Is the bear berry the miniature dogwood? I haven't seen that south of Massachusetts and it was growing on a rock there. I was under the impression it needed cool summers.

Bloodroot I have growing in fairly heavy shade - under a cherry tree and azaleas on the east side of the house. I moved some to a dryer slightly less shady area and one plant in particular just took off - something like fifteen flowers.

I think the deer sampled it the first year I had it in the new place, but not this year.

I have heavy clay loam, rather acid. Maybe it needs certain mycorhyzae or however you spell that.

Bearberry does best in full sun and well drained soil. It can rot easily.

I have both growing with the Trillium Bloodroot sprouting up all over the place.

I too have superb conditions, but in all honesty, I had trouble in year's past growing them.

A few years back, there was a local perrenial place down here that the owner (fairly young) sold his business to land developers. His house and the immediate gardens surrounding his house were to be razed.

A few of us took advantage of what was to be plowed under. My Trilliums (were not up yet), but were dug up unknowingly as I dug up many groundcovers (hosta, var. solomon's seal, bluebells, hellebores, etc). They have appeared each spring and appear to be spreading (they're about to flower and I'll post pics this weekend).

Hang in there Tea. How's the recovery going? You mentioned that you were going to be resigned to the porch for birdwatching this spring.

You're more than welcomed to sit a spell here at Paradise Waits. Come 2nd week of May, it's a given that I'll have anywhere from a dozen to 20 warbler speices on good flight days.

If you're anywhere near Monmouth County, email me.

One man gathers what another man spills.

Ted, let me know if you got my e-mail, please - I don't trust that e-mails sent through GW ever get through.

Susie

Just checked yahoo and no Sue. Nothing over the wire. Try it again.

I tried again, Ted, using my G-Mail addy. Tried two addresses - one came back as a "no luck" but the other didn't so I'm hoping we hooked up this time.

If we did connect, I'll send you the complete e-mail later - if I can remember what I said.

Have only tried bearberry, Arctostaphylos ova-ursi, which is native to the pinebarrens north of me. Bought one last Spring from Rarefind Nursery in Jackson and it is 2x as big and forming flower buds. Have naturally extremely acid, sandy soil and it is on an elevated bank with as much sun as I can get here. It is mulched with wood chips just to keep the weeds down. Afraid to try the other two as they probably need more organic, water retentive soil that is well draining. Would not pass them by at some market though.