How much of a leaf cover do you need for that? I don't really know. This is the first time I am planting in the front yard woods, after picking up sticks and limbs, trimming up some trees, pulling up tree seedlings, pulling up 'some' vines, and digging out lots and lots of May Apples, and raking aside all the leaf cover. Stringing the rows and doing the actual planting is the easiest part of the whole planting experience. I'd say the leaf cover is at least 6" or so. I kept watching the weatherunderground on the computer all day, hoping it would get warm. Even though it wasn't warm at 4 PM (was just 34 though it was sunny) I headed out to get a few planted. Surprisingly, I wasn't cold, the soil was wet, but not clumpy, my hands didn't get cold, and I managed to plant 15 little bags, 47 total bulbs. so all those from the front yard (city tree) went to the city for composting. How I wish I had trees that weren't all in the woods or at the edge of the woods. All the leaves at the edges of the yard are full of sticks and twigs. I used to sometimes go to friend's houses and do their leaves, just to get to bring them all home for the veggie garden. I've got this wonderful leaf shredder that reduces them 13 to 1, turning leaves into what I call brown gold. I think the little willow leaves should be fine. Last year I remember "discovering" that the open areas were frozen solid while those with some cover were not. I might be able to exploit that some year if I knew what to aim for. How deep? I wonder if you couldn't just cover an area with either clear plastic or black plastic to keep the warm in and the freezing cold out, thus lengthening the planting season so you could get in on the late sales, like from B and B's.

Advertising gives us a free forum. Cost of doing business and if one doesn't like the ads, there are other forums. Proofreading and the "preview message" can catch most errors and those that are missed, usually aren't all that serious and can be downright funny sometimes. Off topic posts can add life and humour to an otherwise tedious subject and is often called, "having a conversation". GW's SC&M is probably one of the most popular focused forums there is. The number of posts and speed at which the pages advance is proof of that. If one checks out the member page of the OP, one will find he is no longer with us. Seems he/she went a little, um, overboard, shall we say. Some other multiple personalities were also deleted that may or may not have been related. I agree, no apology was necessary. Lloyd P.S. After going through this thread again, I realize I did not cast a vote, I do not think a unique BSF forum is needed.

Whaas, mine has been fine too in Z5. Like Idabean said, we were both surprised as to the flowering. I waited a number of years for flowers and was thrilled this year with the tree covered with buds. Only to have it bloom a handful of flowers per day. Still, the flowers were beautiful, even after they fell off the tree and were laying in the garden. And I really like the bark and excellent fall foliage of this tree. So even though I didn't get my hopeful burst of bloom (because apparently I missed this post last year) I'm still happy with the tree overall. I have it planted with some Japanese maples and it works nicely with them. I also have no deer damage.

So? All you need is a new meeting place and you can sitll be a Master Gardener Society or club and you can tell the school to (well, you know). Surely you can find a facility somewhere that will let you meet once amonth. a library, a government building, a nursery, a church or something. Maybe next time you should draft a letter of intent by both parties stating what you can and can't do and what is expected. By the way, if you decide to strike out on your own and the school has a change of heart, I would think long and hard before I changed my mind and relented. I would think with your free assistance being offered now and the monetary donations, they need you more than you need them.