Just wanted to thank the folks who responded about small trees

[Cheryl Isaak]

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!

Cheryl

[Pat Kiewicz]

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.

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.

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.