Make friends with your local independently owned garden center, amadaala. I worked for the largest one in Chicago for many years and staff are usually very helpful in selecting appropriate plants and advising you on soil, etc. Some even have designers on staff that can help and they also usually offer planting. Make sure to add a shredded or ground fine pine bark as a mulch when everything is planted. It helps retain moisture and keep down weeds. The single most important thing you can do for a newly planted landscape is to water it correctly and most people don't know how. More plants are killed by over watering than under. Clay soils hold water longer than others so check for moisture ( use the old stick and dig down a few inches ) so it doesn't need water as frequently. " Water deeply, but infrequently " is the motto that applies . An inch of rain or water is what most plants need per week and to determine how much your sprinkler is delivering ( never hand water plants except for annuals ) place a tuna can at the end of the stream and see how long it takes to get a half inch. I usually break up watering by doing it at the beginning and the end of the week - 1/2 " each watering. I have been cursed by clay my whole life - first in Alabama, then Chicago ( yes, Virginia they have clay ) and now North Carolina. They all had different colors but clay is clay and frustrating to work with. Good luck with your gardening venture and keep us posted on your progress. Beautiful new home by the way.

Our decorations go up gradually through December with the tree up before Christmas Eve, and everything stays through orthodox Christmas (Jan 6) or slightly later. We are not religious, but developed this practice when living overseas, realizing that our daughter and husband had multiple Christmas events to attend...a nice break and later Christmas with us, far less busy and challenging for a fit into multiple family traditions. Now, we're finding that Rob and I are invited to all the gatherings which rather defeats the "less busy" purpose. Might reassess! Tree down yesterday, decore in our suites removed today...planning for Spring ;-)

There are many varieties of Yaupon Holly, and 'Sky Pencil' is one of them. Yaupon holly is the common name, ilex vomitoria is the botanical name for yaupons. Yeah, at the Depot you would not expect someone on the phone to know much, but the department manager should...maybe. I find that smaller plants transplant and "take" better than their larger siblings, and are certainly easier on the gardener's back! And fit better in the car...but instant gratification is always nice! Our local nursery gives 10% off if you spend $500, so ask about their discount policy.

It depends on your location , but here in Pennsylvania I find squash vine borers to be the worst menace by far. They decimate my zucchini plants and bore into most of my winter squash. They get my vote because they seem so hard to control. I have plenty of other nasty pests, but they don't make the list because I have ways to counter them. Borers are number one.