For Turface, do an online search to see if you have any Ewing Irrigation Stores near you (Anaheim, Garden Grove, Lake Forest, San Clemente, Santa Anna) - or John Deere Landscapes dealers. The Horizon Dealer in Orange (714) 279-8154 should have it, too. Ask for Turface 'MVP' or 'Allsport'. I'll check a thread over on the container gardening forum that's dedicated to helping growers find various ingredients. If you're lucky, maybe someone in your neighborhood already using the gritty mix will pitch in and help. You can substitute coarse perlite for the granite if you have to, or if you find a suitable sized pumice, we can make that work, too. Call around, for the bark (pine/fir/redwood), but I'll look for that, too. The size of the ingredients is important. It may initially be a pain to locate what you need, but if you're willing to do the legwork (with whatever help we can be), I'm sure you'll be well-pleased with the results. I gave a presentation after a pleasant luncheon this afternoon to a local chapter (Saginaw, MI) of a national organization (Women's Farm and Garden Association). I talked about many of the things I regularly share here (the topic was caring for houseplants) - the response was very enthusiastic - great audience participation and involvement, with the most questions asked being about soils - and particularly about how to make them. Though I never got to that part (ran out of time), a promise to provide recipes and instructions was extracted. It was a really great group - very friendly. I'm still excited about the positive response, but most of all I'm thrilled as a result of getting to see 'the light go on' over and over again as the ladies (and a few gentleman guests) sort of rearranged some of the pieces of the container gardening/houseplants puzzle and gained understanding in areas where there may have been some confusion or even a void. I'll never grow weary of seeing that 'AHA moment' - it's tremendously rewarding - I'm still pumped. ;-) Al

All-in, the whole back yard cost me less than 75k. Budget was 70k, so a little bit over...not much. This was all using top-of-the-line everything too. Didn't skimp on materials, or equipment. Pool builder quotes on the LOW end were 80k, for low-end materials, no waterfall, etc.... All-in, for the top of the line materials like I used, with deck, firepit, bbq island, waterfall, etc... the pool-builder quotes were closer to 120k. So yes - very happy with the outcome. Saved around 45k, or close to 40%. It was a LOT of work, and planning - but it payed off in spades.

Hi Teeka, I read your OP about the problem with your Serbian Spruce. I also read the advice that the other posters gave. I would pretty much ignore that. What I would do is return the tree and get a refund. Has anyone here ever noticed how if something is repeated again & again there will be someone who believes it? Like DT and his "birther" nonsense. There is one poster here who is fond of linking that ̶W̶a̶s̶i̶l̶l̶a Puyallup site. That infatuation reminds me of Dr Sheldon Cooper and Batman LOL. Only one small problem, the so-called researcher's grad students, colleagues and provost want to give her the ole "heave ho". It seems that they have some expectation that research on the university level should be peer reviewed, what nerve! Besides that, who links an obscure, extension site on an international forum? Myopic much? In my case I rarely if ever respond to a PNW or West Coast post, I don't have anything to contribute. When I read heavy soil is preferred to keep the rootball intact I am simply baffled. Around here the tree's root system keeps the ball intact. Here is a typical field grower in Maryland.The soil is sandy loam. It is no coincidence that our Delmarva has such a concentration of growers with their light, stone-free soil. It drains quickly so the equipment can go back to the field the next day after a rain, unlike clay. I will never forget a trip with the SNA to Hawkersmith Nursery in TN, the soil was just like the seashore. Like the OP I am in zone 7, in my case NE Maryland. It has been stifling here and the forcast for tomorrow is 95°, school districts lacking ac have been closed for two days. And what am I gonna be doing tomorrow? Along with several other vendors, selling plants @ Green Spring Gardens in Annandale. I promise you NOONE is recommending plants be barerooted, no way - no how. If a commodity is defective the liability is not on the consumer. If I buy jeans and the zipper is defective I take them back. Why would trees be any different. This goofy notion that the consumer should "correct" a defect in the product only rewards the seller and perpetuates the problem.

I know this thread is old, but for those that find it looking for direction, I'll give my experiences. I did Conestoga for my own remodel. It was an extensive and very very customized order. $22k, from Home Depot it was $32k. Lowes wouldn't even quote it, the plan was so custom. Every cabinet was individually designed to look like a piece of furniture with legs. I have no run of cabinets anywhere, each section is separate with finished sides. I couldn't have been happier with the value, quality, look, and cost. I LOVE my kitchen. The finish on these are impeccable, smooth as silk and the maple stained and glaze is absolutely beautiful. A couple years later I remodeled my daughter's kitchen and used them again. We ordered cherry wood and I regret it. The look was good, but the wood was not quality and I had 2 pieces snap in half during install. Also, several issues with the ordering process. If you go Conestoga with lots of customizing, be prepared to spend quite a bit of time making sure the order is correct. Recently I did a rental house with RTA cabs from a place I found online. I didn't expect much for $2500, but was impressed! They were nicely done and while not very customized, the quality was on par with Conestoga! I think it was rtaonline.com