Violet, i'm sure rick knows how to do a google search...... Rick, bush beans are green bean plants that stay low to the ground as opposed to vining up 6+ feet, like pole beans. they also yield one or maybe two harvests per season, as opposed to pole beans, which produce continuously through the summer. i personally think pole beans taste better (and are prettier, because of the constant flowering), but that's just my opinion. my raised beds are twice as deep as yours.......do yours have a hard bottom, or are they sitting on top of dirt? in other words, do the roots have someplace to go other than the 6" depth of the raised bed? you could grow globe radishes, short n' sweet carrots, beets for the greens, leaf lettuce, peas....althought it might be a little hot for peas/radishes in zone 9......cucumbers have always been a no-brainer with high yields for me as well, that might be something to try. this year i'm have burpee's bushmaster to save space. you could probably grow whatever you wanted, but if the bed is truly 6" deep, if it's a box sitting on your driveway or something, plants like tomatoes and peppers, broccoli will be stunted due to lack of root space. Beth

Hey Mike, Those tiny frogs can sure make a big noise....they are noisy tonight :) they've been quiet through the heat!!! Did a final walk through on our house..escrow closes tomorrow or the next day..yeaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! Anyhow, I looked at that small dirt space by the fence...it's about 12-14 inches wide...it's kinda wobbly so not sure if it can support a vine. I just want to cover it because they painted it barn red...(they have EVERYTHING red, white and blue)....glad it's all going with them. I am patriotic as the next one but even the bedspread they have is a flag lol...anyhow, my dog is almost 90 pounds with little guys on the other side..Alfie wouldn't hurt them but if they got his nose through the fence..I just don't know..the spaces are not wide enough but the knot holes might be. We had a block wall down south so not use to wood fences. I HATE seeing wolf spiders...scary. What are those little ugly black spiders all over the place..those things scare me too..they jump and their legs are sooooo long for little guys. Black widows scare me less lol, guess it's what you are use to..I hear the recluse is up here too :( that's one scary spider! WEll, could end up moving the frogs I guess in the outside plants...we'll be over in Laguna so there are those manmade lakes there and someone said frogs...maybe they will just change neighborhoods like we are ;) Thanks for all your help! Sierra, can't wait to move into our house!!!

Pinching the center forces the plant to start growing lateral branches from the top junction of the leaves and stalk. If you don't pinch out the center, often (not always) the side branches will wait until the terminal (very top) flower blooms before developing. My bet is that the top image's plant has a bud tucked in the center tip already. Would you gain anything by pinching out that bud? It depends... I pinch center buds and 'top' plants by pinching the center out because I am eager for the first full flush of blooms from the lateral branches, which should be better quality and more then just the lone one bloom. But if this is your first year... you might rather see the first bloom, as a reward for your labor. There is no 'better' way; just preferences. Here is what I suggest- 1. The last image is two plants off of the same tuber. Pinch the center out of one of them, and leave the other grow as-is. Compare their growth, and pay special attention to the flowering for the next month. 2. If you have any really lanky plants with the leaf sets really far apart, top those plants, leaving 4 leaf sets intact. Let the compact plants with tightly placed leaf sets grow on their own, so you can see the first blooms. Keep an eye on how soon the lateral branches form... some varieties (especially miniature and small sized blooms) will grow the laterals before the top flower blooms. Learn, enjoy and apply what you've gleaned from this process for next year's dahlias.

@lbooras54 I would point out that you have a lot of large trees in the view of your deck. So to plant another tall tree in your planter creates a somewhat boring repetition of the same vertical shape. One of the things I like about the Mugo Pine suggestion is that the bush form of pine will offer a contrasting shape and texture to the trees in the backyard. At the same time, the plant can easily survive your winters and will stay evergreen. The shape of the Mugo Pine is quite attractive and will be a focal point for the deck, particularly if you plant two of them in different locations. From the list @gardengal48 provided, I think the Sherwood Compact variety. looks interesting.