Hi everyone! Regardeng BLACKBERRIES, we, on the opposie side of the pool, have the same problems of OVERWINTERING the canes and the flower buds. Admittedly I yet have no own experience as I got interested in blackberries only this fall when discovered the existance of the new thornles and prolific varieties. So I read all that was worth reading in the Russian and US internet, especially the rather high-profile specialised forums of our blackberry enthusiasts.. I discovered that throughout Russia and Kazakhstan which both have areas with very serious frosts blackberry growing in those is nevertheless quite successful. Maybe someone here would benefit from their experience same as e.g. you grow plums of Russian origin such as ptitsin and fofanoff. Apparently Blackberries can bring huge yealds in climates with very low winter temps, even downing to -40C for rather ptolonged periods. The TECHNIQUE below allows overwintering without much problem. Plus some easy principles to follow. 1. All blackberries need to be laid down and covered for the winter, preferably after the first frost when the land is frozen. To ensure that this task is easy and hassle free: 2. Choose thornless varieties only. Those with thorns are said to be hell to lay and cover. 3. In early summer watch for the new canes (primocanes) to emerge. As soon as a shoot reaches 15-20cm carefully bend it 90 degrees and secure with a metal peg. When the cane grows another 40-60cm, secure it parallel to the ground with yet another peg. After it reaches 1 m let it grow as it will but better tie to the lowest string of the trellis Which gets them out of the way. Do not tip the ends as this would increase the leaf mass. Do the bending for all the emerging primocanes. 4. In autumn at the time of first frosts when all the fruiting canes have long been cut down lay the primocanes in lines stretched along one side of the trellis. Peg them to the ground, cover with two layers of 60g/m2 thick white non-woven fabric and secure all sides to the ground with no holes. This is said to help greatly even if serious frosts come before the snow. In milder and wetter climates they also put a plastic film layer on top of the fabric, leaving however the end bits open so there is always air circulation. The advice here is to experiment as all natural circumstaces differ. 5. Take off the cover layers gradually, and completely only after all danger of frost is over. By then the canes are likely to bear some yourg leaves and side shoots, but this is ok. Raise them carefully as the canes of come varieties are brittle, and tie to the trellis. 5. Winer frosts may not be a problem for blackberries, but summers need to be warm or hot. The shorter and milder/cooler the summers, the earlier fruiting varieties should be chosen. 6. Floricane varieties like PA Freedom in cooler and shorter summer climates may very sucessfully fruit if treated in the same way as other primocanes, i.e. as above, in a two-year culture. They would be one of the earliest to perform. If you have any questions do feel free to write me, I will try to help with more information. cathpetro at gmail dot com.

Next on the To-Do List in relative order of priority: Garden Arch: Full Sun. Would like suggestions on what to grow on this. I don't think I want a climbing rose, since it's already surrounded by roses, but I'm not completely against any good suggestion :). What i DON'T want is something that will take over the structure. I was thinking maybe some kind of Clematis? I'd love to hear your opinions on the idea and suggestions for a variety that would work in this spot! Also happy to hear any other suggestions! Raised Planter: Need some ideas for permanent plantings to go around this tree. The area gets FULL SUN and is too far from those tall trees in back to get much relief until very late in the day. As far as style, I prefer something more informal and don't want to plant symmetrically around the tree (Does that make sense?). I know the roses are planted in a somewhat structured and formal way, and I don't mind them since they sort of separate the patio area from the garden. But I'd like to be a bit more varied with the rest of the garden. Back to the planter...I'd like something to spill over the edge in a few areas, and other plants to be more contained. Am I correct in assuming that I should wait to plant until after the summer heat dies down, especially in this area of the yard which gets a LOT of sun? Is there anything I CAN plant now that will do well temporarily so that there is some interest in this planter until I have a more definite plan? Planting beds surrounding lawn: I laid down newspaper/cardboard and covered everything with a thick layer of compost and was planning to just let the worms have their way with this soil until sometime in the fall or early spring. I've had luck improving soil this way, although not such a large area, but I'm hoping it will work fine. Should I cover the compost with landscape paper to block weeds until I'm ready to plant? Under mature trees in back: Sine this area is basically all shade all the time, albeit bright shade, the plantings will be much different than everywhere else. I'm just not sure how closely to plant near these mature trees. I'm thinking hydrangeas will do well in this spot, and I'd love to have at least a few in the garden.

Herman, Thanks for your comments. This little darling, Col de Dame, is only 18 inches high. I just looked at it. It still has 2 figs. One is large and almost ripe. The other is smaller and probably won't ripen as it is getting quite cold, specially at night. It had a total of about a dozen or more figs. We had a record hot summer but NO rain. The lack of rain delayed the ripening of all the trees inspite of constant watering. They were really stressed for moisture. Once it got cooler and we got some rain those that had figs on the branches for months finally started to ripen and they tasted better than those that did ripen earlier. A young Beall was a great producer, those that ripened during late summer tasted awful. I picked a couple a few days ago and they were delicious. It still has 10 more good size ones starting to color. I also noticed the the figs that have ripened now in the cold have tough but very sweet skins. It will be fun to see what the weather brings us next year. Peg

Hi Sarahlhm! Sorry - goodness. I didn't see your post, and it was from a long time ago! Sheesh. You are right to point out that the slabs/ground are tilting towards the house. That is most likely where the water in the basement is coming from. First Step, have all the ground slope away from the house. That patio - if you want to keep the concrete, it can be "lifted". Google it to find a provider. It isn't that expensive, much less than pouring a new slab. Then, you can think about where to put your rain garden. Since you have had water in the basement, stick to the "letter of the law" and keep it 15 feet away from the house. Direct the downspouts there. They can go anywhere 1) downhill from the downspout, and 2) you actually want a garden. The rain gardens can be flower beds, shrubs/hedges, or trees. Don't limit your thinking to just one - it could be any of these. Good luck! Feel free to make an appointment with us if you live in Washtenaw County: https://www.washtenaw.org/706/Request-a-Design-Visit