Hi there...I take a bit of a different approach to fill larger spaces. I do this with shrubs as well as perennials and spring ephemerals. I buy one or more young plants/shrubs from a nursery and plant them at visually pleasing locations and then I take seeds or seedlings and plant them all around the mature plant/shrub of the same species. Eventually the seeds/seedlings will fill in to make a "patch" or "thicket" and in the meantime I actually have a large specimen of each to enjoy while the little ones are growing up. Have you been to the WinterSowing forum? I just started Winter Sowing for the first time and I'm trying mostly native shrubs and flowers but also some non-native flowers for spring plant swaps and shrubs from my front yard. If you haven't already checked it out... go here: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/wtrsow/ Barb southern Ontario, CANADA zone 6a

Hi, Lisa. I *just* got done responding to the previous post about where to get reasonable, good quality jack-in-the-pulpit and, i'll give you the same recommendation as i gave molly...try gardenweb.com's plant exchange forum. i've had such great luck with it - the plants are usually WAY better than you'll get with mail order places and all you pay is for the shipping (and, whatever you arrange to trade). usually, i end up trading something that i have too much of (compost filler as far as I'm concerned) and i get something that i want. i'll have ferns this spring. I frequently see columbines on that forum....i've never seen triliums but, you can always do a posting and see what happens. good luck!

NC Native Plant Society has a pro-rescue statement as does the GA group. I believe the VA group promotes saving the habitat rather than rescue. I would be the first to state that saving an entire ecosystem is the best way, but NC is one of the fastest growing states, and we are losing land every day to development. IF we can get permission and find out in time, local groups try to rescue. We give plants to others, to public parks/schools/churces, and of course, keep them for our own gardens. Llegally you are supposed to get a permit to sell, and I do know some nursery owners who do that. Many years ago most nurseries dug from the wild until our eyes were "opened" to the threat of wiping out the natural habitat. Now established nurseries only get wild dug plants if they come from sites to be destroyed. AND, if these plants are on the state/federal endangered or threatened lists, the nurseries have to get a special permit to sell...very time consuming paperwork, and some rare plants are left to the bulldozer because of it. There does need to be some regulations, and it bothers me when I visit a farmers' market in the mt. and see plants that obviously were dug just that morning. Of course, in NC on private property you can treat your plants any way you want to...just are not supposed to sell the ones on that list. I must state that our group ALWAYS gets permission to enter property to dig. Otherwise you are guilty of stealing, trespassing, and heavens knows what else. I have seen many plants destroyed because we could not get permission. What a shame! However, each person has to make his own ethical decision, but in leading a group, I always go "by the rules."

Adam, I have a small woodland (largely sugarmaple with the odd Black Cherry and American Beech) garden and let me tell ya, it's trial and error on a lot of stuff so keeping a little log book of what does "well" and "where" will really help you. We've found that our Osterich Ferns will grow anywhere but to grow to 5' tall they do like a bit of dappled light. The Osmunda ferns like Cinnamon and Royal like even more light but not "direct" so they are right on the edge of the garden. The more delicate ferns obviously like the deep shade best and after the first winter you will find out what is the hardiest. Lobelia and Lilies for woodlands like the very edge of the woods as do violets, grasses, viburnums and dogwoods (although dogwoods and viburnums will also trive and fruit inside the woods as well, for the best fruiting they like the edge). Other forest plants I have are: Bloodroot (full to dappled shade) Blue Cohosh (full to dappled shade) May Apple (full to dappled shade) Trout Lily (full to dappled shade) Bunch Berry (full to dappled shade) violets purple, yellow and white natives (forest edge) round lobed hepatica (forest edge) native columbine (will bloom in shade but will do better the more sun it gets) Pale Corydallis (forest edge) Jack-in-the-pulpit False Solomon's Seal (flowers at the tip of the stem) Smooth Solomon's Seal (flowers along the underedge of the stem) Red Trilliums White Trilliums Canadian Ginger Flag Iris (full sun to part shade and lots of water) Man Fern (full to dappled shade and lots of water) Lady Ferns (full to dappled shade and lots of water) Hart's Tongue Fern (full shade and lots of water) Maiden Fern (full shade and lots of water from underneath) Cinnamon Fern (full/part/dappled/north facing forest edge and water) Royal Fern (same as cinnamon fern) Christmas Fern (hardy, not sure if it tolerates sun at all as we have it in the deep shade) Wood Fern (same as Christmas) Sensitive Fern (likes very wet conditions) Osterich Fern (versatile and if very wet(swamp/pond) can even tolerate sun) For shrubs we have: Redbud (1) Serviceberry (2) Nannyberry (1) Highbush Cranberry (1) American Hazelnut (1) Red Osier Dogwood (1) Pin Cherry (many) Spicebush (4) Elderberry (2) Other plants we are currently searching for are: Squirrel Corn (difficult to find) Dutchman's Breeches (difficult to find) Shooting star (difficult to find) Painted Trillium (difficult to find) Blue False Indigo (easy to find) Hope that helps. Barb Southern Ontario, CANADA Zone 6a