea to plan to do so. Interesting that many of the newer hydrangea introductions seem to have originated as florist's cut flowers & pot plants. Suspect we're all providing practical info by growing them in our gardens. The link is to one example of this. Only note one cited for blooming from both old and new wood, a characteristic which seems to have fired up a hydrangea revival of sorts. Although most hydrangeas sold as gift plants are not tagged by name, guessing that many growers who buy them at the plug stage & grow them on for market know what they're ordering. Delia, how exciting to have a new home & garden! Sure you've been busy as any new homeowner with so much to do & learn. Like all of us, you add to your knowledge by picking the brains of those further on down the track, sifting through their reports, and adapting the info to yourself & your garden. We all learn by doing, often by investigating what went wrong & trying another tack. If you decide to transplant your hydrangea to another location, or have any other questions, come back & ask for advice, and keep us updated on your & your plant's progress. I'm sure you'll reward your mother's thoughtfulness of this beautiful housewarming gift with TLC so it may become a sentimental first in your garden. Spring is calling - grow on! Here is a link that might be useful: Gift-to-Garden