the summer was so darn hot that one of my pines has suffered, and the
winter here is brutally cold and three times as long as in the UK.

I hope you know that last summer was very unusual, & this winter is rather
worse than average.

American society is considerably more regimented and conformist that in
Europe
Now that is surprising. I always thought it was the other way around. I wonder
when the change occurred.

The material in America (on the eastern side, at least) is not as good as in
Europe. There are fewer suitable species, and those that are most suitable are
conifers

Maybe that explains why some of us get carried away with tropicals &
subtropicals from all over.

In fact, there are a couple of species - notably Ficus neriifolia and
Bucida spinosa - that I really wish I could grow effectively here in the north.


Get a greenhouse or a light garden.

Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)