I heard of people scattering lawn clippings for them. Wish I could get my extra lawn cuttings and plant trimings to where they could do some good. They all go to the city composting site. I never buy that finished compost however, because it has too much glass in it. I see my neighbors put trash in their green waste containers all the time. *sigh* How I would love to live somewhere you might actually see a deer. We don't even get squirrels. Lucky for me our possums don't eat roses. I wish we could have some rain. It has been in the 90's everyday. It's a land of make believe here. Things are green because everyone is watering. But outside the boundaries of the freeways, things are so brown and dry. My poor shrub roses are shriveled and I cut the buds off to conserve energy for the plant. I feel sorry for you and the deer at once. Wishing for a wall for you. I'd like one too, not for deer but to keep out salesmen and missionaries and a people who litter my property with flyers and cards and real estate oppertunities, etc. I must get at least 3 or4 people every day wanting me to give them money for something. I'd trade them all for deer any day.

Marymcp- Thanks! As far as the shade goes, those plants are barley getting any. They are starting to get burnt tips, but they are still alive and going strong. If you find yourself getting more babies off your spider plants than you have room for inside(like me), it's at least worth a shot outside. Those mesquite trees sound like they are going to be a great addition to your garden. Grant- Thanks alot, I really appreciate the specifics and solid advide/observations you provide. How about your Jades? What kind of watering schedule do they get? My large jade that was frying in the sun has recovered nicely inside and is now sprouting new leaves;)

Your pictures are just super! Love red rock country! I will add this area to my list of places to visit next time we are down there.

Last update? I'm having to take on additional responsibilities at work in this fiscal year and will have less time for posts. ("up or out" LOL) Happened to be over there yesterday, and although mostly losing my sweet tooth, decided I could not resist some ice cream at the Creamery. The Emmenopterys is dead. The Osmanthus X fortunei, though, was full of fragrant flowers and in great shape. I don't know why they are bothering with this Trachy...another polar vortex winter will take it out. Especially because they didn't give one of the most sheltered spots. The moment I saw this, I thought, "omg, is that what I think it is?" And, it is. I would never steal anything...and I certainly wouldn't be updating this thread if I were planning to do so! But this is the rarest plant in this garden...rarer than the Emmenopterys in my opinion, and I'm a little surprised they didn't plant it in a more hidden spot for it to size up. Ladies and gentlemen, the elusive Torreya jackii.Looks grown from seed to me...thinking the needles will get longer. Debated about featuring but already established that there are rare plants in this garden last year, and in other threads over the years. I think plant collectors are mostly an honest lot? Hope so...if it does well in this garden, cutting material will be available in a few years. The wet summer has allowed their Camellia yuhsienensis to size up and finally look really happy. This plant has been struggling for years but more from neglect I think. It is very hardy and was in full bloom only a couple weeks after the polar vortex freezes ended...way before even 'Korean Fire'. I want one eventually, but am happy enough to have a hybrid of it, 'Dream Angel', that has similarly tough ability to bloom in a real mid-atlantic winter. This is the base of their Quercus virginiana...and sorry to say, looks like 2013-2015 and January 2018 have finished this guy off. Top looks very sparse. I guess they are giving it one more year in case a miracle happens LOL. (spoiler alert...they don't) I've decided I like the look of the variegated Illicium - kinda like a poor man's version of the variegated Daphniphyllum, which is very difficult to graft and may just be too weak to survive in most of the mid-Atlantic. Didn't wade in for a closer pic because I bet this place is teaming with Ixodes. I wonder why this Magnolia macrophylla looks sickly. Chlorosis? They have several but this one is the worst looking. Saw them back in the summer...had never actually been around that species in bloom. The floral odor is indeed disagreeable. Not a good picture but a nice combination of 2 Cephalotaxus and Thujopsis. Finally, nice to see Acer griseum but too bad they let the trunk do this.