It is likely that your plants will just grow roots under or even through it - I'm assuming its only a few inches thick, and not a trench a foot deep filled with rocks? I don't think you've ruined anything, but I don't think you've necessarily improved anything either. At least not with the rock - the raised beds are a good idea. I'm guessing what you were aiming at was something like a French drain, which can be very useful for helping to drain a damp patch of ground. They used to put them around houses but hardly ever do now. It's labor intensive and the do require maintenance over time - but boy they work well when they're properly installed! If its not too much work, pulling that rock out so you can reuse it to build an actual French drain would at least put it to good use. There are other ways to provide drainage that might work better, be easier to implement, and be cheaper to install. I don't know that much about trying to drain wet spots. Just be careful - it is actually illegal to drain "wetlands" throughout most of the country, and you'd be surprised what might get labelled a "wetland". Don't get me wrong - I'm all for preservation of actual wetlands. But sometimes they go overboard designating some little patch of swampy ground as an actual "wetland reserve". Here is a link that might be useful: About French drains

casalester, the lady fern makes a nice clump and is easy. spleenwort does make a clump but it's small- like maybe 8" when full grown, so i doubt you'll get much coverage. It is evergreen, though. your choice. lisianthuslover, my bad. i just assumed b/c you'd seen jeri's rose... i do recall digging alstromeria this spring. It was a bit frantic, though at the swap. be nice to put a face to a name. i do have some ornamental oregano, can get you some. Carla, yes, i remember now! Super cute. Sure, swing by afterwards and get a branch. but you can have a pot, too- i have several. :) by the time you move it might be to a whole 2'! LOL yes, dogridge, i have plenty of pawpaws. Your name is on one! :)

Hi Everybody!! I am on my Sister-In Laws computer right now and I don't know if anyone will even get to read this now.I forgot you can get on any computer and do this.((DUH!!)) Any way,I don't want to stay on this too long,((Yeah Right))It's killing me not having my own computer.But I just wanted to say Thanks For A Great Swap.It was especially sweet for me because my daughter Diana and her new Husband of less then a year and who's last name I still can't pronounce correctly got to come with me and they loved it.Diana can't wait to come to the next one,So I'm thinking we'll be coming to the fall swap as well.It was great seeing everyone and sharing all the plants and eating all the wonderful food.I wish I could have stayed longer,But my elbow was giving me a fit.I had surgery on it a couple weeks earlier and the cast was making me sweat and itch.But all in all it was alot of fun. Michelle,My daughter Diana got the wraped package,It was a large ceramic Owl.Very cool!! I probably won't get back on again.So Thanks for a great time as usual Beverly and Mimi!!! You two are Awesome!!!!!!!!!! I'm hoping to see you all again in the fall!! Granny57

Since Ian Barclay occasionally reads/posts to this forum and runs a nursery in WA that specializes in water-wise gardening in the PNW, I think that his perspective is important. He sells Ribes speciosum (http://desertnorthwest.com/catalog/plants_western.html), and here is his take: "Hardy to about 10 F" "It is one of the few drought-deciduous shrubs we can grow in the Northwest." "Although native to central California, IT DOES FINE IN MILDER NORTHWEST GARDENS, occasional leaf drop notwithstanding." (my emphasis) If you have a problem with me SUGGESTING Ribes speciosum for a relatively mild climate like Portland, I can't image what you think of Ian for SELLING the plant to PNW customers. Be sure to express your displeasure the next time that he posts here.