Jenny, I have seeds for Digtalis parviflor - Chocolate; red milkweed; and Muscari - Dark Eyes. I can also send you some rosemary cuttings. I don't know the variety, I got it from my Mother-in-law's yard. It is big and really fragrant. I also have a couple of rooted lemon balms, if you are interested in those. From your list, I am interested in skullcap, cerinthe major blue kiwi, and your White lavender. Please take a look at my list and see if there is anything else we can throw into this trade. Ellie aphroditelaughs

Hey Andy. You will likely get more responses on the United Kingdom version of this forum. They seem to have more over there than we do here, but I'll give a try to a few possibilities. You don't say how the clay was compacted or if any Montmillorite (Bentonite) clay was used. If there was an inclusion (a different type of soil or roots) that could easily be where the leak is located. We just had a discussion about puddling clay on this forum a few weeks ago for a pond and much info came from sites about Dew ponds in the U.K. One of the most common locations for leaks was the top edge of the pond which could act as a wick if it was not constructed properly. I never had much luck with using dyes in the water to find a leak. It mixed much too quickly. One material I have found useful was a handful of fine, dry, powdered clay scattered on the surface. Calcium Bentonite is quite good for this since it can be purchased as a fish tonic or cosmetic base as well as a construction material. If the water is reasonably clear it should work well for you. If not, it needs rethinking. Some one suggested dry milk powder to me. I didn't try it but it sounded reasonable and would be inexpensive. The Bentonite should be available at home and garden supply stores or through a well digger, which is where I found it. The added advantage is that the Bentonite can be used to seal the leak when you find it. Check on this forum for the Puddling Clay thread and do a search for Dew ponds, one of which is linked in the puddling thread. Sandy Here is a link that might be useful: Puddling clay

You could try cutting it back, that won't hurt the plant at all. You should get another flush of blooms if the plant is otherwise healthy. Could you move the plant to somewhere else and plant something that likes a lot of moisture? If this is abnormal, though, I would just try to cut it back and see what happens. Good luck!

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll work on the pics tonight or this weekend. This is my first time posting on this site so bear with a newbie. Couple things. I don't know how they were planted since we moved in well after they were here, but since the two trees slightly upslope from the 5 are doing well, I don't think it was the planting technique. From some planting I did last summer, I can tell you that the soil isn't in great shape. Very clay-y and of the brownish-yellowish color. Further complicating matters is that when developers put in the neighborhood, it appears they just graded the land without any mind to redistributing the topsoil they had dug up. In some holes I dug through a good 10" of black topsoil, but in holes just a few yards over, there was brown clay right at the surface. I'm a very new gardener so with the soil in mind, that's why I wondered if fertilizer would help. I'm hoping to save the trees since they'd be a nice screen if they can make it. That would definitely save some money and maturity time. But if it comes to planting better trees for the site, I guess that's how it will have to be. Thanks again. I'll work on those pics. More thoughts are always welcome.