True generosity of time and effort does not require or seek recognition or popularity or cheers. Although I don't ID hardly any of the plants here, I try to help when I think I have something to add since I wouldn't know what most of my plants are or what to do with them without someone (usually from GW) sharing their experience with me. I'd rather spend 15 minutes typing something I hope is helpful to one OP than try to get to the new ones first. Just repaying the karma.

Further searching suggests it is Eulophia graminea, a non-native invader. ==>> which would explain why you dont remember planting it ,.. eh??? ... even as i become more forgetful ... mysterious appearances have me looking for birds.. and invaders ... as in.. its near the bird feeeder.. under an eave.. near a fence... etc ... really??? apologizing in a garden forum.. for your finger nails.. my response to the pic was the polar opposite.. how are they so clean.. in the garden.. lol ... ken

Oh my Sam ! Those tree roots are going to be a nightmare !!! The lighting however looks splendid. :) My vote is still to put the kai-bash on the lawn and turn it into a giant perennial garden. We need someone to link the info for spin-out bags. I haven't had to plant next to any trees yet. In fact, after Sandy came through we had some removed from our property. Never saw wind nearly bend a spruce in half before. Scary stuff. Di, Hello !!! and thank you for all the info. :) I have been meaning to do more research on local societies but I can't pry myself away from my own garden to figure out a plan. It is hard to balance everything, and with my recent commitment to my own personal garden it has taken up most of what was left of my 'free' time. I have heard amazing things about the DVHS. Philadelphia is such a great botanical hub. I have been to Longwood more times than I can count. Never made it early enough to see the Wisteria gardens in bloom. Meadowbrook is about 20 min from my house, which was recently bought out by the Philadelphia Horticultural Society. I frequent them for more of my indoor exotics. They get their orchids from Waldor's so I have a nice access to quality plants there. Primex suits my needs mostly for the big garden stuff. I think I paid some of the summer workers salaries last year with plants and soil amendments alone. :) I will keep those organizations in mind for future years, and who knows, maybe bump into you. Hahaaaa . . . look for the pasty Irish boy who talks with his hands :p Ludi Sandy's Wrath

The idea of an 'American Prairie Garden' popping up in places like England reminds me of a few years back when 'The Santa Fe Style' became all the rage in the US. Books were published and home & garden ideas abounded. After the new wore off, stuff was showing up at places such as Dollar Saver and Walmart, items from towels to toothbrush holders to lamps. Furniture stores entirely devoted to the SF style sprang up around here. Then the Colorado style crept in and sort of overlapped it. Pines, the log cabin-look, rustic etc. The American Prairie Look craze, if thats what it is, offers the nice perk of letting people imagine they are being ecologically friendly for a change and they can feel good for planting 'a tiny butterfly garden' to save the planet (even if other critters are not welcome). I think thats part of the 'sell'-- the Feel Good aspect. When things like gardens are merely styles, they tend to come and go, get over done, then people get tired of them and want something new. At this point they are described as 'outdated'. Anyone still doing that is sorely behind the trend. That sounds like the situation you are describing in England. Its great to visit a region that has its own authenticity and ambience, a place that looks like what you expected and different than where you live. I guess what bothers me about these trends is the way they tend homogenize the whole country and even leak out into the UK. I've mentioned several times how glad I am to see Oklahoma City adopting the so called 'American Prairie Garden'. The thing is, it should not be considered a trend toward a style, rather its a long overdue appreciation of the surrounding countryside down here. Personally I'm so tired of the boring homogenized look that is made up almost entirely of non native plants. The concerns of conservation, invasive species, growing strictly native etc that gives some people the impression that Americans are over zealous is an entirely different matter than choices of plants for landscaping and gardening. People are passionate about both subjects but they are two distinct subjects. From what I can gather, impressions people have seems to be a result of confusion over who is talking about what. When I discuss selecting plants for my garden its a different matter than my concern over some of the horrors I've seen popping up (or disappearing) in the countryside. The two things only overlap in the sense that I would avoid activities such as intentionally adding invasive species just because I selfishly liked a plant or digging up, for example, cactus in the wild because I selfishly wanted it in my garden. It doesn't mean I am a slave to local native plants only in my own yard although that is exactly what I want to be able to keep seeing in the countryside, so I try to be careful and hope others are careful too.