Splaker, I suspect you'd get more responses if you started a new thread. Anyhow, I have found Korean Firs to be hardy in z4 WI, including Silberlocke. Mine grows near a large native White Pine on a peninsula-shaped spit of ground surrounded by asphalt and concrete. While researching siting this plant, I read in various articles that it tolerated moderate shade. It's doing fine, but I think it would like a bit more sun. It came through this past winter-from-hell looking good and is producing a nice crop of cones. Now I'm hoping we don't get a late frost that will wipe them out, which is what happened a couple years back.

I love this thread!! When I lived in IL, my "black thumb" ex husband decided he wanted to be a farmer and raise "crops" in our city back yard. He proceeded to rip out a number of decades old lilac bushes to make room, burning out the transmission of our car, then decimated a perfectly good tiller that belonged to a neighbor. I wound up buying and planting "his" garden. When I had my fill, I told him to weed it. Yep he did!!!!! pulled up everything I planted and left all the weeds!!! Just for good measure he also pulled up all the azaleas I just planted for a border. To add insult to injury, I wound up replanting, weeding and caring for a garden I didn't even want. The ultimate insult was when the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and greens were finally ready, he picked them and gave them away letting people know that he grew them himself in his own garden! Next year the garden was turned to lawn, which I wound up mowing. Any wonder he's an EX????

Okay, I'm not in the Florida panhandle but would guess we are in a pretty similar climate. My area is 8B/9, humid, sandy soil, mild winter, long summer, etc. I planted a Forest Pansy in pretty much full sun this July and it grew so much it was truly freaky. The leaves retained their purple color up until about a month ago when they turned green and some started looking ratty but that's the season, I guess. There are several Forest Pansys planted in my area in full sun and they all seem to be doing well. In fact, one place has them planted in the medians in their parking lot and they look great. My neighbor has one planted in the dappled shade of some pines, it has hardly grown at all in two years, and the leaves lose their purply tones. She has regular redbuds nearby that thrive in the same conditions. I LOVE mine and so does every one else who ever sees it. To me, the dark foliage is visually refreshing mid-summer when the sun is so intense your eyeballs ache. Try it, you'll like it!!!

I HOPE that at least some of you can catch this. Sorry I'm so late getting it on the list. If things go well, and I make it to the swap by noon, I will have the following: For Barb -- white datura plants For Cathy C.-- Old Blush + another of her choice Roses: 1 pink mini; 1 red cascade; 1 Chrysler Imperial; 1 Paul Neyron; 1 Monsieur Tillier; 1 Sea Foam; 1 Kordes Perfecta; 1 ? lost the tag; 1 runt Belinda's Dream. Veggie: Heirloom Tomatoes; a few basil, 2 broccoli (all these are small) Flowers: 4 Tx Heritage hollyhocks; 2 lemon balm; 3 yellow columbine; about 6 Tiger eye marigold; lots more datura; 3 cosmos; 5 catchfly WHAT I'D LIKE TO TRADE FOR: Probably not much, could use horse manure, potting soil, 6" and gal. pots. OR if someone has a nice big urn shaped pot. could use time, space and patience. Hope to see you there