Canockie, this is just a quick basic diagram with the outline of an idea. The darker tree is the proposed blue spruce, and the others are intended to be deciduous, flowering or not, which would cool in summer, and let sun through in winter. Specific identity is best determined locally, but along the sides they should be something that grows fairly tall and narrow. Your HOA seems like it might not be too big an obstacle, at least to keeping your house cool. So the basic bones of your plan would be about shade, pathways, and sightlines. Since I can't help you with either the left side or with sightlines from various points on the property, you could start by imagining trees where I've sketched them, and move (or remove them) around to work in real life. It can help to stick a garden tool in the ground at the point you might put a tree, and imagine how that will look from the door, from the window, as you drive home, etc. I've not put a tree very close to the house, but there is clearly an option to put another one closer for faster, more significant shade. That has to be balanced off by whether you want to live in a little forest :-) I put the front yard trees more so they would shade the yard, which will give you some sheltered area for other plants, since side yard trees will do morning and afternoon cooling. The blueberries might be happier in the back, but if you want them in the front, the shelter of the trees should work (but just remember I write from the rainforest! so I don't know for sure). This will leave you exposed to afternoon sun, which could be mitigated with one more tree right were your curb tree now is or across the sidewalk from it. That will block the door a fair bit, so is a matter of taste. Tree placement being decision 1, decision 2 is how you move around the property. Are there gates through to either side yard? If so, pathways can be put in - two options are dotted in. Many people find it easier to place beds for flowering plants with reference to pathways - I do, because I like to plant things that have up-close interest and then I enjoy walking over to see them. How do you get the mower from front to back yard? And then decision 3 is what you want to see/be seen, or have blocked from different points of view. These bones are important to get right - and "right" is not something anyone but you can determine. Of course even trees can always be moved or replaced, but it's nice if they don't have to. Placement of flower beds and flowering plants is easy to work around your trees once the tree locations are chosen. Beds can be around tree bases, or completely separate from them - sun-loving plants to the sunny side, less tolerant ones on the shadier side. I hope this gives you something to start doodling with and imagining in 3d. Karin L

Nancy, I have been to the Home and Garden Tour before and it is increadible. I can't go this weekend, I have a family funeral to attend otherwise I would have to be there. For 5 dollars it is a steal. I have always put my pump in some sort of container even if it is only a milk crate lined with window screen and filled with gravel, then wrap the pump with quilt batting to keep out the gravel. What does a pump casing look like? Some sort of metal box? I will see what I can find. Yes I have put misquito dunks in the "cesspool" even though there is lots of wildlife around it. When we get closer in the clean up and can get a water sample I am gonna have it tested to see if there is any way fish will survive. I might put in some goldies, we will see. For now misquito dunks will have to do. When we bought the place the grass was already hip high in the back 1 and 1/2 acres so we didn't see all the JUNK that was strewn around until we hired someone to brush hog it. I have vowed to hubby we will never buy another piece of property without it being mowed, especially since I am the lawn mower :) The man that brushhogged for us did the upper banks and the outer area but the pool itself is lined with trees and brush so thick we can't get to it (I can see tantalizing glimpses though). I am considering putting in a water hyacinth and some duckweed to get it started. I think to much hubby says. hahahahaha.

Milehighgirl, thanks for the links. I should have said, but ee planted a small orchard thi spring. We did so will all of our trees purchased from stark bros. nursery. We planted: Apples: stark golden delicious, stark grand gala, red Fuji, goldfish, enterprise, empire, and candycrisp. Cherries: northstar and stark surecrop Peach: intrepid and reliance Plum: bubblegum and starking delicious plum Pear: orient, moonglow, and starking delicious pear I hope we chose ok! Were certainly novices and my father in law has had good luck with his trees purchased from Stark. I'll be asking for pruning help this spring for sure!

you're right, ward, I found mine lying down on top of the hibiscus after the rains from dennis blew through here. I staked it with a broken shovel handle, which it promptly pulled to the ground, too. that plant is heavy. I put the handle back up and put a rock the size of a shoebox at the base of it, which is working. give this thing some swingin room, folks. ward, can you teach me how/when to collect seed from tithonia?