i may have missed the boat on azaleas this year... wanted to get 2 good-sized ones to put on the side of my in-laws' cottage (under the 2 windows). It faces kinda east, I think, so that the building provides shade from the afternoon sun. I'm planting butterfly-attracting plants there and planning to add a hummingbird feeder.

I need to do something... of the 2 nandina that were there, 1 has died, and I'm not fond enough of nandina to want to replace it. I do think it should be evergreen, for winter interest, and flowering would be a nice bonus (or I'd just get boxwood).

I did see a holly-leafed mahonia at Lowes yesterday... I think it was this one: Japanese Mahonia (Mahonia japonica) Tag suggests it's useful to bees, but the flowers don't seem like they'd be showy. However, new growth comes out red several time a year, so it would add some color. Anybody have experience or input or alternate suggestions??

Or have you seen nice (2-3 gallon) Encore Azaleas anywhere?

I think Season's still has them.

Jill, I'm pretty sure Home Depot had Encore azaleas when I was there over the weekend.

a HUGE WORD OF CAUTION . . .

This is Mother's Day week-end. Any place that sells plants will be ugly with people.

Thanks!

ADR BULBS Has a 10% preseason discount going on through next Wednesday. I'm going to go ahead and put up a thread in the group buy forum. I think there are some bulbs we know we're interested in, so especially if you want to order a retail display box (eg, 75 daffodils, 150 grape hyacinths), this would be a good chance to get an extra discount.

I'll check in at least one a day to provide pricing (you can see the varieties and photos on the ADR page but can't access pricing without an account with them). Rick, if you get a chance to check in, maybe you could help look up some prices also.

Unless the bulb buy gets really huge this year, I don't think we're going to be ordering in flats of 400 bulbs... and if we do make those numbers the quantity discount is about 10%, the same as the early order discount.

Rick, I know you were talking about doing a fall bulb buy, so maybe I will make this one a "bulbs by the box" order. One of their retail boxes is usually just right for a "drift" of color.

I just posted a thread in the group buy forum. Bulbs by the box for drifts of color! Quick pre-season 10% discount offer from ADR. I won't refuse to split boxes, but I am trying to do this quickly. If you only want 25 of a 75 bulb box of daffs, go ahead and post in the thread and see if the other 50 "sell" to somebody else.

The thread "Fall Bulbs by the Box from ADR (local pickup only)" in Classifieds and Group Buys forum