Dave Wilson doesn't even claim its their big idea. Ed Lovell of DWN, edlo, used to post in this group years ago and he was always clear about how there were several long traditions of close plantings and use of close roots for dwarfing. My conclusion on it is that it can work well, but the pruning is not as easy as they make it seem on the DWN website. In the east or other more disease-prone areas you need to do more than thin crossing branches, you need to make sure there is some minimal distance between branches from adjacent trees. Its not that you have to give each tree precisely 1/4 of a circle or 3' of a row, but each variety should have its own space with a 1'+ gap from any one variety's leaf to leaf of a different variety. As far as productivity goes the pruning constraints decrease the productivity, or at least they did for me while I learned how to prune the things. My oldest stands are producing well now but it took me a long time to get them to the right spot. Scott

My small gravel bed (8 ft X 8 ft) was made from a former raised vegetable garden on a slope in the backyard. Somewhere from about one third to one half of the rich soil was removed and replaced with rough gravel. The front side is only about 8 inches deep and the rear is 16 inches. I use it for smallish plants that would not otherwise be possible for me to grow in my heavy wet clay soil. Not all the plants in the pictures still exist as I change the plants frequently whenever I want to try something else. (It's a very small space!) I also use it as a holding bed sometimes for expensive new plants. There is a long succession of blooms and colors, with the color scheme sometimes making no sense at all as I move things in and out... Here you can see sea thrift (Armeria maritima 'Splendens') and candytuft (Iberis sempervirens 'Snowflake') with Fanfare gaillardia, a new plant which bloomed all that summer, never returned, but left me with an assortment of various colored gaillardas in the bed. The soft looking foliage plant to the right is a santolina and the attractive leaves in the upper right belong to a geum. The sea thrift was removed later on because it quadrupled in size. Here it is a bit later in spring. The pink flower in the front is a soapwort, one of my favorites. I posted a close-up later on. You can also see some penstemons starting up (Husker's Red). The tuteur behind it is only 3 feet tall and has been used for small clematis and more recently for various annual vines. Another view. Lychnis flos-jovis, Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Summer's Kiss' (another non-returner, but lovely) and Snow-in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum 'Silberteppich' Silver Carpet) Lavender Cotton (Santolina chamae-cyparissus) and Golden Marguerite (Anthemis hybrida (x) 'E. C. Buxton') in bloom in early summer. Siberian Iris are the tallest plants in this bed, except for Husker's Red when it is in bloom (used mostly for the reddish foliage here) and two large Russian sages (Perovskia), which are very out of proportion for the bed, but the only place I can grow it, and are impressive in size in late summer when not much else is going on here, except for the few annuals in the bed. For whatever reason the Siberians like this so-called "dry" bed than in my regular garden, no idea why! The clumps are now much larger than the pictures show and take up a lot of space. Not sure what I'll do. Gardening can be a bit confusing sometimes. LOL. There are also three varieties of Dwarf Bearded Iris (Iris nain). This one is called Grape Orbit. Penstemon Alba is a pretty little plant that does well here too. The only place I can grow lavender. This is Lavender angustifolia 'Sarah'. Close-up of Rock soapwort, Saponaria ocymoides. Just love this one. Also have (not pictured) some Mossy Saxifrage (Saxifraga Purple Carpet) and Lewisia Purple Plum (very tiny plants) next to soapwort. Two of the corners are draped with Basket-of-Gold, Aurinia saxatilis 'Goldkugel' (Gold Ball) and the others with candytuft. The candytuft, santolina, and aurinia can all be cut back hard after bloom (before bloom usually for the santolina) and act as sort of a tiny mixed hedge for the bed. Baby Sun and Tequila Sunrise Coreopsis. The variegated Tequila will probably have to be removed soon, since it is getting quite big here, but Baby works well. Note the daylily foliage. There are currently four smallish daylilies in this bed (these were originally one-fan starts and will get a new home elsewhere next year). However, they do provide some mid-summer color in a bed of many spring flowers, so I may leave a part of each one here. Another high-summer picture. Echinaceas don't like my wet clay much so the expensive new ones reside here. This is Sundown, with Profusion series Apricot zinnias, Veronica Royal Candles, and Elijah Blue Fescue grass. The season actually starts out with these perennialized (six years and going strong) tulips. I carefully plant a few annuals behind them and place a small round pot with annuals in front of this space for summer.

The pond one is unique and just getting started to be very desirable as it grows. There is plenty of room to let it free range. If you want to keep those two long branches they will have to be supported as long as you have the Atlas. Front yard specimen...really is out of its element to grow and become a nice presentation plant. There is no room for this to happen. If you don't have an area to relocate then you will have to selectively prune it to keep it in in confines. As it was not trained for much upward growth it has become a ground creeper and that area for expansion is limited. Anything that is staked for height get rid of. These are secondary branches that will not support themselves in free air for many years especially those driveway bound. The photos of this cultivat are not easy to decipher in regard to pruning for the most desirable look. Go for the obvious cuts first. That in turn should should help you decide on where to go next. Another thought I am getting is you don't think the branches should lay on the ground. Nothing wrong with this. and quite normal. The one growing over the rock is quite attractive and with this cultivar the only look that is possible because its growing habit has already been decided. Dave

If you Google old Gardenweb posts, just put in something like " Gardenweb forum, Asian pears.", there will be many old posts about people's opinions on A.pears for you to read. I can tell you that for east coast, many likes Korean Giant. It has large, tasty fruit, is productive and disease resistant (in my area). I attached this particular post: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1461313/mail-oder-nursery-reviews. If you cannot open it, Google Gardenweb, Mail Order Nursery reviews. Lots of good info on fruit tree nurseries. Also, please pay close attention to recommendations from those living in or near your area because climate makes a difference.