Ken - yeah, lawn-moving is not a big chore here :-) DH uses a reel mower and it takes 15-20 minutes or so - mainly because of the ditch in the front yard and slopes at the sides adjoining the neighbours' driveways slows him down a bit :-) We've pretty much gardened every available inch! Even the remaining grass is part of the garden by being shaped grassy paths, and the ditch has spring bulbs in the grass. We grow veggies in pots on the driveway so the driveway is part of the garden too.... This is a view of the house from the road in early August last year: This one shows the 'moat bed' (narrow bed along the top of the ditch) at its showiest at the end of May 2013. Sadly, the brutal winter just past killed off the wisteria flowerbuds so no spring display this year :-( The clematis 'Henryi' that grows into the Chinese wisteria is doing well though - once it blooms we will cut the Chinese wisteria back a bit to remove deadwood and encourage a good secondary summer bloom. We miss the wisteria display! Rouge - it's going to be a year or two before we can tell if the haskap experiment will be successful but I'm sure I'll have something to say about it whatever happens! And you're right, making changes in established plantings is exciting. I've been making smaller changes and will continue to do that, but removing the BB is the first really obvious big one - a lot of neighbours have noticed and asked about it!

Thanks, everyone! Donna, thanks for sharing your experience with the Pagoda Dogwood! I actually also have a dogwood shrub (Elegantissima) near this area, with very similar light exposure. The Elegantissima is doing very well there, so I suspect that if I did get a Pagoda Dogwood, then it may be OK. Anyway, I went to the local nursery today and got a price credit for the poor Showy Mountain Ash. Since I got the credit, if I want to keep this tree, it is OK! So perhaps I should just keep it for another season.... what do you think? Otherwise, I saw the following there that should work well for this area: - Amur Maple tree form - Amur Maple clump - I think this is lovely! - Pagoda Dogwood - but it is tiny in a small pot only - Tartarian Maple Hot Wings (in a pot) - Tartarian Maple Rugged Beauty (caliper size) - Ohio Buckeye The tree guy there suggested that I might consider an Ohio Buckeye. Now, this one does have some interesting leaves! If I don't keep the tree, then I am leaning towards the Amur Maple clump or the Ohio Buckeye. What do you think? I should probably check out the other nurseries too... Thanks again!

Ash has long grain (with small holes running long with the grain) so one needs to cover the top, too extend life, either by waxing or by metal or something. Water will enter through the end grain holes , especially since the stump was cut off level. Ash is not a good exterior wood. I am unsure about ARIZONA ash, but since it is a fast growing ash, I bet that would make it worse. Nothing you do will make it permanent. As it rots it will be home and a great source of nutrients for plants. Drilling holes in it and packing it with arboreals might be interesting. It would hasten rotting but might be cool, but it might also become a target for wood eating critters. Better it than the house. I look at that and think , hmmmm, Table, bench cut in half into lengthwise slabs or lengthwise half rounds. Cutting is a b*tch. One needs a sawmill. But , even here , Arizona ash is softer than regular ash and that makes it less desirable..

Diane- Texas is huge… with its own truly desert area /climate and diverse geographical regions. Where in Texas were you? Last year, June was humid, but not unbearable. We are at a higher elevation than "Austin", experience slightly cooler temperatures, and definitely less humidity. I was concerned about the humidity levels when we moved here last May. Some people from the dry desert think it is too humid, those from the Deep South often say it is not humid…relatively. Coming from coastal Southern CA, and the desert, most of the time it is just right to us and has been wonderful for our skin, eyes etc. June will ruin most hairstyles, but none of that wet after drying from a shower, water rolling down a mirror stuff was experienced here compared to what I know happens in places that are "really humid"… (comparatively… this just does not seem to be like that.. (I had to cut a trip to Louisiana short because I could not deal with the heat & humidity). What I have noticed is as the temperature rises, the humidity levels drop down into the 30% range … so in July and August, it is just hot, but not like the desert…. and last year, more comfortable than there due to lower temperatures and more than negligible humidity levels. It was a breeze… and very easy to acclimate to…. The desert had mid Summer conditions that after living there for numerous years, I never acclimated to. We just stayed indoors blasting the air conditioner there...