There are several different varieties of Ribbon Grass. Some are very invasive, and others aren't. In any case, in your zone, you should be able to control it pretty easily. Don't over-water it. Use physical barriers to control it's spread. Root prune it to maintain the size you want. Shovel prune it to keep it out of places you don't want it to go. Finally, there are lots and lots of grasses which are just as easy to grow, just as attractive and not at all invasive. Don't limit yourself to one type of grass. There are so many other forms, textures and colors to play with in the grass world.

It might be an idea to ask each prospective recipient to join up here first. Sure this hobby is enjoyable, but it's also alot of work. It's definitely not a 'set it & forget it' type of thing. Maybe, once they start reading the posts they'll realize that. The serious ones will pursue it, the others will lose interest. I've heard of people getting free worms and just tossing them on a dry compost pile or into the garden. Most people are paying $40.00/pound for the same thing. Just seems a damn shame (after all the work and care you went through to get to this point), to be giving them away and not knowing that they're going to 'a good home'. Shaul

I hope that what I'm thinking is wrong, but if your GC has underbid the tile work by that much, I'd be concerned about the people he's hiring and how qualified they are to do the job. You said several weren't "up to the task" already and that's one RED Flag. The second red flag is that he's not getting enough money from you to pay the people he hires in. You need to forget about that relationship mumbo jumbo crap because getting a job done "on the cheap" is not going to do you any favors, on contrar, it could end up being a nightmare for you. Here's the risk your run: He's underbid your job and you have trusted him to hire people to come in and work on your home. But he hasn't charged you enough to cover the expenses so he doesn't have enough money pay them. When contractors don't pay their subcontractor's they will put lien(s) on YOUR home and of course the contractor will still have YOUR MONEY. I would not be surprised if this is what's happening becasue from the sounds of it, he's charging you only his take on the job. You need to get rid of this guy like yesterday. And if he's had people doing work on your bathroom already, you may need to get lien wavers (I think that's what their called) from the sub contractors to make sure they can't put a lien on your house for non payment.(if by some chance he doesn't pay them) You said it yourself in your post, these guys are desparate only I think you are very mistaken if you don't think clients will get the short end of the stick too. They are trusting and vulnerable, a perfect target. It's times like these that you need to really use good due diligence to make sure you know who you're working with and what the typical cost for what you want done is. In regards to the liens, I've never had one put on my home, I just used to underwrite loans and if there was a lien it had to be paid before title could be transferred. You should probably find out if your at risk from someone who knows more about it, and how it's applicable to the area you live in but it's important that you find out.

Looks like a fun project! This is the type of work we do all the time! Although we don't work in the Northwest, our knowledge of proper paver, patio & structure (pergolas) installation should suffice. The overall design looks great. There are a few SOLID pointers to building anything outside. 1. Solid foundation or footings. This goes for both the pergola & the paver or concrete patio. The pegolas structures usually needs a large footer (at least 18' x 18' wide, and usually 18' to 24' deep). This will ensure the new structure is solide. The pavers & patios should also have a good foundation, which we call the BASE. A well prepared paver base should be 6' of ABC (engineered backfill) - this ABC is usually crushed rock, granite or stone, and contains many sizes of aggreggate (not dirt) - this BASE is compacted firmly, and if done deep enough, should keep ALL your patios from settling over time. Here is some information on how we do our pavers - directly from my company website - Patio Pavers Concrete patios usually don't get this sub-base prep work, but if you are looking for a long term project, or concrete that won't crack - it's worth doing a 4' sub-base preparation for any concrete areas. Sometimes, we actually lay pavers over concrete - this is not the most cost effective way for new paver installation, but it's a great REMODEL tip. I noticed some asphalt areas there - pavers should be able to go directly over the top (with using some sand to get them to drain away from the house) 2. DRAINAGE - you've mentioned french drain, and you are on the right track of thinking. Proper drainage is KEY for a long term patio & landscaping project solution. Getting water away from the foundation of your house & pergola is very important! French drains are a great way to spread water and rid water over a long pipe run, for patios, it's all about getting water out into your grass area - it can dissappate from there... The patio beds up against the house will make a nice 'softening' of the house with some color & plant texture, just be sure you don't create a way for water to enter back under the house. Make sure your roof doesn't drain into these planters, and if it does - you'll need some guttering to push water away from the foundation. OVERALL - you should be able to see some of our pergola & patio cover pictures on my company site. I've found a few issues when building free-standing pergolas. 1. It will need SOME sort of block or foundation around the base of each column. Just having it sit on a footer tends to not help with the 'wobbly-ness' of the new structure. 2. Normal framing SIMPSON brackets are fine. The local home depot can supply many of these T-braces, lag screws, etc.... You should be able to see some of our Pergola construction techniques here. Otherwise, visit our landscape portfolio PERGOLA page on the same site. Lots of individual pics. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns - i may be able to post some construction diagrams of our pergolas, if you'll find that useful? Here is a link that might be useful: UNIQUE LANDSCAPES Homepage