I just emailed chelone via gardenweb to see if she still had her pix to repost. We'll see if it gets through. The thread has a lot of information. My hydrangea has been in the ground for at least 5 years. It spent two or three trying to climb the tree, and- as I may have said before in another post- I finally put up a chicken wire collar and trained it up. But it has also a shrub like form from the original plant next to the tree, and is sending out runners. So I got a three for one. I don't think it is most esthetically pleasing shape (s) in the garden, but it is serving a purpose. I'm just gonna let it do what it wants for a while. Marie

A number of desert species are nitrogen fixing, obviously in conjunction with mycorrhiza. I have specifically seen recommendations to plant Bursera (as a bonsai!) using mycorrhizal innoculation. I know that each legume species forms relationships with a specific fungal species but that they also often work with closely related species. Non-specific mycorrhizal innoculations are likely to be a general blend of arbuscular mycorrhizae which may or may not be effective for the plants you are trying to grow.

most hellebore orientalis plants purchased through the nursery trade have been grown from seed as opposed to divisions, which will be true-to-type of the parent plant. Ex-seed Orientalis hybrids are notoriously 'Variable' in terms of plant size, flower size/shape - you name it every variable characteristic is liable to show up! yes, including the first 'doubles' ! I've found that some of the runts of the litter will actually come right by the time they fully mature i.e. 3 or 4 years and I then thank someone I was too busy (read that 'lazy'!) to dig out those runts in their first couple of seasons. My best performing and most spectacular flowering plant was in this category - maturing and improving like a fine red wine in more ways than one. So agree with greenman, leave it alone for another couple of years - bythat time you'll know for sure, plus your good specimen will be old enough to divide and shift over to its spot if it still not performing.

I believe that topping them (what many people do to force new growth at the top and which for some reason people think is a required chore) can prompt the plant to send out suckers more vigorously.