I have to weigh in on the use of Round Up! Aaron is not going to spray it indiscriminately -- he’s a responsible gardener with a very small single-plant problem. The tap rooted weed is not going away with mechanical digging, he’s tried that. Uprooting a huge shrub, tearing the soil and releasing thousands of weed seeds in the process is more damaging than spot use of a chemical that degrades quickly, does not persist in the soil, and does not involve disrupting the earth or the aronia itself. But…. I do agree, of course, that widespread use of Round Up should never be allowed, as it does have ecological effects when overused or it gets into wrong places.

That was not what Aaron was asking help for. He was not asking how to eradicate weeds in general situations.

He is wise enough to know how to use Round Up safely. He doesn’t even have to spray the weed (“spray” sounds indiscriminate). He can use a paintbrush to paint the weed’s leaves, making sure the weed, and only the weed, is touched.

I don’t think it’s helpful to ban solutions that work for a knowledgeable gardener because others have misused it. That’s like banning the use of two aspirin tablets for a headache because people have used aspirin to O.D.

I know Round Up is controversial, but I do hope gardeners can be good judges and not just blanket rule followers!

(Aaron, sorry for using your post as a soapbox -- I should write my own post about limited spot use of glyphosate!)

Spray the green leaves of the weed with Round Up. You may have to do it repeatedly. As long as the chokeberry is dormant and there are no leaves on it, the Round Up will not affect the chokeberry. Round Up only works on leaf surfaces, it won't be absorbed by bark or roots or soil.

Woody shrubs and trees can be transplanted at any time, dormant or in leaf. Early fall is fine, just water well, even as winter comes on. Your seedling should transplant okay, but just as a caution: sassafras can be tricky. I bought container saplings (not seedlings from the wild), and got 5 trees to grow out of 25 to so I planted. Some of it was deer browse, rabbit munching and Japanese beetle damage, but some just didn't survive transplant. They've been worth the trouble for me though! Post pictures of yours as it grows into a nice tree : )

Ha! Good to know what it really is. If it is a volunteer from a seed it should transplant ok at this stage. If it is a sucker from a mature one nearby (you don't have sassafras growing elsewhere around your foundation do you?) it won't survive being cut from the parent plant. I hope you find the right spot for your little sassafras transplant to grow.

Not sure it's a sassafras. Leaves look like spicebush (Lindera). Sassafras shows the lobed mitten shapes at a very early age, and I don't see them -- the mitten shapes in the photo appear to be oval leaves overlapping each other! But if it is a young sassafras sapling, it will transplant at this early stage. I have planted and moved many small sassafras and they grow well. However, be careful of a mature sassafras in the yard. Mine are all out in a wild meadow. As a yard tree sassafras can be striking (you have to keep it from suckering early on, though, in order to get a tree and not a thicket.) The problem occurs if the mature tree is ever taken down or injured. That prompts it to aggressively sucker and you will have sassafras everywhere and not be abel to gain control! However, I think your little seedling is something else.

I'm a big fan of 'Frohnleiten' too and my patch is really gangbusters now, after many years. It is very, very slow to get going as you discovered, but once it is established it spreads on its own and is lovely. It completely covers the ground and no weeds get through. Mine has a glimmery mixed jewel effect in autumn sunlight when the breeze ruffles the bronzing foliage. I'm a big fan too -- I'm glad you were patient with yours!

Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Mass. is a gem!

I had pinwheel zinnias in a pot on the patio and they were stars all summer long. They did droop a little in dry weather, but that was because they were in a pot and getting root bound and I needed to water more often. I'll put them in the garden next year. Cut & Come Again zinnias are reliable for me (they get tall) and never get mildew. I agree with the commenter who said not to forego zinnias next year, but try other spots. You'll miss them.

I am a bad one to ask about this decision, because if it is a choice between people and plants, I'll always opt for the plants. So your honeysuckle must stay, to rampantly climb the railing, and the people are just on their own going up your steps. I have definitely had to relocate many over performers -- nothing ever grows to the size you expect -- but that is one of the joys of gardening.

I just planted a trumpet honeysuckle this fall to go up the railing of our deck. But it is in a pot, as my stairs lead down to a patio, with no open ground for planting the honeysuckle. We'll see if the pot keeps it a little more contained on the railing.

Epimedium 'Frohnleiten' has been an unqualified success for me! I like its complex russety foliage tones more than other barrenworts. You should try it again in another spot. I have mine in mostly sun under a dogwood, but the tree is small and doesn't shade very much yet. The exposure is south facing, on a slope. But I am in a cooler climate here in New England, so the sun is not so harsh as what you are dealing with I think.

Also, tiarella is a success, but only now, after four years. The first seasons I lost a lot, I replanted, the rest limped along like yours. But then, this spring they went crazy and are deep green and healthy and spread all about. They bloomed forever in early spring. I do think they want very moist soil, almost more than they want shade. We had an incredibly wet spring here this year. Maturity and moisture are needed for foam flowers!

Those two ground covers that you show that you are considering are intriguing me... they look really nice.