I forgot to mention we have 2 mature oak trees and 1 birch tree in front which get dappled sunlight throughout the day. On the backyard there is 2 mature red maple and 1 hickory shagbark. These past fall we got all the oak and maple trees raised the canopy significantly which hopefully in spring and summer we can see the difference in sunlight penetration. So establishing a lawn doing dormant seeding in the backyard which is almost from scratch is close to impossible? Thanks again.

austinnhanasmom, you can double the garden by growing tomatoes and peppers, even cucumbers up side down. If you can imagine a clothes line installed with a pipe instead of a rope... and then hang your plants above other plants. One of the best thing about upside down plants, you pretty much have no worries about slugs... and all the veggies are off the ground, no brown sides on the cukes! AND no tomato cages or support for the cukes! No worries about ammending the soil for new garden either, you won't take up half your lawn either... Here is a link that might be useful: upside down tomato

I'm no expert on snails, but I would imagine that some snails had laid their eggs in the pots (while in the greenhouse/nursery), and the small snails are hatching out. Snails are not going to like it hot and dry, so I would imagine putting the clematis in the hot driveway might do the trick. Robert

Mine arrived in about the same condition as stage_rat's. I don't remember last year if they were in such tough shape. I'm not concerned; a yarrow will come back from the dead even if it were COMPLETELY dead. The dianthus was pretty tired; hostas were totally fine (Beam me up, Scotty- I got Captain Kirk and Frances Williams); the shastas were fine...the Campanula was also tired, but it'll live, I'm sure. Joe Pye! I forgot about that one; I ordered the short one; the name escapes me at the moment. Oh, and some heuchera- those were mostly fine, but still tired. I wonder if ordering earlier in the season...are the plants looking better? I've never ordered from them outside the sale. I'm thinking I'll order earlier next year.