I suppose you could just grow Trilliums and other plants whose natural lifespans are 40+ years. That way you wouldn't have to worry about genetic diversity. I think one of the reasons you might not be getting the kinds of answers that you may be hoping for is personality/psychology related rather than plant ecology related. Most of the gardeners I know are putterers - we like to mess around in our gardens, adding things, moving things, etc. You've described the opposite of that. Also, most gardeners I know appreciate the dynamic aspect of nature. Most of our property is woodland, and my family enjoys the natural progression - trees fall and rot, small trees grow larger, etc. We have fond feelings for the oaks out front that now shade the only possible place for a veggie garden enough we won't be able to grow tomatoes much longer. Because we enjoy watching things change, I can't imagine managing nature so closely we'd be worried about genetic diversity. But because you sound sincere, I've been trying to think about your idea. Climate change is an issue. To have healthy plants 4 decades from now, I wouldn't plant anything for which zone 7 is the hotter end of its range - who knows what zone you'll be in 40 years from now. Other factors that might cause change include your neighbors - our closest neighbor clear cut their yard a few years back. Fortunately, they left a small section of trees on the side facing us, or they would have even more significantly changed the light in a part of our woodland close to our house. Pests also can cause big changes. The Emerald Ash Borer and other pests are getting closer and closer to my area. Future problems with invasive non-native pests aren't something you can predict. Also, not all plants are good at naturalizing, or self-sowing. Are you planning to collect seed and grow specimens to replace ones that die? If you're not planning on helping things along, you're going to have to make sure you plant only good self-sowers. I don't know what kind of landscape you're envisioning, but some of those kinds of plants are good at getting seedlings pretty far away from the parent plant. You could move errant seedlings, but it sounds like you want to stay away from "hands on management." If you are planning on helping, and for the 10% area if you do plan to use cuttings and vegetative propagation, you'll need a nursery area. I also don't understand why you wouldn't have more than one of a species even if the population won't be enough to sustain itself? Look at any landscaping book - people tend to like the look of groups of plants, not single specimens. Unless these singletons are trees or shrubs, it might be harder to make things look good. Whups, no matter how hard I try, I seem to be thinking of reasons why your idea is a problem rather than ideas to help you, sorry! Why not be curious and just try it and see what happens? Surely you'll find that some of your 10% species work for your plan. Some won't, and you can replace those along the way. It's not like you'll be on a spaceship to Mars - it'll be possible to get different plants in 20 years. If you do go ahead with your idea, it would certainly make a unique article in a gardening magazine 20 or 30 years from now. Good luck! And I wasn't joking about Trillium - plants with longer lifespans would help your proposition work.

Get help. The type of help you need/want will depend on the type of person you are. If you absolutely do NOT want to take medication for depression, it is still a good idea to see your medical doctor for diagnostic reasons. Many people have already mentioned causes of depression that have nothing to do with your brain chemistry. If you are a religious person, seek something within your faith to help you, whatever that might be. As a Christian, prayer, Bible reading, and a quiet meditation time is what I like. That might not suit you. There should be an employee assistance program at your job, look into it. What are your hobbies? Do something that meshes with your interests. It doesnt have to cost money. I love to garden, so getting in the dirt helps me. Looking at seed catalogs (free online) is fun also. Walking in public parks is along the same lines. Go ahead and cry. I read a book one time by a woman who was grieving her son. She didnt want to get out of bed, and she cried all the time. She began to give herself a timeout to cry. She would set a clock or timer, and when her time was up, she made herself stop. She decreased the time bit by bit, and was able to change her behavior. Just a thought. One of the most important things is to keep communicating with someone(s) who cares. There are so many people here, from so many backgrounds that someone will surely be able to help you through this. Most of all, take care of yourself. anette

I'm speaking from experience. I had Post Partum 2 days after delivery and kept it for 13 days. I cried for 13 days straight for no reason. Finally my hormones got leveled out. Every now and then I feel the Post Partum coming back. You are not alone with this. Please contact your doctor and talk to someone. That was the best thing that I did was talking about it.

I know you don't feel emotionally ready for a new feline, and I completely understand that, but I also think a new feline friend may be the best possible solution for Orange. He's in mourning for his buddies, and now that he's restricted to the house (which I also completely understand), he has nothing to distract him from his losses and loneliness. A new buddy would give him something on which to focus his attention, and the "right" new buddy would give him a companion with whom to bond and feel that all-important same-species connection that he's missing. But you're right; it can be tricky finding the right match. Annz has made a great suggestion about fostering, but I would modify it to "foster with the option to adopt". You would need to make sure that any shelter or rescue you work with would give you first option to adopt your foster kitty. The last thing Orange needs is to start bonding with another feline, just to lose that buddy to an adoption to another home. Alternately, you could find a shelter or rescue that would allow a trial period before finalizing the adoption to make sure the match works well. If you do consider getting another feline, I recommend a young kitten. I have adopted felines of all ages, genders (intact and desexed), and personality types, and I can tell you that the easiest integrations have been the kittens. Kittens don't tend to pose a territorial threat to adult cats, and young kittens' playful antics aren't interpreted as serious attacks. I would caution you, however, against adopting the most boisterous and playful kitten of the bunch. A really rowdy kitten (esp. male kittens, who tend to be relentlessly pesky and aggressively playful) may be overwhelming for Orange. Look for a kitten who is self-confident (not shy or skittish) but who is also fairly laid back compared to other kittens. Avoid the kitten who's always pouncing on his/her littermates. Go for the one who is more moderately playful and enjoys snuggling with littermates. You may also find that Orange will take more quickly to a kitten who is the same color as Figgy. Some cats have very definite color biases. Think about getting Orange a new companion. I have seen bonds form in my own household between strays-who-decided-to-stay and resident cats who didn't previously have buddy relationships in the household. Those bonds have dramatically improved not only the resident cats' emotional wellbeing, but their physical health, as well. Laurie