joy Anna

Renate - thanks for the description of the plum! I was wondering what the fruit was like. Having the thorns would be a bonus for us, I think, since the kids like to play down there, it could keep them contained a bit How tall has yours gotten?

CJ - thanks also for sharing your experience with cold stream farms. I was also looking at the hazelnuts for another border. I've not done much ordering online yet, so I appreciate the references.

Thanks for the recommendations! I've been browsing their catalog for a while, I'll have to actually order

I'm going to be following this thread with interest, since we have a similar situation, though a smaller space (1 acre). We have a little corner gully/drainage creek where the lindens have been dying. The honeysuckle were all the understory(?), and then mostly daylilies and some skunk cabbage, and others I'm not familiar with. As the lindens have been falling, it's been very nicely shaded, and I'm hoping to take out the honeysuckle and replace it with something, too. There are utility lines, so I'd like to keep it as something smaller. And it's a visible corner of our suburban lot, so I like the idea of the shrubs for a little privacy. I'd been looking at the american plum http://www.coldstreamfarm.net/p-142-american-plum-prunus-americana.aspx
The blue honeysuckle looks exciting, though, too, and it fits my concern about the height better.

CJ, did you order from Oikos?

They do have a huge catalog! Thanks for the recommendation!

I'm wondering if anyone could share recommendations for nurseries in WI or upper Midwest/Great Lakes area in general? I've heard good things about Weston's Antique Apples, though I don't think it's quite a 'nursery.' I also noticed in the WI thread a reference to Cold Stream Farm in MI. I'd love to hear of other positive experiences!

Thanks for the info and link on the availability of nitrogen!  I'd like to read more in order to help me better map out my planting.

I'm looking at "roots demystified" and it seems to suggest that the nodules are formed before the plant even flowers. 

Does clover count?  A couple years ago, with my preschooler, we dug out some plants from the yard to learn about root structure(tap/fibrous).  The clover had nodules then, and it had not yet flowered.  Do you think it varies by plant?

My husband's used a fiskers pruner that telescopes to about 12 ft for larger branches (8-10in diameter). It's a pretty cheap saw ($25-40?) and we've (he's) used it a ton.
What does anyone think about having two ropes on the higher broken branch, and have someone pulling the opposite direction of where you're standing   while you cut the bottom branch with a telescoping saw.  I'm guessing it would be kind of slow and the branches would slow their own fall.  The idea of ladders makes me nervous.