Also after I eat an apple with my breakfast I'll plant those seeds too! The apple is a red rome.

You are in a position sort of like planting pine forests back east. The seedlings are planted in winter and left to the elements. Which usually smiles on them and they grow into trees. Except where you're at, the weather seldom smiles on tree seedlings. So its sort of plant and take your chances. Where I am, only about 1 year out of 3 or 4 is condusive to natural seedling establishment. The only other thing that comes to mind is if you could change the topography slightly so as to channel or retain more run-off rain water toward areas where you are planting the trees. Maybe a shallow ditch or a terrace or some such. This might give them the little extra they need to survive.

That's a great picture. I love the salmony pink color; my favorite. My dahlia is a victim of the frost and freeze! It is over for the year.

Fall color is right for Cotinus: Cotinus fall color. These trees have a beautiful form to them which is similar to serviceberry - I can see why it was a suggestion. FataMorgana