Just came across your old post when searching for info on growing astilbe from seed... I am curious as to what you decided to do and what the area looks like now,a year and a half later. I must say your honeysuckle seems to be the alien invasive Amur honeysuckle, an insidious shrub that unfortunately bordered the rear flowerbeds in my backyard when we moved here 3 years ago. This year I finally persuaded my neighbor to cut them all down, so I only should have to do battle (in my vegetable AND flower beds AND the lawn) for another few years with the germinating seeds pooped out by the birds from thousands of "yummy" red berries all over my 1.3 acres. In addition to the 5-6 full-grown honeysuckles along the property line, there were about a dozen of these monsters on our property that the previous occupants had kept pruned back into low (4-6') bushes. I cut every single one to the ground and carefully painted each remaining stump-end with a good, strong shrub-killer (the only time in my 40+ years as an organic gardener I ever have resorted to an herbicide--just shows you how much I detest honeysuckle). I laboriously dug out half of them a month or so later, but found by waiting another year, the other roots gave me less of a battle as they had partially rotted. I think you would have a much nicer little garden spot if you were to remove the honeysuckle and instead plant a nice little native tree such as a redbud or dogwood. This would still provide some dappled shade and any bulbs or perennials (or part-shade-tolerant annuals) would thrive as opposed to a few plants merely surviving, which is, I am certain, all you would have as things are. Please post a new photo if you have one!

Hi carpathia, I am in Pittsburgh also and doing a hillside. I know the conditions you are dealing with and you will probably not have to terrace it to have plants survive and have a beautiful area. I did throw all my fall leaves up there every Fall and it made the soil rich and that really helped to make the soil retain even more moisture. I am using a lot of bushes. I will fill in as I go with some other plants but a large hillside I felt like it needed something more substantial than a bunch of little plants. I am using vinca as the ground cover. I have so far.... Buddleia Caryopteris Cornus Arctic Fire Hydrangea (hopeful with this because the deer love it) Physocarpus Coppertina Sambucus Black Lace Sambucus Sutherland Gold Weigela My Monet Rose of Sharon Check out Lowes Clearance rack in the back of the store. They have some awesome sales. I picked up a lot of bushes for 3.00 last fall for the hillside.

Great subject. In this day and age, where everyone has to have the "latest and greatest" plants, the "tried and true" basic annuals and perennials are sometimes overlooked Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower): easy to grow and blooms from approx mid August to October. Maltese cross: sure, the red color is not for everyone, but this is a very hardy fuss free plant. Lambs ear: I love the greyish soft foliage. Some websites recommend removing the blooms, that they take away from the plant, but I disagree. Lamium: between my back deck and the rocks of my small pond, I had a one foot by six foot strip of soil. Lamium filled in the area completely and looks striking as it starts to grow a bit over the rocks of the pond. I alternated ÂWhite Nancy lamium with ÂAurea (gold leafed) lamium. My Mom had hostas surrounded by ÂWhite Nancy Lamium. Speaking of hostas, there is another perennial you probably canÂt go wrong with. Once established it looks very striking. Regarding annuals, geraniums and impatiens still do it for me. Especially the bold colors available now. Regards, Glen

I am brand new here but I would be interested in any hostas, day lily, iris, bearded iris or lilies please :) I will have mimosa tree seeds, white rose of Sharon seeds and redbud tree seeds to trade when they are ready this year. Please let me know what is needed, thank you and can't wait to trade!