For the back with the dog I would suggest a mulch to cover the ground. If you could dig out some of the soil and bring in a couple yards of chipped tree trimmings, that would work. Build it up to many inches deep and let it compress some. Then add more if you think you need it. Mulch never gets muddy and does not support root growth. If anything does grow in it, you can pull it out easily. Ask your parks and recreation people and see if there is a dog park somewhere. Find out what they use to "pave" their parks.

Olives are pretty fast growing trees. I planted some liners and some 5 gallon trees. In 5 years the liners had caught up to the 5 gallon size. They were all producing lots of fruit by then. The difference between the 24" and 36" will probably go away in two years time. Olive trees transplant very well. If you are not willing to wait you can have a full sized olive tree transplanted but you will pay a premium price for that. I'm not sure what you would pay in your area but in the Sacramento area in the early 2000's you would pay about $2,000. When we moved from the Sacramento area our neighbor took a few of my mature trees to his house next door. He had a front loader and dug them up and transported them and installed them. He said they had a somewhat lower production the first year but then they caught up the second year. Planting on your berm will help. Our area had nothing but clay so following the orchardist lead in our area I planted everything slightly high to help with drainage. Good Luck.

If you are thinking of fruit trees, I'd think about American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)...one of the few native fruit trees, and one of the few tough fruit trees. Put some males near the road and females elsewhere. I like American Holly (ilex opaca) for areas you want an evergreen for screening.

Hi everyone. Frankginakay – Yes I do sell some of my brom’s. Although I don’t have a professional nursery I find that by selling a few, I have money to buy other plants as well as potting mix and pots. Like any hobby, it’s always good if it pays for itself. Miami Cuse – Yes I do get my arms scratched; I think this is the distinguishing feature of all bromeliad growers. I did however buy some long gloves which come right up to my elbows and protect my arms from scratching; the problem is, I don’t remember to put them on until I see my arms bleeding from all the scratches. In the pictures you posted, none are of the flowers; they are either of the buds before they open or after the flowers have finished and the seed capsules are forming. But looking at them all, especially the last one, it looks like it is a plant that self-fertilises as every flower seems to be growing into a seed capsule, but apart from that I still can’t ID it for you. You say, “put two pups up at two crotches of the tree”, they should grow fine here, but just like any other mounted plants, they must be firm and unable to move otherwise any new roots will be broken off and won’t be able to attach to the tree. You ask, “Would a wooden stake driven at an angle be less visible?” I regularly use stakes on any of my plants that aren’t firm in the pot or the garden. It’s most common to use three stakes placed at equal distances around the plant. Once in place, you can cut them shorter to make them less obvious as long as they still support the plant. Remember they are only there until the plant grows sufficient roots to support itself; after this they can be removed. The same applies to the mounted plants, they must not be able to move; they must be tied firmly so the new roots can grow without being damaged by plant movement. Whether they are tied or staked doesn’t matter as long as they are firm and can’t move. All the best, Nev