Subject: Wanted: Info & Catalogs on Trees/Plants for Shady & Sandy soil

From: [email-masked] (Jack Decker)
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1993 19:16:20 GMT

I apologize if this is part of a FAQ, but I would like some
recommendations for catalogs, and for plants and trees that would do
well in the following situation.  I live in Michigan (we have COLD
winters here!) and have some property where the soil is mostly sand,
with little existing topsoil (only a shallow layer).  It seems to be
pretty well drained, though (the land is not the highest point in the
immediate area, but pretty close to it).  In addition, most of the
property is shaded by large White Oak trees growing on the property
(which I do NOT wish to cut).

No, I don't necessarily want to try to grow grass... I rather prefer a
more rustic look... but I might be inclined to try and plant some sort
of flowering ground cover.  I've read that Creeping Phlox is pretty
good for this purpose and will grow in many difficult conditions, and
wonder if anyone's had any experience with this plant?  Other
suggestions would also be appreciated.

Next, this is an area where fruit trees tend to do pretty well in
orchards, but of course orchards are sunny.  My property receives
little direct sun due to the tall oaks.  Should I forget about planting
any type of fruit trees, or are there varieties that do reasonably well
in shade (and will survive cold winters)?  Note that there are a couple
of places on the perimeter of my property that might receive a little
more sun, especially during the afternoon hours, so even tress that
would grow with limited sun (but not total shade) might be useful.  My
thinking is that I might like to plant a couple of Pear or Apple trees,
and would like recommendations on anything that's winter-hardy,
fast-growing, good-tasting, and fairly resistant to insects and disease
without spraying (yeah, I know... the Miracle Tree... okay, but how
close to that ideal can I reasonably expect to get?).

I'm also thinking of using shrubs as sort of a natural fence.  My local
Cooperative Extension Service (a division of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, generally listed under the U.S.D.A. in the phone book) was
offering certain varieties of trees and shrubs in bulk for next to
nothing, so I ordered some Autumn Olive (which I know are fast-growing)
and some Blue Spruce (which I hope will be, but I love Blue Spurce so
I'm willing to give it a try).  But I'd also like to get something
that's more colorful and fragerent... maybe lilacs or some such.  Oak
trees are nice but not real colorful, so mainly I'm looking for
anything that will add color to my yard.  As I noted, a secondary
consideration is to try and make a sort of "natural fence", not to
really keep anything in or out but mostly to block the view of a
neighboring property.

To the home gardeners, will any vegetable plants do reasonably well in
sandy soil without a lot of constant tending?  Frankly, I'm not really
into gardening, other than maybe turning on the hose and throwing a
little water on a plant once in a while, but my wife had thought about
having a small garden until I explained to her that shady, sandy soil
was not exactly the correct mix for a thriving garden.  If I am wrong
about that, feel free to correct me!

Now, my final question, and the one I really would like to get input
on:  Where's the best place to buy this stuff without paying an arm an
a leg?  Certainly, you can't beat the U.S.D.A's prices on the stuff
they offer, but the selection is limited and you have to order a
minimum of at least 50(!) of any variety (well, they do offer a
"homeowner pack" with mixed varieties, I just didn't care for their
selection this year).  But where's the best place to buy other trees,
shrubs, etc.?  I'd particularly like pointers to any mail-order firms,
particularly those that:

1) Have the lowest prices,
2) Tell you what areas of the country various plants will grow in (so
   you don't do something stupid like order an ornamental cactus or a
   palm tree, plant it in Michigan and wonder why it won't grow!),
3) Have a toll-free ordering number,
4) Actually manage to ship healthy plants that arrive intact and grow,
   and that guarantee any that don't make it.

A decent catalog would be nice, but saving money *IS* an objective
here, and sometimes I think that they have to charge more when they
print fancy catalogs.

The funny part is that a few years back, when I lived on rented
property, I received several of those catalogs.  Now that I have some
property of my own, I wish I'd saved them.  I should point out that the
property in question is in a semi-rural area, and NOT a
recently-developed subdivision.  Property values here are not real high
(thankfully, because property taxes in Michigan ARE very high, and
going through the ceiling!).  So I'm not trying to do any true
"landscaping", just get some color onto the property.

Well, you get the picture.  Please reply by mail if possible, as I
don't usually receive these newsgroups.  However, I can FTP files, so
if there are text files explaining any of this, please feel free to
point me to the FTP sites.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Jack

Jack Decker | Internet: [email-masked]
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