This discussion of exposure is very helpful. Since I rarely get the placement right on any plant and end up moving them more than once. Maybe this will help me figure it out better this time around. I have to agree Wendy, that depending on trees and structures, locations can differ so much. The way the neighbor's trees and all our fences are situated, it has created a wind 'alley' effect down one of my borders, from West to East. I am still experimenting with what works. I could plant a taxus at one end that might cut down on wind there, but I grow perennials in that border and my veggie garden is near there and I thought the wind is probably an asset as far as keeping down the mildew diseases. I only have a few evergreens and I'm adding more, little by little. I did have someone come and prune for me in the spring and he remarked that he was surprised that my boxwood do so well. They rarely have any winter damage. I must have just got lucky because I didn't even know about winter damage when I planted them. [g] One is in the front facing East with the house behind, another is in the back against the house facing west and one is on the north side of my southern lot line, stockade fence. So maybe this would be good locations for the leucothoe? Sorry to hear about your leaf problems in zone 8, BBoy. I guess every zone has it's challenges. Ego....that sounds right to me too. Because I've read that the morning sun hitting the evergreens is what causes the problem, when they warm up and then get cold again, right? I find I have the most difficult time deciding to plant anything in my northern exposures though. It always seems so dark there, I'm afraid to put anything there. [g] And my West exposure does get sun in the afternoon. I haven't figured out yet, how much wind the plants are exposed to in those beds. They have the house behind them. I don't think I have a bed with a Northwest exposure. I'm happy to hear you aren't getting sunburn on the Pierises. I have just bought two of them in the last year and I enjoy them. One is facing East and I am planting the other facing south in the shade of a Maple. Interesting that you should mention the hydrangea bloom, ego. I read that you were supposed to plant them facing East and that is where most of them went. I have noticed that I don't get as much bloom as I thought I should. I moved one into a more Southeast location and it is blooming better and I plan on adding another one in the spring that would get a more southern exposure too.

Oh YES....I've had two triggers. I'm now 61, had the triggers about five years ago and these were the very first health problems since having my tonsils out as a kid. The first trigger was on my ring finger and developed from keeping a tight ring on 24/7 and various gardening chores over the years. Went to PT where they created a four week treatment of wearing a splint continuously (comfortable and waterproof) and administering twelve courses of iontophoresis. Iontophoresis is where cortisone is pumped through the skin with a 9-volt battery on the site of the trigger to reduce the internal swelling. Sounds ridiculous, so if you google it you'll have a more credible explanation. Anyway, it worked like a charm on the ring finger. My second trigger was like yours, on the thumb, very painful and much worse than the first. This time had to use the big guns and went to an orthopedist, specializing in hand, arm, shoulder problems. He gave me a cortizone shot in the base of the thumb (ouch) which did not work at all. So I decided apprehensively on the surgery. What a huge success! It was only slightly painful afterwards but I did keep it wrapped and in a protective position as recommended and did not abuse it as I was determined to have it heal properly. They also gave me a little silicone patch to keep on the scar for better healing and less keloid scarring. Again, sounds ridiculous, but it worked. I still do a lot of gardening but have learned how to use the hands so as not to bring the triggering back on any fingers. No gripping of large heavy objects, no hanging buckets of water from the fingers, to pulling and yanking with the fingers. I also still needlepoint daily and, although stitching is repetitive, it is gentle. A few months ago we helped my mother and aunt move and I could tell that this activity over a long time could have produced more triggers on my fingers. So from one who goes to a doctor infrequently and reluctantly, I am completely happy with the results. As far as your surgery, here's wishing you good luck. Please give your thumb every opportunity to heal properly and please relearn some daily tasks to prevent more triggers. My best wishes....

They sell a lot of trees that are not well-regarded by many horticulturists - like flowering pears, Paulownia (Empress tree), hybrid poplars and willows and Leyland cypress. Trees that grow fast tend to be weak wooded and often come apart in windstorms. Or have a host of other problems that make them not so great in the landscape (like invasiveness in many areas). And again, they are offering a very broad range of plants, many that will not thrive in a Florida climate. As I stated in my previous post, you need to do your homework on appropriately climate-suited plants before you look into ordering anything online. Then see which, if any of those, are offered locally for the best size and the best price. Only when you have eliminated all local sources should you resort to mail order. Recommended landscape trees for south Florida. And to help to get you started on actually locating the plants, check out this listing. Seems rather comprehensive to me :-))

Ooooo, pretty! Thank you soooo much. I see a few hosta vendors selling Ivory Queen, Coconut Custard, but only Jim's Hostas (of the teeny specimens) also has Mellow Mood. And a lot of the hosta sellers don't state that they test for HVX, so I don't want to order from them. Hallsons, Naylor, etc. don't have all the hostas I want. Does Jim's Hostas even test for HVX?