Pomegranates are pretty easy to propagate. Here are my recommendations. Take 8" to 12" long cuttings in winter from one-year old wood. Remove any tender tips and leaves. Treat the cuttings with rooting hormone (optional) and plant them about two-thirds deep into a damp (not wet) soilless potting mix of about 60% pearlite and 40% peat or peat based potting mix. A plant-grade (rinsed) coir would probably be an even better substitute for the peat. Cover with clear plastic to conserve moisture. Place them in light shade to keep them from cooking inside the plastic cover. You can use bottom heat (70 to 80 degrees) to increase root development. Planting them in a clear plastic container helps you to see root development. If you do use a clear potting container, make sure it has drainage holes and cover it with a paper wrap to eliminate light reaching the soil which can increase mold development.

Here is the URL for the Poland Creek Nursery: http://www.polandcreeknursery.com/ The URL gives verbal directions and a map. I don't think the map is very good; I would put their address in Mapquest.com and print out what I wanted. If you choose to go there via Alcoa Hwy. and Topside, you will pass within 100 yards of Honey Rock Herb Farm; start looking for it on the left after you make the right at the Louisville Post Office. It is across from the big Marina which you will pass by. Poland is mainly a tree and shrub Nursery, but OH WHAT BEAUTIFUL AND UNUSUAL STUFF THEY HAVE! Worth the trouble.....PS... the last 1/2 mile to Poland is a gravel road.

If you're needing help with hardscapes, drainage issues, retaining walls, excavations and so forth, you do need a LA. But if what you need is good landscape design and knowledgeable plant choices, you may not. Landscape architecture is an engineering degree rather than a horticultural degree, and a LA I know told me there were just two required hort courses, which he described as rather basic, to get the degree. As a consequence many LAs have a rudimentary knowledge of plant material. In my experience they often spec plants into a plan from pictures in a book. Which isn't to say that there aren't LAs that do know plants. Some really know their stuff, and you can find this out during the interview process with whomever you consider hiring. A good landscape designer may be all you need, though, and they usually come much cheaper than a LA. Marty

I saw that, too. It was in last Thursday's paper. From the article: "About $200,000 has been budgeted for extensive landscaping and other improvements", Rothchild said. ... "Around March we should be ready to do the first function," Rothchild said. "Right now we're doing some painting and removing dead trees. There's a whole lot of work that has to be done." Becky (You need to be registered on the News Sentinel site to read the link, I think.) Here is a link that might be useful: Practical and Botanical - the article