That must have been fun to walk around a place so close to home and check out all the cool palms.As far as what you said about the protection methods,I think people would be surprised at the difference putting a clear frame of any type over palms or cactus makes.There are quite a few cactus that grow in places that go below freezing,and even below zero in many cases,and that includes several of the Trachycarpus palms,what a difference keeping cold rain, dew and frost off of fronds and petioles in winter as the water makes its way into the crowns and refreezes over and over again.Nice pictures!I made my "final" two purchases to fill in my last couple of spots I had open for this year,a sabal birminghamn and a echinocereus caespitosus for the cactus garden.Good luck with yours!Post some pics when you get everything planted

Thanks TMFF. I've been birdwatching (and listening) on our 35 acre property since we moved here in l981. This is the first time ever I heard it! Hopefully it will be a regular during the migration. I wonder why its shown up now? I suppose there are too many variables to really know why. Anyhow........it was very exciting!

We aren't going to move the elm tree, and I also don't want to plant the Northern Red Oak close to the property line in case neighbors don't appreciate the acorns, so more center and in front of the yellow fall trees will ensure that the oak doesn't grow past the property line. I THINK that since the other two trees would both be near the left and right edges towards the back, that they won't be fully blocked in view. I am also thinking of not planting the Oak dead center, and instead a little right of center with future plans to plant a very small tree in view of a window that is left of center. We also don't have the option to pick with fall color, it's a town sale where they are selling 3 to 5' trees in early September, so I doubt color would change by then. I appreciate all of your feed back that you think the trees would work well together! As for tying it together in the future, what exactly do you mean? I am quite new to this, and this whole not planting everything that is the same in a perfectly straight line thing is against my nature :D. Thanks!

Hvae you done the shampoo thing? If you are concerned that the dirt is too hard, the surfactants in the shampoo will allow better water absorption. Have you had a soil test? By the way, I doubt anyone is reading this thread because it takes too darn long to scroll to the bottom to see what was said. And no way are they are going to read through the whole saga. I get an email alert that you said something (because I had commented) and I can click to the bottom. But anyone new to the thread would have to scroll down a long time. You might start another thread for future questions and concerns. And then someone other than me might have ideas for you.