So, I'm still here a year later and still trying to decide on trees. We will plant in the fall. We just finished the main part of our total landscape overhaul and I'm waiting for cooler fall temps to put in trees. Since last year, I have discovered a new form of the Little Leaf Linden that has chartruse foliage- I can't remember the name of it, it's some Japanese name. So I am considering that. I am reconsidering planting a Burr Oak but a smaller one based on suggestions here- still not sure about that. I have a perfect spot for a Tricolor Beech that will be protected from the hot southern sun. I want a smallish, purple leaf something but I hate the purple leaf plums (Thundercloud et al). They always end up looking diseased and haggard around here. I'm thinking about a Crimson Sentry maple which is a slightly smaller, more upright form than the crimson king. When you speak of planting 'more interesting trees', I'd love some suggestions. I'm willing to push hardiness zones etc. with other plants but not so much with trees. Too much invested. My soil is strongly alkaline as I live at the low point of the Salt Lake Valley- Salt Lake being the important part of that. My soil ph is around 8.

I have about 6 or 7 flats started and mostly doing well. I have 28 tomato plants just put into separate pots (3 varieties: Black Krim, Iidi and Padova). Also, there are 3 flats of coleus, one flat with cuttings from last year's favourites and the other 2 with new seedlings. I'm trying for ones with a lot of yellow in the leaves but not having much luck. But I do have one rather small and weak one with almost completely black leaves. Probably the colour is why it's not growing very fast (not enough chlorophyl),but it seems healthy. I also have lots of baby primulas of 3 kinds. Two sets are in the cold frame as they are from last year, and the others are auriculas from this year. I got the seeds from France and had quite poor germination so I'm watching the plants I did get really closely. For unusuals, I have seedlings of things I collected in parks and nurseries locally. They didn't care if I collected seeds, so I went wild! Now I have red yuccas, pineapple lilies, phormiums, pearly whites (a local wildflower) and eryngium agavafolium.I also have 3 different kinds of penstemons, but while growing, they're very slow and tiny. Let's hope at least some of them survive!

THANK YOU to all my forum friends for your nice comments. Marg...yes that is a japanese maple, one of the laceleafs. I have two in that bed. I actually made the bed first, then planted the maples. I have other japanese maples around the property (another of my plant addictions, of which I have many). I actually make raised beds because the ground is so full of rocks and roots and it's impossible to plant. My whole property was forest when I moved here. Rita... I have unearthed probably thousands of rocks over the past few years. New Hampshire is named the 'Granite State' for a reason....LOL. I am running out of rocks so now I am getting them from my father's property miles away but I don't have a truck so I gather a few everytime I visit my dad. My husband isn't too crazy about the car always being dirty from the dug-up rocks...Haha. Edward & Ellie...Sorry, I don't know the name of any of my peonies. I have never bought any since over the years people have shared them with me, the same with the iris and many of my perennials. I have a lot of pass-along plants started from divisions. Folks don't usually give me a name so maybe they don't know either? I did see one at Lowe's the other day that looked just like my white one, but I didn't check to see the name. Sorry I'm no help. Missylin...I am pretty sure that peonies are colder-zone plants but I don't know how warm a climate they can tolerate. It seems everyone around here grows peonies and they do very well so they must like the cold. The same is true for tulips, lilacs, rhododendrons, spruce trees, birch trees, etc. which flourish here. (There has to be some positives to living where its really cold, right?). We do have glorious summers but it is so short-lived. Julia...yes we are 'rock-miners'...teehee. That is a very good word for it! I am told that I have not only a plant addiction, but a rock addiction. I can't stop making rock beds and taking over the lawn and entire property with rock garden beds. I figure, the rocks are there and they are free. And digging them up keeps me in shape! THANK YOU, Nancy, Kay, Nat, Brittie and Jean! Christine, you know exactly what I'm talking about having lived in Connecticut! You simply cannot put a spade in the ground without hitting ROCKS so raised beds are the only way to go. Celeste

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too many for the length of time I've been here. But I comment 3 times on Kitchen Table everyday. I comment on the trivia quiz and on the 2 chain reaction games as well. Basically you guys have to read what I say (well ok I may have fallen into the SOB category) and my family doesn't have to listen to me.