Read all the comments about purchase of a dogwood. Very interesting. I live in Ontario, west of Toronto, and want to plant a dogwood in my woodland garden. Native dogwood grow on my property. The area is rocky, and well drained so I know that I will need to amend the soil for moisture retention. My question is has anyone had luck with a Wolf Eye Dogwood, Cornus Kousa Chinensis"wolf eye' It was recommended to me because it has varigate leaves, larger white flowers, and fall color. When I visit the nursery I get mixed info. Some say it has been a poor performer....others just don't have it. They are few and far between. As I have been clearing trees in this forest by my house, to have a woodland garden, I dont want a large tree. This one is only suppose to grow 15' or so. Our zone is 4-5. I live in a protected spot, treed, in a valley. All info, much appreciated. Lee

I pruned my Kouza dogwood over the course of its first 4 years (or so) to open up the interior and remove any crossing branches. This pruning created a well shaped tree, now 20 years later. Yes, remove the lower branches so it is not bushy, if you do not want bushy. Also, envision what it will look like as it matures with the branches you have and want to keep. Remember not to remove more than 20% or the branches in any given year so as not to stress the tree. There are good resources on "young tree training/pruning" which illustrate where to make pruning cuts, shaping a tree properly. Also, prune your tree for the location (such as removing branches which may grow to touch the house).

Helen - You asked if I would plant it again - Probably but I wouldn't want a whole bunch of them because it's somewhat difficult to keep it deadheaded. I don't think it's a native Joe Pye Weed and the flowers are more scattered around instead of all being on one stem so it takes awhile to snip them all off. I keep two plants but last year after our kitchen fire, I didn't keep up with yard work and let several things go to seed that I don't normally. I think I'm going to try cutting it back almost to the ground instead of snipping stems which takes too long. Caroline - Your zinnias look so fresh and pretty. Mine have been looking ratty since the heavy rain we got from Ike. Some of them have fallen over and they're mildewed You've convinced me to plant some late zinnias next year. Your aster sure has a lot of flowers on it. Very pretty.

christie_sw_mo - I had a single American holly and it berried fine, but I am not sure why. Could have been a wild male in the woods as I was not in/near a neighborhood. There were some male Clarissa hollies on the property but those should not logically pollinate it. I am crazy about hollies for birds, but it sounds like they are just one of those bad luck plants for you. I've never seen a bird eat a nandina berry. Been some discussions on the subject here, and I have not heard of anyone that has had birds eat the berries either. No clue why that plant has a rep for bird berries. There were some on this property - okay a thousand of them on this property - but I pulled them up to replace them with other known successful plants. Nandina is a major problem in south Georgia forests so I decided to forgo them completely, make room for serviceberry. One thing that has become very clear to me with the moving from established garden to re-building is to plant hedgerows, hedgerows and more hedgerows. It's a major difference in the bird populations to have thickets and safe places. Birds have been nesting here, but only cavity nesters, and the second the babies fledge the parents take them off property to cover. Very few warblers around and no ground nesters except visitors. I have always heard that the vibunum dentatum berries get eaten quickly - will have to find out how that goes. The viburnum trilobum I have is the cuttings you sent so of course they won't berry, but the dentatum should if pollinated. The Aronia arbutifolia is one I want to watch as well - I have cuttings and purchased a potted plant, but it's just getting leaves. Very late to leaf out - is this normal? By the way, goumi (Eleagnus multiflora) was always a great bird food source. Grew it for ten years, nevera single seedling. It does not germinate easily and cuttings are difficult, so apparently not invasive. I've heard of others rooting cuttings so maybe it's my area, but it's a non-native I will grow. The cuttings are doing beautifully so far. I baby them and hope I can get them to make it. It's an outstanding collection for my personal hedgerow (thank you thank you thank you) in the making. Maybe I'll get to a point where I can grow enough to share. Been working on a system for potting and moving after they root. I've had people stop by and ask for advice on their own yards and I'd looove to be able to supply some of these plants you can't find in local nurseries. These are regular people, not gardeners, who just want some landscaping and birds and they aren't going to be ordering online like we are. I have a lot to learn, particularly about native plant ID, but can share what I do know. Some neighborhood kids knocked on my door and asked to "see the baby birds" as I had mentioned to one of their Mothers that I had birds in my boxes - and the kids were impressed with "how many animals I had in my yard". Apparently they told their parents. For me it was totally out of the blue and I was delighted. I did not relize there was a native plant exchange here - I need to head over and beg cuttings. :D dragonfly_wings - I had two mulberry trees before and they were my waxwing magnets. Hundreds of waxwings descended during migration, what a beautiful sight. Great plant and I want another, but one tree seeded all to heck and back. The other was an old tree, totally different leaf and I believe native. It was there long before I was. Both were red mulberry and distinctly different as mulberry tends to be. I had no problems with seeding on the second but can't figure out what exactly the genus of tree it is that I didn't have problems with. I loved it and really want another but it's gone on the back burner due to the fact that I am not positive which to get. If I see one on the side of the road similar to the one I like, I'll be hopping out of the car and knocking on doors and making a nuisance of myself. And I am shy!!!!!! But for that plant, I'll do it.