I've got some evergreens that I'm putting in to keep me through the winter and provide some privacy from all the construction around us: camellias, wax myrtles, foster hollies and some cherry laurels, rhodies, and azaleas to fill in as under plantings. A few bulbs left to plant and some perennials and roses that I'd like to move out of the pot ghetto before winter. And I'm eyeing one of the taller growing sweet box at a local nursery. Sure smells nice and would be good near a bench on my woodland walk. Of course, the bench does not exist yet and the woodland walk might be called the walk to no where because it goes a little ways through the trees and vanishes. Still a work in progress, but that's life in the garden.
How did you prepare the areas under the maples for the perennials? I bought some epimediums and other woodlanders to plant on my path to no where at Andre Viettes (30% off!) I still haven't planted them yet. I'm thinking of building up some areas to plant them with leaves, manure, veggie scraps and soil then topping with mulch (woodchips or leaves) and filling planting pockets with good soil.

I'm just getting around to putting in a trio of crape myrtles. This was my first stop of course :-) Thinking of the Natchez (sp?) variety in white most likely to fill up side of house that gets a lot of afternoon sun.

Anyone have last minute suggestions where good buys around Centreville?

I think if you hit any of your local nurseries, they should all be having fall sales. As far as planting under the maple,I'm saying a prayer & dumping shredded leaf mulch-that's it-it's terrible soil, clay, rocky, but good drainage at least. I wish I could have prepared it more, but it's going to be survival of the fittest...nothing grows there now, so anything that lives will be welcome...

Thanks - I went by Betty's & Merrifield yesterday. Merrifield has some gorgeous ones for $249 they just got in. Betty's has some very nice ones for $149 and you can take another 40% off. Hmm...

I was disappointed there weren't a lot of "sale" items at Merrifields, they have a "sale section" which is in the back corner and rather sparse. Betty's simply put up tags of 10-50% off of plant where they reside, I'd say 60-75% of their stock is on sale.

I work at a nursery p/t, I listened to my boss talk about the beauty of L. fauriei, the peeling bark & the graceful silhouette to a customer the other day-I bought my 2 tiny 'White Chocolate' & thought that night about where I could fit in one of the larger L. Fauriei 'Townhouse'-the customer called back first thing in the morning & bought all the white crape myrtles we had left-all 13 of them!

We're putting in 7 Balled (3'ball, 6'tall tree)'Miami's.

What do we need to add to the CLAY soil for best results?

Some web sites say pine bark, humus, pea gravel, or just plain planting mix??????

Any recommendations for fertilizer, or do they need any?

Thanks,
Confused in VA

Well, I've just moved the 'White Chocolate' crape myrtle for the 3rd time, I think. They still look so dead (I realize they're late to leaf out, but I just can't get used to it), that I'm treating them as expendable & everytime I get a plant that would work in a spot they're in, I move them. They better show some growth soon!

Now, it's spring,the 'White Chocolate' crape myrtle has buds on 1 plant, the other looks dead, hope everyone else's plants are doing bettter...