It looks as though you, or whoever drew the plan, mostly followed/paralleled the track of the Comcast, and maybe phone lines, (are the electric wires in front, or is it also in the back? If in front, does it run along the driveway into the garage?) as you decided where your SW bed was going to go - very clever. It would seem as though the planned spot for the oak (which I assume is replacing the HL next to the patio, since you didn't say) will be far enough from the lines not to have a problem. One thing you might definitely do, ASAP, is call both the power, phone and Comcast people and have someone come and mark where the lines run, unless the marks are still visible. That way, your memory maybe being off by a foot or three, there will be no nasty surprises. They'll do it for free - it's usually a "call-before-you-dig program", or some such name - since it saves mightily on their repair time! Digging the holes ahead of delivery is not a bad idea, although the crew coming to plant may have to do more work on them. YOu don't have to do it, esp. if you are paying for the job and not for the hour. If all they are doing is delivering, then having the holes, and having them deliver the trees next to the holes would be good. It wouldn't hurt, if the man (or woman) power is available, to place the plants in their planned spots, and take a few minutes to look at them from several angles, including inside and upstairs. You may see some minor tweaking that you can do, even at that stage. It's a LOT easier to re-dig a hole than to try to move a tree, or to kick yourself for the next umpty-ump years about how that tree would have been better over there, just a bit. A future tree near the play area/structure is an excellent idea. I am not sure a Sycamore is the best bet, as they can get very large, can be messy, and, if a friend's experience is common, can cause allergies in some people. If you do decide you want to put a tree there, start another thread, as this one is covering enough topics, and confusing readers enough, already!

Western redbuds are awful. The roots go everywhere and strangle roses. I had six of them for 11 years. I know western redbuds. I'm still pulling seedlings three years after I cut them down. There's a sterile Eastern Redbud called 'Don Egolf' that is much better mannered. Manzanitas don't need a lot of water, no. That way you can save it for the roses. :^) I was going to say crepe mytles, but they like heat. Near the coast they mildew something awful. Are you not near the ocean? A nice small evergreen tree is Erybotria delflexa, the ornamental (not fruit bearing) Loquat. It looks similar to a Magnolia, but stays fairly smallish. Quite a good looking smaller tree. Arbutus unedo is nice, if you can place it where the fruit drop is not a problem.

Thanks for your advice. I thought it was kind of odd that the majority of plants seem to be toxic - yet there are cats all over. I've never seen one eating a tomato plant leaf... I know Lily of the Valley is out, stuff like that. At petplace.com they have a page on "how to plant a cat-safe garden". I was glad to see that Hostas are on the "good list". They will do well along the fence line (and eliminate the mowing problems!). They list the 10 least wanted plants as: Castor Bean, Oleander, Morning Glory, Japanese Yew, Jerusalem Cherry, Foxglove, Nightshade, Lily of the Valley, Precatory Beans and trumpet vine. I am wondering about a small tree - maybe a Magnolia or a Locust (the one without thorns/pods). The pods are poison. I know the locust gets big, but I'd really like to have one somewhere near my deck for the dappled light. I'm also wondering if maybe Sumac - the staghorn kind here in Wisconsin - can grow as a decent little tree if it's kept pruned. I have an old fashioned Lilac in the front yard that I've been keeping as a tree, it's kind of fun, and I just mow off the suckers, but it's beginning to look like Bonsai :-) This area will be dedicated to my beloved best friend Priscilla. I only wish she was here to enjoy this new enclosure. I had built a small enclosure for the cats, but Cilla only seemed to enjoy being outside if I was, and I couldn't sit in the enclosure. There were too many times when I'd move my chair close to the enclosure and put my hand through the fence to touch her while I read. Now my entire deck will be a part of the enclosure for us to enjoy. I love my cats so very much, and I'm looking forward to having a smaller area in my 5 acres that I can *really* focus on landscaping. I've resisted buying anything yet - I took the old enclosure down today, need to do some cleanup yet around the deck tomorrow, and finish the sump pump drain. The parts for the new cat fence have arrived,and hopefully by the end of the weekend I will have an enclosed safe area for all kitties to come. And let the landscaping begin :) (1650 sq ft enclosed - 325 of it is deck - I cheated and found a calculator online) :) Gina Here is a link that might be useful: fence-to-be

Most, but far from all, discussions of lilac seem to be here: Shrubs Forum - GardenWeb - discussion of shrubs--how to grow them, recommendations for selections, sources for plants, etc.