Karen

I am in suburbia, zone 6A, NE Ohio. I finally realized late last year that my lot needs native shrubs. Out with the forsythia, in with salix discolor, arrowwood viburnum, American fringe tree, flowering raspberry (bare root), rosa carolina, American wild plum (bare root). The viburnums and fringe tree were from a wholesale nursery and four footers. Mostly I plant bare root or plugs otherwise. Much easier on the pocketbook, easier to plant, less shock to transplant. I am considering bayberry shrubs for next year. I have a couple of mature oak trees, 70 plus footers and I am surrounded by a small grove of oak, beech, chokecherry, sugar maple, so that helps tremendously for nature. Also, this is an older city neighborhood, with more enough vinca, wintergreen, ivy, burning bush, japanese honeysuckles to keep anyone too busy to do much weeding!    My goal is to space and plant the shrubs so they do not require pruning to keep them in bounds. Time will tell! I have left the leaf litter in my yard for the past three years....I just love watching the birds in the litter, plus all of the life beneath it! It is a big change from individual plants surrounded by mulch. I am hoping, as my design skills improve, that passersby and neighbors will enjoy the more abundant life and change their yards a bit at a time, too!