There are several reasons why adding a raised bed around an existing tree can be bad for the tree. First, soil touching the trunk can lead to the trunk decaying. (This is why you shouldn't even have mulch touching the trunk.) Second, there can be insect problems. (Same problem with mulch touching the trunk.) Third, if you add a lot of dirt above too large a percentage of the tree's roots, the tree can smother. A couple of inches usually wouldn't be a problem, though. And the smaller the percentage of the roots you're covering, the less likely the tree will suffer. Many people add a raised bed under a tree because the grass is thin and they want to solve that problem by planting something else there, but there are too many roots to be able to dig there. Unfortunately, when you add soil above the existing roots, most trees will send up roots into the new soil. === I recently had a silver maple cut down; many, many years earlier, the Previous Owner had planted daffodils and tulips around the trunk (multiple decades, she told me). I tried to rescue the daffodils which were farthest from the trunk, but the leaves had disappeared, the dirt seemed to be solid roots, and I couldn't find the bulbs. I had the stump ground and figured the daffodils were goners. While removing the pile of ground-up stump, I stuck the shovel into the pile temporarily, and it came up with a piece of daffodil bulb. I ended up using my hand pruning saw on 3-4" roots to free 12 1/2 tiny bulbs -- even sacrificing their roots, there was no space large enough to squeeze them out. You may have the same problem if you try to move the current plantings or add daylilies.

Cactus Joe, I too am interested in your rock/water feature. It's very beautiful! Did all those smaller rocks come from your yard too? Do you get a lot of wildlife visiting this area? I don't know what I would do over. My gardens here at this house (oldest bed is 4 years old) are constantly changing. I think a great deal about the "bones" of my borders, which consist of shrubs and small trees, and a few large grasses and perennials. What to plant, where to put them. I take into consideration sun, soil, moisture, privacy and wind screen, wildlife value, native range, etc. Even so, I've moved and changed the bones! Last year I moved the Miss Kim Lilac over 5 feet. Dug out a forty year old Burning Bush and replaced it with a gorgeous Amelanchier. This year the Viburnum dentatum is being moved - because it's just gotten too big for it's location. The only thing growing in this yard that isn't subject to change are the established trees - kinda hard to move a 50 year old tree (however I've removed some of them, namely scraggly pines and Norway maples). It seems to be the nature of gardening and creativity - continually creating something new! I'm pretty comfortable with that.

Hi! So nice to see you're joining us. You won't worry about bottom drains if you put them on the side of the container ;-) Just take a sharp steak knife and add one stab per side, close to the bottom. TJs tom containers may have too many holes..you don't want to have too much drainage or ventilation because the moisture will drain and wick away to fast. You can tape over at least half of them with duct or packing tape. A favorite cheapo of mine for sowing toms is to use a styrafoam coffee cup. Put a hole in the bottom with a pencil and you can write the name on the rim with a ball point pen...like a bic. I like bics because the ink doesn't fade fast. And if it did, the name is still scribed into the cup. You can nest several cups into a tinfoil tray--add drainage to that, and then slip it all into a big baggie or even a grocery store bag. You need to put slits in that too. Or you can cover the cups with plastic wrap held on with tape or rubberbands. RBs may need replacing in a month or two because they break down in UV rays, but you'll have germination so fast that the point is moot. Use the link below to get some ideas of how I do it, but you can flex it to adapt any way you want with whatever you have on hand. T PS--if you need tom seeds hit the tomato SASE link on the page for the addy. Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Toms with WS

Hello I;m on the southern coast of Maine and I have already direct seeded outside spinach, lettuce, peas, radishes,parsips, and shallots. My spinach and lettuce is already up. And I will continue to seed directly those vegetables every two weeks until June so that I have a steady supply of them. They are cool weather crops. Next week I will start my potatoes. Of course, I am already harvesting my chives wich are full of good minerals. Other nature's way of giving us a head start on something green before the first spring crop comes in. My egptain onions come up even before the chives are ready for harvest. so that is to good things to have in your garden. Plus once planted they come back year after year and require no work. In early May I will set out seedlings, small plants, that I grew from seeds inside, under lights, or some I get at a nursery: cabbage, broccoli,cauliflower and I will also at te same time direct seed. carrots. swiss chard, and kale. I will continue to direct seed the carrots and swiis chard every two weeks through mid July so I have a nice on going supply. The last frost date for Maine is usually considered to be memorial weekend. Some people claim you can start planting warm weather crops after the full moon in May. Many people will plant mid may while watching carefully for frost alerts and cover up their crops with sheets or some sort of covering if one is predicted. Some people cover their crops with cut out milk bottles over individual plants to keep them warm during a potential frost. Usually sunflowers, pumpkins, winter and summer sqaushes, eggplants, green bell peppers, watermellon, corn and tomatoes are not planted until early June, they need warm soil, as well as warm weather to thrive. raised beds do warm up faster then the ground and you can put clear plastic over your beds for a few weeks to help the soil heat up. It all can be overwhelming at first. But every year you will learn and master something new. What a great project for the kids and you. I wish you a bountiful harvest. READ as much as you can. You will slowly start to soak in all the information and learn to apply it to your garden! Remember if you don't feed your soil, if your soil is NOT feed the nutrients it needs, your crops will not thrive. Good soil is the foundation for a bountiful harvest. So make sure you give your soil what it needs so your plants can grow .