Wow, very helpful! Fruitnut, you say to remove the "overly thick" and 20% of the larger branches. I know it's a dumb question, but how do I decide what overly thick and "larger" means? Harvestman, your explanation was definitely helpful! Let me ask this: if I let some of the tall vertical growth keep growing, will those bear fruit? I read that fruit only came on the more horizontal ones, but there appear to be flower buds galore on even the tall, straight, thin ones this year (though last year there were only leaves). And yes, it's grown out of the bottom of the barrel and into the cobblestones! They are 150 year old cobblestones, and there's about 3/4 inch in between each one, so there's room there... I forgot to add one fascinating fact (and question!!). That thick, low branch that grows out the right side there--that's a grafted peach branch! It didn't do too well. TONS of peaches, none of which were edible. They made the branch way too heavy, never got enough sun, the branch is smashing into the fence (and most of the fruit only grew on the end there, and they were diseased. I have NO idea what to do with that!!! Suggestions?? Because of space constraints and b/c it has grown to reach so far out beyond what it can handle in weight, I obviously need to prune it pretty dramatically. But the amt. that I figure I need to prune (to stop it from growing into the fence anymore) would basically cut back all of the vegetation and fruit. Should I do that?? THANK YOU!!!

Saypoint, Locating plants for plant culture considerations, rather than design ones, might help make it look more natural and less "planned". Would you still plant using groups or colonies of the same species plant or would that seem too contrived? Also, including some of the same plants that you are already using in adjacent areas will add unity and avoid the possibility of making the berm so different from the rest, that it stands out even more. Of course that makes perfect sense which is of course why my first inclination was not to repeat using any of the surrounding plantings! Would you randomly stagger plant heights? Thanks jant, I don't think I have ever grown Aruncus but I do like it's "woodsy" feel is it well behaved?

Here is the recipe from Rita Heikenfeld and you can google the recipe and video on the web. I don't have a canning machine and it was very user friendly:) You don't have to chill them unless you want to but they came out fabulous. Here it is: Pickled peppers I donÂt have to tell you that these are the best and easiest pickled peppers you'll ever eat. And if you grow peppers, you know how abundant they are this time of year. Now I usually don't add 2 cups sugar; I'll start out with half a cup, taste the brine, and go from there. If you have extremely hot peppers, though, the 2 cups of sugar is not too much. My sister, Christine, makes a version of these pickles and uses no sugar at all. Sterilizing Jars: Wash jars and lids, then place in big pan, covered with water. Bring to a boil and boil 15 minutes. Keep in hot water until you're ready to fill them. Meanwhile, make brine and prepare peppers: Brine: 6 cups clear vinegar, 5% acidity 2 cups water 1/2 to 2 cups sugar (see note above)* Place brine ingredients in non-reactive pan (that means either stainless, enameled or anodized aluminum, not the old fashioned aluminum pans). Bring to a boil. To Prepare Peppers: Wash. Leave whole with a slit down the center, or cut into slices as desired. I like to remove seeds if I slice them, but this is optional. Remember the membrane that the seeds are attached to is the hottest part of the pepper, and the seeds are the second hottest part. Place peppers in sterilized, hot jars, packing tightly. Pour boiling brine over, covering peppers. Add seasonings, such as garlic, bay leaf, slices of sweet bell, herbs, etc. as desired, or leave plain. Seal and let cool away from drafts. Store away from heat and light. No need to process these as the vinegar, if you use 5%, keeps bacteria out. That's all there is to this wonderful pickled pepper recipe. Making your own is so easy and much more crisp and tasty than the store-bought variety. Chill in refrigerator before serving Dusty

The way I found was to click on the text "see most clipped and recent clippings" on the right hand side of this post. Then click on "My Clippings". Then I bookmarked the page. You can also get to it by going to: http://clippings.gardenweb.com/clippings/YOURUSERNAME