Hey all, just wanted to update and thank everyone again for all the advice. I moved 11 trees and a few shrubs and so far (knock on wood) it looks like we've only lost one! I think the combination of excellent snow cover and solid cold all year and a very slow and late spring helped out. Still getting the last few in the ground, but all are leafing out nicely. Moving them around to the shade side of the garage was also key, thanks for motivating me to do that. That spot (above pic) is such that the morning sun doesn't hit it until maybe mid-March. The snow and ice cover stayed here longer than anywhere else. But once it hit, look out, those plants woke up in a hurry and were raring to get in the ground. The only loss was a pawpaw. It was in the smallest container, and really never looked great even before the move. If I had to lose one, it's the one I'm least bummed about. I am gonna stick it somewhere just in case though. It was also great to have some stuff ready to go, as the neighbors watched me move in and almost immediately start slashing and burning (no one wants to cut down trees to plant more, but we're talking about Norway maples and dead / hollow locusts towering over the garage, so they had to go). Anyway it was good to have sort of a symbolic peace offering that announced I wasn't going to pave the woods in concrete or anything. They still think I'm weird for leaving snags... but I have pileated woodpeckers and flying squirrels and all kinds of cool stuff back here! Over the next several years I'll be further thinning things out and adding other things. Thinking about a nice 'screen' of mountain laurel and rhodies going up the hill here (my yard is on the right, neighbor on the left, road at top of hill in back behind the MOUNTAIN of wood chips). At the top of this hill in the middle it flattens out quite nicely and has a great vantage point. Thinking of something majestic to overlook the yard. Ken - scarlet oak? Thanks again for the advice and encouragement, and happy spring to all. (PS had to create a new name when Houzz took over).

KAY: Yes it is so good to still have a bloom here and there to injoy.I hate to see the season be over..And I fussed at myself this morning for breaking my scape.It was a huge beautiful bloom,and I have no idea why it just popped off like it did.Its a really thick scape,too,and I barely moved it.Gosh,still makes me sick. RITA: I hope my buds will go ahead and open in my vase.There is only one more with some size to it,that would have opened in a couple days,and the other buds are still pretty small.The scapes are huge,thick,,don't seem like it should have just popped into, to me.but it did :((( I had forgot to add the names of them,as you suggested until I was on the preview and thought about it,so went back and put that in. JAN: Thank you,I still have another scape growing on it with some small buds, but it made me sick when this bloom was so huge and almost perfect bloom..Jan, after your seeds germinate and you have a tiny little plant, what kind of soil do you use to transplant them in to grow out awhile.Hopefully,I will do everything right and have some pretty babies. JULIA: Thank you for that information.I have never seen a way to resize them on Image Shack.I had read some where on it a few years ago that the photos are automatically sized when you upload them.Apparently,they are not,as some of mine swollowed up the whole screen.I did reset the camera to make smaller photos,so it won't matter about Image Shack,I don't think anyway.But I will try to find what you said look for.Thanks. JULIE: in WIS. Thank you,I won't be trying to pull one over a tad so I can see it better again. JULIE in Pac NW:Thanks.The scape was so tall,I cut about 5 inches off it when I plopped it into my vase.I noticed after I cut some off it,where it had broke at, the scape had a big brown spot on it, like it had a bad spot in it.I will change the water every day.I put a little sugar in the water, too,,thought that would help it to stay alive and grow. I do that with roses when I bring some in. HERO WORSHIP is a very pretty one.I am sure its a beauty with out them ugly splotches on it.I am hoping my wrist will stop hurting so much so this fall I can get these DL's planted in the ground,and some fertilizer around them.I think next spring it will make a big difference in them.Sorry your little puppy broke a scape.What kind of puppy do you have ? Thank you all for the nice comments. Jean

Wonderful pictures! I particularly like the third one with the neck straight out, probably when the heron spied the frog. The size is fine - GW automatically limits photos to fit the space available. I have the Canon SX30 IS - when it fails I'll move up to whatever the latest Canon SX camera is. Claire This post was edited by claire on Wed, Aug 21, 13 at 11:17

"The colors you tried are very pleasant, but don't have as much personality as a richer one would. " Bronwynsmom, I saw you had envisioned 'rich' and tried some but they weren't coming out very well and were getting glowy on the right half. And I believe AR said she might try just a bit of color. Honestly, soft and subtle coloring is just as beautiful as rich, bold, or brilliant. It's just a different personality and, perhaps, personality type who prefers them. Those things are very much personal preference. Slighting combinations I liked was unnecessary and condescending commentary. That sort of thing often becomes an unpleasant experience around here. We're all different and, so, we like (and don't like) different things as well. I don't think many people like to be told that their own personal preferences are lacking or need to change (or conform to current thinking or trends). I would love to see more people appreciate the inherent beauty in what someone else sees rather than this desire for conformity to rules, tastes, or the affectation of others, or the masses. Most of the people I know don't even like 'colors' on the wall -- and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. And high design or striking interiors are just not for everyone either. ArizonaRose, I'm glad you got to see and like the effect some color has in your room.