Not sure what seeds I am looking for exactly. All I know is l love most all of them! I have all of the herbs that I use on a regular basis. I have the usual black eye susans, purple cornflowers, lilies, iris, hostas etc. I seem to lean towards wild flowers, poppies, blanket flowers and such. I have a bed with different grasses. Last year I planted dahlias, they were beautiful, but I didn't care for lifting and drying the bulbs. However this year I did plant dahlia seeds and they sprouted and I have them planted. This year I started asters, violas, pansies, bachelor button. I did collect some seed from cone flower poppies and flax and allium. Allium did not sprout, nor did the white cone flower. I also started balloon flower. I started hollyhock, with minimal results. Been babying that one. I also had one Bells if Ireland sprout. Am hoping that will take off. I tried the green wizard rudbeckia Cant remember the rest right now. My list is not in front of me. Will be attending a local plant exchange in a few weeks and will come home with a load of different plants. Last year my trunk was full as well as the floor of my car. The people I have met at this exchange were so nice and knowledgeable and generous. I came home with much more than I took. Its almost like an addiction! With that being said, I need to get my butt outside and watch my garden grow!! Diane

lmao..I'm gonna teeellll!!! jk! SHe's beautiful! Hi Jill! and what a cute doggy you have! She looks like she could be Wishbone's sister..Wendy, NOT Jill! Ok if you dont know who Wishbone is, then forget the whole thing, lol. Yes you can def pull those itty bitty leaves off. Alot of people do to keep that tree form look. If you leave them be, some of them will form more branches over the main leaf that is coming off the trunk. So, it starts out one itty bitty leaf..a couple more grow right over that, looking like they are basically coming out of the same spot..that is what may grow into a branch. I wait till the branch forms, and is a few inches long, then take off the main itty bitty leaf..which by the way isnt so itty bitty any more by that time.. Kepping your brugs trimmed like that and in tree form, def is a space saver, so you may want to take that into consideration.

Cal: Norway spruce are generally a medium-fast growing tree. But, of course, your climate and soil make a big difference. I have grown NS both in Northern Virginia, a dry and hot Z6, and in the mountains of Western Maryland, a wet, snowy Z5. In both places I have seen some very fast growth on individual trees certain years. Yes, up to 4' or a tad more, but your average will be much less. In Western MD, in my forest groves on a good "class II" forest soil, the average is 28 inches. At this rate a 4 foot tree will be about 115 feet tall in another 50 years, with a very steady growth rate for the whole period. In Northern VA, the growth rate will be substantially less, averaging about 20 inches in a forest stand. But if your trees are growing in the open, they will, on average, grow in height more slowly, but faster in diameter. In given years their growth may be affected by possible white pine weevils, which kill the top portion of the previous year's leader. And, birds landing on the new leaders, before they have hardened, will break them, which also slows height growth for that year. --Spruce

That sounds great, we have planted a lot almost all from 1 gallon plants except for a meyer lemon tree and a couple of Roy Hartmans Ceanonthus plants. It's a big long property with lots to plant and this is from memory but here goes ( I was heavily influenced by Topanga Canyon which I commute through every weekday) Doing pretty well so far - given the rain and all 5 Austin Griffiths Manzanita (three front, two in the back yard) 1 Louis Edmunds Manzanita (front) 7 Santa Cruz Buckwheat (front and back) 4 Hybrid Island Buckwheat (front and back yard) Lots of California Buckwheat (left hand side of backyard) Lots of San MIguel Buckwheat (left hand side of backyard) 5 or 6? Celestial Sage (front and back) yard 3 Dara's choice sage (front) 4 White Sage (back yard)2 2 Cleaveland Sage Right side yard 6 Margarita BOP ( front yard along a wall ) and back yard 2 Concha Ceanothus back yard (ok only one is doing well, the other one looks kind of sad and they are near each other - but from different nurseries) 2 Howard McMinn Manzanita (backyard) Tons of red New England flax, in the front and back 3 Ray Hartman Ceanontus (back woods) 3 Siempre Blue Ceanothus (Right Side yard) 1 Ceanothus Arborues (right side yard) 3 Blue Blossom Ceanothus (right side yard) 1 Meyer Lemon Tree (left hand side of backyard) Jury out Three Big Berry Corgi Manzanita (one died when a dog keep peeing on it in the front and the two are just kind of hanging out looking sad - I suspect they don't like clay. THey didn't come from a local source which may be the problem. The aforementioned Toyon all around the property including the woods, some are doing well, some not so much One redshanks (front yard) I think it's just a really slow grower but it hasn't grown much if at all in 2 months. Yikes, that is a long list, no wonder I am tired of planting...