NEWFS has an end-of-year sale going: 15% off for non-members, 25% off for members. I got 5 Rhus aromatica 'gro-lo' for $86! Very few perennials available, but a good variety of native shrubs and trees.

Also, it was really eye-opening to see their rhodies...curled up tight like cigars -- normal for super-cold days, but I didn't realize that's also how they respond to drought. I wonder if they'll recover. I also saw numerous dead, recently planted Chionanthus virgiana. The dryness in that part of the garden was really shocking. The area around the pond, tho, is stunning -- with 16 turtles sunning themselves on the rocks in the middle!

So many changes to the woodland garden, which I felt a bit sad about. Many of my favorite viburnums and azaleas are gone. They are in the throes of renovating this garden, driven by the loss of the hemlocks.