Hi, Bernd.

I really need to get a couple of trees planted, too! We lost a huge hickory and a couple of oaks last fall. We had the trunk of the hickory ground, but it is sending up shoots. Ugh. We have new neighbors moving in in July who have been having lots of work done to the house. They have taken out several huge, old oaks which were in their front yard and helped (along with the hickory) to shade one of my hosta beds along the property lines. Can you say almost full sun? Yikes. I need to get those trees pretty fast since our temps are heading into the 80s already.

Despite our extended periods of zero-degree F temps last winter (VERY unusual for us-20s are more expected with occasional drops into high teens), we don't seem to have lost anything. Phew.

Happy your azalea has ESP! Good luck with your new trees. I hope to drag DH out this weekend, but it will have to be Monday. He heads to the Pentagon every Memorial Day weekend to take pictures and visit with all the Vietnam vets, of which he is one, who gather there to start their Rolling Thunder ride. It is quite an amazing event every year.

Cynthia

My kousa is just now starting to bud out. I have a few Japanese Maples at various stages of bud break and a Pinus densiflora that has a brown shell but the buds are elongating and green so there is hope.

tj