Excellent, Tom! I love these shots. I hang out at the Conifer Forum, and these would fit right in. I recently saw some pics from Cedar Breaks...stupendous sunsets! Josh

Bindersbee, I hope you have fun building your pergola. I really enjoyed building mine. I created that design in a quick sketch after looking over a number of designs in Sunset books and some other sources. I only have one modification I'll probably make -- I need to extend the lattice down a little lower so it will be easier to get a vine to grow up on it. I can't really use the corner posts for the vines, because I think they're too close to the roses and the trees. I have some little Clematis 'Ville de Lyon' plants that I've grown from cuttings off of my established plant, but I'm afraid they won't do well there because of the Swedish aspen roots that will compete with them too much for water and nutrients. I still haven't decided what to grow on it, but I'm leaning heavily toward climbing roses. Probably Zephirine Drouhin, because she won't mind growing up the shady side, and she's not thorny. Any other suggestions? I suppose if I grow a climbing rose there, I can get the canes growing up the lattice without extending it lower, but if it were the clematis, I'd need more support down low.

I doubt that it will do well. It is native to rather humid climates - coastal PNW and sections of the northern Rockies. From the US Forest Service: "Western hemlock thrives in a mild, humid climate where frequent fog and precipitation occur during the growing season. Best stands are in the humid and superhumid coastal regions. In subhumid regions with relatively dry growing seasons, western hemlock is confined primarily to northerly aspects, moist stream bottoms, or seepage sites." I would imagine even northern Utah is simply too arid for this tree to thrive. Also, the Sunset Western Garden book lists it as unsuitable in your area.

I have "Ledas Lover" to trade. I got both Technocolor and Utah Sunset at the Ruth Bancroft Garden Iris sale. I no longer have them and they no longer hold Iris sales. We can trade when timing is appropriate. I just want to put the word .