I assume your going with compost as a mulch? You can put down mulch anytime.. But the thing is if you don't have your soil/mulch contained like a raised bed,etc.. The rain will wash it away,especially if your using compost -now woodchips,leaves,etc, not so much..Thats why some like to mulch after the rainy season, in may-June.. For vegetables gardeners people take the mulch away and let the sun warm the soil, then after they plant they mulch again... That being said I have my front yard filled with compost and I have it contained with decorative yard pavers, soil never washes away, even when the yard pavers fall down.. It also depends on how many roots are in the soil to hold the soil/prevent erosion.. If it is a perennial bed, it's not going to wash away as if no plant roots are holding the soil.. I would contain the bed, so you don't have these erosion problems.. I would also apply mulch whenevers most convienant, don't put to much thought in it... Hope this helps, Joe

As you already know, tar spot (Rhytisma acerinum) disease of maple, has very distinctive symptoms and is easily identified by the raised black spots on the upper leaf surfaces. These spots resemble a puddle of tar. Tar spot most frequently infects red maple - but also Norway and Silver. R. acerinum survives between seasons on the fallen diseased leaves. In the spring, spores are produced within the black stroma and are carried by air currents to young maple leaves where they start new infections. These fungi overwinter on leaves and twigs that were infected the preceding year. Extended periods of cool, moist weather in May favor a high incidence of fungal leaf spot diseases. Infection is most severe in the lower third of the tree, where the relative humidity remains higher, and on newly emerging leaves. And from Cornell University: Current research has shown that the tar spot fungus does not cause long term damage to the host tree. The most effective management practice in a home lawn situation is to rake and destroy leaves in the fall. This will reduce the number of overwintering "spots" which can produce spores the following spring. Mulching leaves will suffice to destroy many of the spots before they mature, but the mulch pile should be covered or turned before new maple leaves begin to emerge in the spring. From the university of Guelph: To reduce the amount of diseases overwintering, rake up fallen leaves in the autumn and destroy or remove them from the yard. From reading it seems that allowing the fallen leaves to stay on your perennial beds will do no harm to your perennials, just likely to reinfest nearby maples if not raked up before the trees begin leafing out. Maybe someone could weigh in with information if composting (especially if you have the means to shred the leaves and break up the tar spots prior to their maturing) would successfully destroy the fungus. (Would be a shame to have to get rid of all that brown material... )

Wow! Loads of more great information. I never even thought of trying used carpet for the walkways between the beds. What a neat idea. Carol, I've run into scorpions (and collided with them) several times here, and it's becoming a dangerous situation for me. I don't think I can afford another sting. We also clearly have snakes, although I've only found one copperhead so far. Now that I know they're around, I keep a closer eye you for them. I noticed that a lot of you have talked of edging material to use as a stopper for the Bermuda grass. It just dawned on me that we still have a whole lot of corrugated metal around from the old chicken pens that have either been destroyed or that need to be taken out. It's really awful stuff to cut, because it's heavy, but anyone who can use it for a garden project is welcome to come and get it. You'd have to do it yourselves, because I'm too feeble to be of any help when it comes to that sort of thing, but it's definitely free. It's just a thought. Roofing for a garden shed? Anchor it as a lean-to shelter for partial shade or windbreak? Lots of different applications, and we have LOTS of it. Bunches and bunches of it. It will just take some muscle to get it out of here. I think my major stumbling block with the whole garden plan is going to be in how to set up some sort of shade without it turning into a big construction project. I really don't want to go there, any more than I want something that a storm can take down or send flying off into Arkansas. Not easily, anyway. My garden plot is not only in full sun. It also gets bounced heat on one end from the back of one of the metal shop buildings to compound the problem. In a normal year it probably would not be such an issue. In temperatures like we've been seeing, it becomes a serious problem. It's hard to keep even the peppers from sagging and wilting. I've even thought about taking cattle panels and running two of them anchored together to make a 32' length and then arching it in a big bow that runs N-S in the garden. Subtracting the distance it would need to go down, it would still leave me with over 20' of span that I could use to suspend shade cloth. The plants would still get some direct sun, but the worst of the midday sun would be cut way down. This needs a whole lot more thought. I don't want to run into a situation of massive overkill, and I think I'm headed in that direction. At least it certainly seems that way. There has to be an easy and effective way to do it, and still leave room for the plants to grow and for me to be able to reach them fairly easily. Hmmmmm. Think, think, think. Or, we could set up the vertical cattle panels and then set posts on all 4 corners and in the middle of the span to support another panel that would balance flat across the top, in a giant T. As far as I'm concerned, anything that climbs up over 6' in height is going to be too much for me to reach anyway, so the overhead crosspiece should not get in the way of anything. I could run my shadecloth across it much easier and a lot more economically (that stuff is expensive!) and it should do the job . . . at least in theory. Right? It would not be as sturdy as the arch, but the shade cloth doesn't have much wind resistance. It we have it well anchored, it just might work. Chandra, I had no idea that HD will rent tillers. We don't have one in Shawnee and the place we rented from last spring had awful equipment. It was old and battered and half broken-down. We had thought of going to Pioneer Rental next year, but I'm not sure what they have available. Has anyone used the HD store in Norman? That's the closest one to us. Do they have Mantis tillers for rent?? That would be awesome. Pat

Laurie and Brody, thanks for posting those photos! Kmcg - No, I'd rather have some type of footboard. My Grandparents don't have a footboard in their spare room and I was never a fan. With DH being non neat cover sleeper, they'll be all over the floor. Footboard at least helps to catch it some! :) Still the on the hunt Found a couple other furniture places to check out. This bed is by Century. This is my new favorite. I'm not sure the finish will work. They don't really have a cherry color. (see link below for finishes) 65 W, 3.75 D, 75.75 H #6 This is also by Century but it's at a different place I'd have to check out. 69.75 W, 87.25 D, 88.25 H #7 It's not so much the posts as it is a high headboard for me. Oooo..I also love these two but don't see them working. Don't know if they're the same brand but the one store I'm going to has them. Basically just wanted to show someone these. :) Now I have no idea what the prices are for the first two. There's none on the site. I'm willing to pay a good chunk for a bed but there is a limit, IYKWIM. Anyone know what these run? You might end up saving me a trip. Here is a link that might be useful: 1st bed