Thank you for your reply! I'm happy to know I shouldn't have to worry about competition. I generally prefer the high-centered flower form, but I know that hybrid teas are more difficult to grow. I'm very fond of grandiflora. I'm not adverse to the work that growing roses entails, but I'm a novice gardener and have little experience with disease or pests. I'm not crazy about the wild rose look, which is what I've been told is best suited to my climate. I live in Colorado, Zone 5, and we get quite a bit of wind. I would like a few roses that are nicely scented, but I prefer lighter, criper scents. (More lemony?) As far as color, I prefer vibrant colors. I like reds, whites, peaches, lavenders, and dark pinks. I'm not terribly fond of pale pinks or yellows. The bed is adjacent a 6-foot wood fence, so it'd be nice to have one or two taller roses for some height or possibly a climber.

Ok, I had to look this one up. "Austree" is a hybrid willow tree. It's a cross between the Hankow willow (Salix matsudana) and white willow (Salix alba) or also called Salix matsudana x alba. It seems like other willows they can be messy (lose limbs) and they apparently do grow fast, especially in moist areas. As to your questions, I don't think there roots would harm other trees. They might compete with them for water, but not actually harm them. As for planting the GG's elsewhere and transplanting them later, just make sure you move them early enough that it is doable (that is they will survive the move). Washington Hawthorn is a nice flowering tree. Another good one is Amelanchier (Serviceberry).

Greenbean - first of all, what a lovely house. And I'm jealous of that lovely, almost blank palette you've got to begin with. I don't have much to add to this, but I would be excited to use the retaining all to cascade plants over. I wish I had some grade differences in my yard to do that sort of thing. I've been going through the David Austen Rose Catalog, and I saw some lovely yellow English roses. Maybe a few of those, or some other similar landscape type rose would be nice to add. If you want some fall color, a couple of years ago I ordered 3 "October Skies" asters from Bluestone. I'm not sure that's what I got, as mine grew much larger than described, but they were very cheap and so maybe worth the try. (Or maybe some other blue/purple fall aster.) These were truly spectacular when in bloom I have to say. And finally, I think the High Country Gardens catalog is a great place to find some neat ideas for xeric plants. Good luck - I can't wait to see the transformation! Alice

radock03, A few questions first. How long and wide an area are we talking about? What's your soil type and elevation? Other than screening, what do you want the plants do (edible fruit, wildlife habitat, etc.)? Are you looking for strictly evergreen/conifer or would a mix with deciduous plants be ok? Will you be able to water the trees/shrubs at planting and once a week during the growing season till established, which might be a year or longer? Would you be able to water the new plantings during a dry winter? Not an issue this year, but in the future it might be. Fast growing usually equals weak-wooded, which might be an issue if this is an open, windy area. Wind and heavy snow can damage plants, particularly fast growing plants. I'd steer clear of a monoculture (all one plant type). If water access is an issue, it will limit your selections. Sorry for the multiple questions. I don't want to start making suggestions till I know a bit more about your goals. If you're ok with starting with small plants, CSU recently sent out their tree order forms. This would be a great opportunity to try out some native plants and you could get 25 - 50 seedlings for the price of one tree at your local nursery. They also have one gallon trees for $9. I'll include links below with the order form, current available inventory and a link to your local conservation district. CSU will ship the trees to you, or you can get an order form from the El Paso/Woodland Park District and pick up trees from their location. CSU Tree Order info. Updated inventory list El Paso County Conservation District If you are looking for larger plants, more instant gratification, the info above might not interest you, but I thought it would be a good starting point. Barb