Hello from frigid Massachusetts!

[coriaceous]

I'm more than a little impressed by the depth of knowledge and expertise I see on display here, and hesitant to parade my own ignorance. But maybe my beginner's questions will help others here see things with fresh eyes. I'm looking to learn and to expand my own horizons, and perhaps to refine my taste.

I'm a professional gardener living in Massachusetts. I've long been impressed by how little attention a garden needs when the plants are chosen and sited with site conditions in mind. And that means I'm impatient with the constant demands for attention most houseplants require, and my own tend to suffer like the cobbler's children, who go shoeless. Hence my interest in xeric plants, at least in part---I also like the look.

I'm not drawn to the challenge of growing "difficult" plants. I don't own a greenhouse. Though I'm hardly immune from plant lust or the collector's bug, I can generally temper my collecting tendencies. I'm not a seeker after rarity for its own sake. And though I know how common plants can get to be a little nausea-inducing from overexposure, this isn't a category of plants I deal with routinely.

Thank you all for the feast I see here.

Don