Mojave...Hello. Lord, their prices are a tad high. lol I'd pay 7.00 for a 4" if the plant is rare, something I can't find anywhere else. Forget larger sizes, lol.. 120.00 for a Jade? I'll take ten. lol..What size pot are they in? Why so much? I love Jades, but I'd like dofferemt colors..either variegated or deep red and yellow. Orchids..do you know their types? Phalaenopsis, the least expensive Orchid, in a 4" pot, can be found as low as 7.99. It depends. There are quite a few Orchid sellers on Ebay, from common to extremely rare. Prices vary, depending on type and size. Orchids can be really pricey. Several hundred dollars and more. lol. Thanks so much, Mojave. I'm glad you made it there. BTW, what two house plants did you get? If you don't know their names, can you post a pic? Most of my plant are either in clay or growing pots, most plants are sold in. Ornamental containers are pretty, but I think plants do best in gowing pots. Thanks again...please post pics..Toni PS. Have you ever gone to Hausermann's Orchids?

Soils around Chicagoland vary from Lake Michigan Beach Sand to a very dense (heavy) clay and everything in between. Top soil is the top 4 to 6 inches of soil. That is where the soil bacteria, the Soil Food Web, will be most active provided adequate levels of organic matter, sufficent air, and good moisture levels are present. While aerobic bacteria can be active in lower levels they are not as active or well populated so working to get large amounts of organic matter to lower levels is not very productive although over time the soil bacteria will move excess amounts down. Compost, decomposing leaves, straw, hay, even animal manures are all forms of organic matter, something most all soils need up to 5 to 8 percent. Much more and that soil will start to hold an excess of water and can become boggy. However, other things can contribute to a soil retaining an excess of water, high water table, hardpan, or being lower than the normal water level which is why the Netherlands must pump water back to the North Sea. That high levels of organic matter can hold an excess of water is also why those low land farmers in the Netherlands are restricted to how much organic matter they can add to their soils.

Seconding Arborvitae for your area (I'm in northern Illinois, about an hour from you). Proper name: northern white-cedar --- Cupressaceae Thuja occidentalis L Cultivars: 'Aurea' - A golden globe that needs little shearing. 'Boisbraind' - A plant 10 feet tall with dark green, burn resistant foliage. 'Brabant' - This cultivar tends to form one central leader thus minimizing stem damage from winter snows. 'Brandon' - A fast-growing, cone-shaped plant about 15 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Reported as suitable for use on harsh sites. 'Chalet' - A narrow plant with a rounded top and lime- green foliage. It will be 10 to 15 feet tall. 'Compact American' - A compact, pyramidal form reaching a height of 25 feet and a spread of 8 feet. 'Danica' - A slow-growing, compact globe with dark green foliage. 'Degroot's Spire' - A narrow, columnar form. 'Douglasii Pyramidalis' - A dense, columnar form with twisted dark green foliage. 'Elegantissima' - A slow-growing, dense plant with yellow branch tips. 'Filiformis' - A pendulous plant with long, thread-like branchlets and bright green new growth. 'George Peabody' - A broad, upright plant with yellow foliage. The foliage becomes more orange in winter. 'Gold Cargo' - A cultivar with gold foliage that is reported to resist winterburn. The plant can be 25 feet tall and 6 feet wide. 'Golden' - A broad, upright form with bright yellow new growth. 'Golden Globe' - A uniform oval with foliage a soft yellow. 'Hetz Midget' - A slow-growing, compact plant. 'Hetz Wintergreen' - A narrow, upright form reaching a height of 60 feet. 'Holmstrup' - Dark green foliage that holds its color in winter. Broadly pyramidal. 'Little Gem' - A globe-shaped plant reaching a height of about 3 feet. 'Little Giant' - A slow-growing, globe-shaped plant with bright green foliage all year. 'Masonic' - Pyramidal form about 25 feet tall and 5 feet wide. 'Niagara Compact' - A globe-shaped plant more compact than 'Woodwardii'. 'Nigra' - A symmetrical form with good dark green foliage color. 'Pendula' - An open, weeping form with dark green foliage. 'Pygmy Globe' - A dwarf, globe-shaped plant with bright green foliage. Needs little shearing. 'Pyramidalis' - A narrow, columnar plant often used for screens. 'Rheingold' - Yellow foliage that becomes orange yellow in winter. 'Sherman' - A pyramidal form reaching a height of 30 feet and a spread of 12 feet. 'Sherwood Moss' - A dwarf plant 4 to 6 feet tall. 'Smaragd' ('Emerald') - Narrow habit with glossy green summer color. Reported as resistant to spider mites. Plants will be about 15 feet tall and 4 feet wide. 'Sudworthii' - Upright, broad plant with yellow foliage. 'Sunkist' - A compact, broad plant with orange-yellow foliage. 'Techny' ('Mission') - A fast-growing plant with dark green foliage. Usually about 15 feet tall. 'Tiny Tim' - A compact, upright mounding plant. 'Umbraculifera' - A rounded, irregular plant, nearly 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. 'Unicorn' - A narrowly compact plant with dark green foliage. 'Wareana' - A slow-growing, broadly upright plant. 'Wintergreen' - A pyramidal form reaching a height of 30 feet that retains good green color in winter. 'Woodwardii' - A rounded form that retains its shape without shearing. 'Yellow Ribbon' - A narrow, upright habit is combined with yellow foliage all year.

Wow! thanks for the heads-up! That looks like a nice chair - and I grew up in Lagrange, maybe I even know the people (LOL) will definitely be taking a look at the warehouse sale - I need lots of furniture!