I looked at my Forest Pansy again for you - it did start budding last week (unusually warm), but I think it got stunted after that (colder now), as it never reached that full, covered in pink flowers look. Some buds look stunted, but on a couple tiny red leaves are staring to appear. Again, mine is established. As for box stores versus nurseries - I agree, the loss of nurseries royally sucks. The real problem (at least on Long Island, NY), is that the only remaining nurseries are so extremely high-end that it is truly impossible to shop there. We used to have a chain called Frank's Nursery and Crafts - they went under a few years ago, and no one has filled the void. Their prices were similar to the box stores, but their stock was in great shape and every store had a certified horticulturist on site and all managers were required to take horticultural classes. Their bankruptcy was blamed on bad management, but in reality they could not compete when HD and Lowes moved in down the street - HD and Lowes always sell their stuff well-below wholesale when they first open - forcing local businesses to go under. Today the prices are more normal. I bought a TON of shrubs from Lowes, HD this year, but only because I needed a ton (I'm getting rid of my grass, and we lost a huge tree last month). They are not the most unique, but they were too cheap to pass up. My tactic is to use cheaper plants as bulk, and then invest in unique shrubs as the specimens. I order most of my stuff from online nurseries now. Last year I got a Fernspray Gold Hinoki Cypress online for $35 (I'd wanted it for years and couldn't find it locally); before I ordered it I called the two best nurseries around, and the one that had it wanted $250 for a 30" high plant! Mine is about 24" - I ordered the 18", but they were out of that size so they upgraded me at no charge. Please tell me how one nursery can charge $35 (probably should be $50 for that size), while the local nurseries charge $250? That is why so many nurseries go out of business - they charge WAY TOO MUCH! Especially when all any customer needs to do is go online and compare prices. I would NEVER buy a tree from a box store though - I get fruit trees from fruit tree specialists, and shade/ ornamentals from tree specialists or native tree specialists. I bought a Mac Apple from HD years ago and that was the worst thing ever - it was already pruned into the wrong form, and although I have fixed all the bad branches, there is nothing I can do about the vase-shape, so I really do not like that tree (but I feel guilty about chopping it down and replacing it, since it is so large now). Prices at the box stores are not much better on trees and specialty perennials, though. By me they want $40 for fruit trees - normal price from a specialist is $20-30, depending on variety. Most perennials are the same cost as online, and online nurseries have a much better selection. I bought mostly Rhodis, Azaleas, Pieris and Mountain Laurels this year from them. But, for unique Rhodis I shop at Rhodi specialists (we used to have a specialist nursery near me, but they went out of business a few years ago :( I bought 4 PJM Rhodis ($7 small, $30 large), 5 Purple Gem Rhodis ($15 each, large size), and 5 Silver Sword Azaleas ($7 each); the prices could not be beat. Lowes had beautiful Mountain Laurels for $25, and I grabbed 2 because they are IMPOSSIBLE to find around here (even though they are native). I had purchased one from a new local nursery a few years ago, but it was so root-bound (I paid $35 during the 30% off sale), that I could not perform effective surgery, so I threw it out and replaced it this year (still no new roots). You basically have to know what you are purchasing - what to look for in a plant to make sure it is worth purchasing. All my online purchases have been great, except TyTyga (sp?) in Georgia - do NOT buy from them - bad trees.

Nana, no, don't seal the ends - the cuts will be too small to matter. It's up to you whether or not to shorten any branches - as the tree grows this year, the branches will thicken and most likely straighten as well - but you can certainly do so. Just remember to follow the good pruning principles of cutting to a smaller branch going in the direction you want, to the trunk or to a bud facing the direction you want the growth to go. Don't shorten lower branches more than higher-up branches, trim so that the lower ones can still get sun on them. Keep your pruner sharp. You can take out any branch that is crossing or rubbing another branch, to the point that future growth hopefully won't cross or rub either. Do look carefully at the tree before you cut, and try to visualize what it will look like without THAT branch. If in doubt, take off half what you thought needed to come off and look again to see if that was enough. If still doubtful, you can go away and come back later to do more trimming - branches can always be cut later, but gluing them back on doesn't work!

mostly because.. nobody in their right mind.. plants trees with leaves that fall off.. in what was basically august .... you should have held it over.. until fall temps allowed it to not stress and make its hair fall out ... i mean leaves fall off ... if it re-leafs late in fall .. that might be worse than if it stays dormant thru what you call winter .... three BASIC rules for tree planting: PROPER PLANTING TIME PROPER PLANTING PROPER WATERING AND MULCH you violated #1 and no matter if you did the rest perfectly... the result shows ... the idiot who sold it to you.. should have suggested such ... but he wanted his buck ... oh well.. sounds like he has replacements .... ken ps: best proper time to plant.. on a deciduous tree.. is just after the leaves fall off.. go figure on that ...

The redbuds aren't in full bloom here yet but starting to show some color. One of my Forest Pansy trees was badly damaged in the ice storm last year because a tree fell on it. It's still alive but I don't think it will ever have a nice shape. The other made it through the ice storms pretty good compared to some of my other trees. I'll post a link to Mobot's description and photos. They also have descriptions for 'Oklahoma' and 'Royal White'. HerGrammy - I saw on your other post that you decided to go with Kwanzan Cherry. I don't have one of those in my yard but have seen them in bloom - sooo pretty. I wish I had planted more small flowering trees in my yard early on rather than planting larger fast growing shade trees that are hard to garden under. Here is a link that might be useful: Mobot - Forest Pansy redbud