I wish there were more comments in this thread. I spent hours researching (looking up online) this topic and I was hoping to find my answer in this thread. I like what Linda wrote: I hope it's valid. I would think that, perhaps, that answer is correct for native nitrogen-fixing shrubs like Shepherdia (buffaloberry) spp. Yet, I might imagine that shrubs like Hippophae spp. (sea-buckthorn, H. rhamnoides) might produce way more nitrogen then is beneficial for the neighboring fruit tree - in some cases: i.e. pear, mountain-ash, etc. I think that would promote fire-blight for these two crops, in particular. Another concern I'm considering is: will the excess nitrogen delay winter dormancy in some marginally hardy plants (i.e. Black mulberry, hardy selections of pomegranate, etc.) Again, I think you might be ok with native Shepherdia spp., but I think some of the non-invasive and invasive exotics would enrich the soil enough, if not to harm fruit trees - still not sure on that one, but definitely to encourage the recruitment of exotic invasive weeds. Autumn-olive, it is believed - or fact[?], is responsible for rendering soils which are less fertile - to which native flowers and graminoids are well-suited - and, after enriching the soils with nitrogen, make them ideal for the recruitment of alien invasive weeds: where I see Autumn-olive I see many weeds and few native herbs; not sure, though, which: chicken or egg, in these cases. Steve

"Drying your own seeds from peppers is not hard and they will grow quickly" vroomp Provided the pepper is fully ripen. I got seeds from fresh red ripe jalapano and habanero. I have planted them. We will find out. Green peppers like bell, poblano, cubanell, Korean sweet, Korean hot .. probably will not have ripened seeds. Even some red bell peppers I bought didn,t seem to have fully ripened seeds. I bought some dried chili peppers and have taken seeds from those for planting. But my peppers are not moving yet. I guess they need much warmer day and night teperatures. So is the case with my eggplants. But hopefully The weather will be more clement soon. Although basils are also warm weather crops, they have been growing fine and have true leaves on them. I wonder if fresh pepper seeds germinate faster than dried ones?

Ooooh, I love this post. I recently moved to Colorado (Littleton) in late August from my home state of Michigan and was wondering where all the good nurseries were! There a few small ones by me. As for seeds, I like to order from Jung's, Baker Seeds, and Burpee (their catalogs, like most seed catalogs, have much more variety than what is sold in stores). I will also order from an odd catalog or two I get, but the ones I named are where I order the most. For live plants, I like High Country Gardens and David Austin. Four years ago I ordered one of Jung's perennial gardens for sun. They came in 3 inch pots and I wasn't sure they would make it through the Michigan winter. Three summers in, I had the most lush, beautiful perennial garden I could hope for. I will definitely take the gamble on Jung's perennial garden again once I find a permanent home in CO. At least I am in same zone here as I was in MI so hopefully I will have the same success!

Dottie, if you check in, I'm still out here, just been real busy with the new place. I moved a little closer to you. The new place is in the Woodhall subdivision across the street from the new Marvin schools. I have to go in search of the cord that connects my camera with the computer so I can download pictures for you. With 4 acres I can say that I'll never be done here, but that is a good thing! I am trying my hand at veggie gardening for the first time this year, I put in some raised beds for asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes (of course), cucumbers, peppers, corn, beans and melons. And I planted a mini orchard with a dozen dwarf fruit trees last fall. Unfortunately, the drought claimed the fig and three varieties of cherries, but the surviving trees must be pretty tough cause they survived with only minimal water (none from me). Did you ever ID that pretty little yellow flower that bloooms in late summer along all the local roads? I think you mentioned that it was in the woods behind your place. Do you still attend the garden club? I've heard rumor of one in Waxhaw but can't seem to find out where or when they meet.