Your dad's view of 'fertility' is one that was started when the chemist Liebig discovered which chemicals, or molecules, were required for plant life and health. It was information worth knowing, and the fertilizer industry grew up around the idea that they could provide those molecules for a farmer. "Organic" techniques had been observed, but were not understood, and in the absence of an understanding of organic techniques, and in the face of proven success with chemical supplements, fertilizer addition was the usual mode of farming. Even now, over 125 years later, are we still learning exactly how organic techniques work. Mycorrhizal relationships are still being explored and researched. CEC and chemical buffering are still somewhat mysterious to many farmers. The concept of the 'food soil web' is still considered airy-fairy despite its very scientific basis. But No-till techniques that leave plant residue in and on farmland are the newest technique in corn and bean production. The term 'fertilizer' usually means NPK, and that's probably what your dad is thinking of, but soil fertility requires more than these three atoms. To ensure that my soil starts with some NPK, I supplement my compost with organic fertilizer when I create a new garden bed. But the presence of Calcium, Magnesium, Iron and a host of other atoms are required for plant health. Compost makes those metals and minerals available to the plant by mediating the chemical reactions between the dirt and the plant, so in a manner of speaking compost is an indirect fertilizer. Compost also creates the environment where the soil food web can exist. Entire books are written describing the soil food web so I won't attempt to describe its benefits here. But it's enough to say that the soil food web creates an optimal environment for plants. Get your dad involved in discovering how to make the soil fertile. You'll both benefit from that.

I have three simpson stoppers growing in my yard that I bought by mistake several years ago from a nursery that was going out of business. Of the three only one is still doing well but that may be more from the fact that they rarely ever get watered except from rain then from the cold. They have been though several hard freezes including the year that we got down to 21 here without any problems. The largest of them has even fruited several times. I really couldn't tell you what cultivar they are though.

I'm in Marietta. We have had a surprising number of deer in our yard, considering we are in the city. We had a doe that visited every evening for several weeks. She walked around the raised beds and sniffed everything. Checked out the hostas -- but didn't nibble. She ended up eating some weeds and some low growing volunteer mimosa. All fine with me!!!!!!! I didn't need to worry about keeping her out of anything. Now squirrels???? That's another story. Little demon ninjas.

Actually, I don't think they are trying to raise the water level. Years ago I worked at a pet shop that had a crow (legally). He would dip EVERY piece of food in his water, even wet cat food. I am not sure why, perhaps they are washing it? I think raccoons have been known to do the same. Crows are extremely intelligent-he even spoke a few words. That said, I cannot stand them-they are loud, messy, aggressive and will eat garter snakes which I much prefer in my gardens over crows! They also like shiny objects and will steal them.