Oh, yeah, he does! I'm right with you on the water-sucking trees. Four huge oaks on all four sides of our house . . . any time I plant anything it does great at first, then starts to decline and when I roust it out, the planting hole is full of those darned tree roots.
Now I start shrubs and stuff in big pots sunken into the soil. Once a tree or shrub has established a good big root system, sometimes I'll chance it, pull up the pot then just plant the plant back in the convenient hole. Sometimes they sink, but sometimes they swim! With other ornamentals that I know just can't compete with the tree roots, like begonias and caladiums, I just keep them in the sunken pots, and prune them down to size so they can survive in the pot.
My EE's and other water lovers are all in big pots, sitting in tubs that are filled by the downspouts off the roof. So whenever it rains they get soaked, and they love having their roots in the water.
On the caladium bulbs, I meant that each plant from a primo size bulb will be at least twice, possibly 3 times the size of a plant from the little bargain bulbs from Sam's club. Plus they will all grow, again not true of bargain bulbs.
