I don't recollect any scent on either.... but then I don't keep track of fragrances that much. I only remember the ones that are particularly smelly, and neither of these are for me!

I'm not sure what elevation you are at, but assuming the Marina will do ok at your elevation, this looks like a good spot for it. It needs open areas, will take part shade as long is its bright and open, so this looks like it would fit that bill well. I wouldn't hesitate trying the native Madrone there myself, if the soil is well drained. I would NOT add a Japanese maple next to it. They will grow quickly enough to compete for both light and water with the Marina, and though it likes it dry, an active fast growing tree like a Jap maple does not seem like a good fit to me for getting it established. I am intrigued by the thought of the Marina with the Stewartia, honestly. They are both known for their bark, which I think would make for an interesting pairing. The stump may work well for one of your hemlocks too, if you were interested in using it for that. Be aware though, Mountain Hemlock in my experience needs a fair amount of water to get it going, and really prefers more even moisture as it is growing than the Marina may like. Keep the two separated if you plan on supplementing the water for the hemlock. Once established though (which I find takes longer with this alpine than it would for most native conifers, especially if we have dry summers during the establishment phase), they should be fine with the drought, especially if they are growing on or near a "nurse log" which will help with that immensely. Maybe its just my love affair with the native dogwood... but I always like seeing dogwoods up against evergreens, lol. It would probably like the conditions you have their, and would be lovely with the white flowers against the colorful bark and dark green leaves, but I'd be a little worried initially about it overpowering the Marina, especially if you want it to be the star of the bed. Once the Marina gets its head up above the dogwood, it may be less appealing than when its a smaller tree with the combination of the leaves and flowers more apparent. I'm not at all familiar with the Oxydendron, so can't say much of anything about that. Seems to me similar enough in flower shape that if they bloom anywhere close to the same time period, I'd rather see them in separate beds, but close enough to where the flowers can echo each other without looking like you are trying to match them up. But it looks lovely, especially in fall color. On a side note... especially with the woods around you, I kinda get a red neck kick out of the "stump farm" look... I'd be awfully tempted to leave the stumps the way you have them, plug them with different kinds of (edible?) mushrooms, and garden around them for a while. Maybe bowl out the tops of the bigger ones enough to plant some ferns and maybe some ground dogwood in them or something... have fun with them rather than remove them. But then, I like the way these stumps look in the woods as they are decomposing. I kind of think of it as the cycle showing all its splendor right there in front of your eyes, lol. I've had good luck planting red huckleberries, spiny wood fern (Drypopteris expansa), licorice fern and a few others in these stump pots. I think with the new trees and the returning salal etc, you could have a really beautiful bed that way. One trick with this- use something really organic like peat moss or coir to plant these, or if you have it, composted bark. It mimics the decomposing wood, and the roots will be able to adapt easily to the wood as the potting "soil" and stump become one. Most of the usual suspects that grow on nurse logs in the woods will like this kind of organic soil too.

The Bremerton acacia shows signs of having frozen to the ground in the past and is of interest precisely because it is just about the only persisting one of much size known in the area. It is exceptional, like the azara in the UW Friendship Grove and the 50' eucryphia near Brian's place in Bremerton. Many others will have been planted elsewhere and frozen out in time. The late J. Witt of the Washington Park Arboretum once told me that there used to be a 50' eucryphia in a garden next door in the Broadmoor Golf and Country Club (most likely planted in the D. Graham garden) but it died in the awful 1955 freeze. An obvious difference between the two sites would be that the Broadmoor location is some miles from salt water, whereas the Bremerton site is quite close. If you are close to the beach the salt water keeps your minimum temperatures higher enough than even areas father inland but close by to make a difference in what you can overwinter. A cottage on Vashon just behind the Seattle/Bainbridge ferry dock has had a tall conspicuous abutilon for years. Even though this is a north exposure, apparently the salt water is keeping it from freezing out. I think I noticed it was still there during a recent visit even after this last winter, although the proof will of course be if it is seen blooming and full again this summer. One of the better embothriums I've seen was growing right behind the beach along a quite inlet west of Tacoma. It was the first bit of plant life behind the cobbles and sand, and was leaning towards the water as though responding to its proximity.

Chowhound is a good source for dining recommendations, as Ellen suggested. I lived in Venice for 15 years and still go back there for restaurants. We also frequently go to nearby Culver City (which is gaining a hip vibe) and Marina Del Rey, which is adjacent to my current neighborhood (as is Culver City). There are so many choices in Venice/Culver City/MDR that you really have to narrow it down to what you like or want to experience. The day before my birthday, we went to East Borough Fraiche Vietnamese in downtown Culver City (Washington Blvd & Culver Blvd), and there are a slew of new hip place clustered in that triangular block. It's next door to a sourdough pizza place that we want to try, and there are more great places around the corner and down the street. On my birthday, we went to Paiche in MDR, and it is a bit expensive, but extremely good if you are adventurous and want to try Peruvian Izakaya style food. Good for a group of 3-4 people (not children) who have small to medium appetites. Also in the area I mentioned, you have your choice many Middle Eastern restaurants, including Lebanese, Turkish, Persian, etc., and so if you are interested in that, I can recommend what I like. Also, if you like Japanese, you can go to the Sawtelle neighborhood on Sawtelle between Olympic and Santa Monica Blvds. Wharo is an excellent Korean Barbeque restaurant in MDR on Lincoln, just south of Washington Blvd, almost in Venice. Then there is Abbot Kinney Blvd, where Kevin and I used to live, which has several interesting restaurant and gelato shops. I highly recommend the French Market Cafe, where I have frequently seen TV stars dining on the patio, but the food is definitely worth it, if you like French Bistro style, and it is not expensive. It is one block from my old house and was our nearest market, and so we went there often. Further down the street is Joe's Restaurant - a great place for brunch, lunch, or dinner. I had another birthday brunch years ago when I still lived in Venice and a cooking forum member took me there. If you are interested in possibly seeing celebrities, you could try The Cat & Fiddle on Sunset in Hollywood. The food is British (not to my taste, but some people like it), and I have seen Keanu Reeves and Gina Davis there on the same evening, but that was 10 years ago. For better British food, I recommend Ye Olde Kings Head in Santa Monica, half a block from the Third Street Promenade. BTW, Abbot Kinney Blvd has been named the hippest street in L.A., taking over the title from Melrose Ave, which is still worth visiting. Another hip place on Abbot Kinney is Four Square Restaurant, about a block from Joe's. Another place to try for pizza is Pizzeria Mozza, but I also like Abbot's Pizza on Abbot Kinney - much cheaper and very good. For people watching on the Venice Boardwalk, try The Waterfront Cafe or The Sidewalk Cafe, which has a better view, although I prefer the food at the Waterfront. They are both good for boardwalk cafes. If you want, you can email me, and I will give you my phone number so that you or your sister could call if you want additional recommendations. It's really impossible to list all of them without narrowing down the selection. Lars This post was edited by publickman on Wed, Mar 5, 14 at 21:10