Cheryl Isaak said:


While I have made no final decisions about what is going to anchor my long
bed up at the top of my hill, I think all of you gave me an idea on how to
handle a different issue in the yard.

Many moons ago, my builder buried a few pieces of the ledge that was
blasted
to build my house. Several of these are down at the bottom of my yard and
have begun to rise up out of the ground. (Welcome to New England where
our
best crop is rock)

As pulling these out is just too much hassle, I'm going to expand my little
copse with a few of the selections I know I'd really like add to the garden
somewhere. I'll have to check to see which ones would take seasonal
flooding
as that part of the yard can be a vernal pond.

Now - to plant that bag of crocus I found!


Hmm...Don't know if I mentioned these before...

I remember seeing hornbeam (AKA blue beech, water beech or musclewood)
growing along the banks of the Red Cedar River and in the bottomlands near
Stoney Creek. Carpinus calorlininiana. Usually grows in the understory, but
can be grown in full sun as a specimen. Fascinating small tree...nice fall color,
unique sinewy trunk.

http://www.nysite.com/nature/flora/muscle.htm

And that leads me to think of hophornbeam, which also grew near Stoney
Creek (Ostrya virginiana). Catkins in spring, and neat hop-like 'fruits' after.
Good fall color and interestingly textured, flaky bark.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/tree...7/Default.aspx

Hornbeam is available from Forestfarm.

Hophornbeam, don't know that it is found in the trade, but seems like it
ought to be. Nice NA native.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of important
nutrients..." --Largo Potter, Valkyria Chronicles

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