Clover might be good as would many other legumes. Buckwheat is supposed to attract beneficials. What about sunflowers! They attract beneficials and pollinators. Also feed the birds as well as squirles. Many herbs also attract beneficials. Bees seem to love the basil. Carrots take a long time so if there is a little water, you could come back to find carrots in the fall and if they were to go to flower, the good bugs love em. Radishes can help add organic matter to the soil if you leave them to rot. They may also be deterrent to some squash pests. Lots of annual flowers or even an annual wildflower mix might be great if you are starting from a relatively weed free base. I like growing alyssum along with lots of veggies. Nasturtium would be a good choice in somewhat dry/poor neglected areas, when grown in with other plants they make good aphid traps crops. Marigolds, they are supposed to be great companion plants but I've read that they would actually be far more effective is grown as a cover crop and turned in to help deter some soil pests. I've also read a bit about using sesame plants as a cover crop against some pests. You are probably best off having a bit of variety so that if something fails there is still a chance that something else will work. You will probably want to use something that you can get inexpensively and easily. Check for local seed sources or someplace like Johhny's selected seeds usually has some cover crop mixes. I got several different seed bags from them to see what cover crops will work well here. I currently have beds of clover, oats, winter and spring wheat, buckwheat, and since I can various cool weather crops that are struggling with the almost 80 degree days we have had lately. Just be careful of perennial plants that are known to be aggressive (stuff like mint and yarrow are probably not a good idea where you want to plant a veggie garden again next season.) It is definitely a good idea to keep something happening in the garden even if you aren't actively cropping. If all else fails, bury that garden under lots of leaf or compost mulch for the season so the worms can have a party while you are away. Here is a link that might be useful: TCLynx Gardening

Ajsmama, yep I now live in Ohio in a more rural area but I am about 15-20 minutes from the city. Dee, yep I'm in Pataskala. The deer are around all the time, I see the most early morning and around dusk in the evening. We do have to be careful driving as they dart out of nowhere all the time. Goldgirl, the other saturday morning I turned onto my street just in time to see a fox running across the road holding a rabbit in its mouth. I slammed on the breaks and just about had a heart attack. Just before he got to the other side, he dropped the rabbit and I had to look away as I drove to my house. We have deer, coyotes, rabbits and various other animals because of the woods behind me. It pains me to see roadkill all the time. I'm not a big animal lover but I don't like to see any harmed. The deer did a number on our shrubs this past season and my hubby has been trying to find something to keep them away from the plants and shrubs. There does seem to be an overabundance of them where I live. I took these pictures last week and was bummed that they came out fuzzy. As bothersome as the deer are, they are beautiful. Like Dee I also have squirrels and chipmunks and rabbits, and woodpeckers, and cardinals and chickadees. The birds are wonderful to watch and I sometimes wake up to the sounds of the woodpeckers. Dee, if you have any suggestions on great places to go for accessories or antiques I would appreciate it. I'm getting tired of the Hobby Lobby's, HomeGoods, Kirkland's and am looking for something different.

Look at the vivid choice of color and bold strokes - he's obviously inherited your artistic genes.

Cooper, thanks! Those bowls are hand turned wood from Vermont. We used to drive by their outlet store on the way to and from DD's piano camp every summer. Bella, best years and debbbi, the FLOR is pretty amazing actually. I think the best part is that you can pull pieces, clean them, move them around....very kid/pet friendly. Before I even attached them with the sticky dots, I had the squares laid out and they did not move. I was amazed. The rubber backing and the weight of them (they are heavy) combines to create a stable situation. Parma, I think you're right about the red and too many flat surfaces. That's an interesting point...will have to remember that. It would have worked but this just feels more balanced. The funny thing is, there is no red in the carpet at all and yet it works... Ingrid, I think you're right about the painting. I think red on the floor would have drowned out the faux-Matisse. Debbi, the bookcase decision received a lot of input from this board, too! I was looking at different wood colors and just threw out red on a lark. A few people here nibbled but it was DH who made the decision, actually. The adjacent kitchen cabinets (like 2 feet away adjacent!) are espresso, so red was the "only" choice. :-) Jenny, I have to say that pink is not usually my first choice color, but I was looking for something that would work with chocolate or vanilla! It's from Pot Luck Studios. (Another outlet purchase.) Susan, those bookcases are used. A lot! Cookbooks, paint fandecks, camera gear, binoculars for birdwatching, and general stashing of things. This little brown loveseat has sort of become my home office! Fly, you're so right about the pillow! Too bad my dogger likes to snuggle on that one. It is not long for this world. There is also a painting on the other side of the room, something I bought in Florida, which has all the colors of the FLOR in it. It is amazing. Here's a little cropped version from a photo of the old house. Lousy pic, but you get the idea... As for the edges, they feel pretty good. The rug is next to the sunporch door and that's the door we use to put the dog out umpteen times a day. So, we will know very soon if the edges are as strong as they feel. I will say the rug feels complete. I don;t have a sense that it should be bound. Sable, thanks so much for what I consider high praise! I am always striving for a more contemporary look ad keep getting dragged back by all my traditional stuff. I had thought I might "start over" in this new place, but the economy said No. Mona, you are sweet to say that! :-) I do feel really at home in this space, so I guess it is all working. CT, the funny thing about those chairs is that they're a leftover from the Florida decor. I am in New England now and wasn't sure they would stay pale blue. (The piping is parrot green...eeek!) But the rug somehow makes them work and now I can keep them as they are. I suppose that means I should consider replacing the 15 y.o. tab top curtains on tensions rods, huh?! ;-)