I posted (tried to) late last night, but was too tired, and hit the wrong button, so will try again now. A.M. Leonard's catalogue lists about 6-8 different sized fake rocks, meant to go over things in the yard - the 6 or so smaller ones (from 19" x 14" x 12" to 39" x 21" x 21") start at about $55 and go up to $95, but the 2 biggest (56" x 42" x 30" and 60" x 48" x 41") are more like $2-300 up, and probably would need extra shipping charges. They SAY that they are heavier and better looking than most of the fakes - the front of the catalogue says Dekorra Rocks, but the blurb by the phot inside says nothing about the brand - sizes, shapes and colors (2) are listed and illustrated. You might try googling and see if there is a better price for the size you need, bearing in mind that what you find may well be lighter weight and less sturdy. They are listed on the web as GardenersEdge.com. Even though I am not normally a fan of the fake rocks, these look reasonably "real", and combined with other, real rocks, plantings and maybe a bench or arbor, could make the area look good. Just do remember to allow for future access, if it ever becomes necessary - one reason to go with the fakes - they are easily lifted and moved!

I recently had my septic tank dredged and the opening is about 2 feet beneath the surface. When I purchased the house the inspector wasn't quite sure where the tank was so they had to do some exploring. When they dug into my yard to reach the tank it left about a 2 ft x 2 ft bare spot in the grass. Rather than replant grass over the bare spot I chose instead to create a circular design of river rocks to mark the opening for future reference. If the tank had been located in an area where I needed to plant, I would have felt comfortable planting perennials with the understanding that they would have to be dug up every 5 years or so for a tank cleaning.(A foot of soil is more than sufficient for perennials to thrive) And annuals would be easy on top of the site. I would be concerned about planting things with deep taproots-- these tend to be your monocots like grasses and milkweed-- not because they would wreck your tank but because these plants might not survive a transplant after your next dredge. Most oaks have deep roots -- I believe Pin Oaks have shallow roots. I'd leave your oak alone for the time being and let the septic guys come back to you with a recommendation as to whether or not the roots could damage your tank. There is probably a way for you to do some selective oak root pruning without putting the oak at jeopardy. I would still mark the opening of the tank with a rock or something.

Well, NUTS! (not quite as scorching as the first to come to mind). I just don't know what to do in this "problem area". This is the same area where you were helping me with my "Disguise the Septic Tank" issue (and the bland, ugly end of my house that's the first part of it seen)!!!. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! Now that I have that out of my system (lol)... I guess the first thing I need to do is move the daylillies, huh? How far away from the tank do they need to be? What about the others listed (I also have snapdragons that I forgot to mention in this post)? As for the fescue, it's not really my intention to have a "lawn" in this area. I'm using it to help choke out the broadleaf weeds, break up the clay & add organic material when it dies. It was a relatively inexpensive way to get results quickly. That was my thinking, anyway. I've been thinking about checking out some Xeriscape stuff so that I don't have to water much. But then, I don't know if the truly drought tolerant stuff will help prevent erosion, or worse, will they seek out the tanks? Other than the grass, I can move everything else I have planted if I have to. The area is clay, but it's also one of the few places on our property that actually gets a good amount of sun. It IS convenient to water there, and when it does rain that area get's a lot of it, but I don't HAVE TO have moisture lovers there. Ultimately, I really want something somewhat TALL in this area because it's just so... ICKY. The tanks & all their stuff are there & the house itself is just BLAH (the plain end of a single-wide mobile home. There, I said it! Yup, we're trailer trash - lol). Of course, my MAIN concern is the roots getting into the tanks & the wires. It's SO DIFFICULT to find info on what a plants roots are going to do. That's the main reason I'm thinking pots/containers... for THIS area (of course, I'd prefer ones that are relatively managable IF we ever have to move them, but that's not a major concern). I'm not as concerned about plopping things in the ground in other areas... unless they are invasive. So... ALL that being said, are you still recommending the Sedum? What are your thoughts on the lavender & rosemary -will they serve my purpose & do well here? What other suggestions do you have for a "disguise" (tall, wide, etc)? THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I'm off to research versailles planters. - Mari

Don't spend too much time looking. Your house is like mine. I just had all the drains redone, replacing pipes so a 2 inch didn't flow into a 1.5 inch, changing the pitch from uphill to down (yeah, believe or not), adding traps and a clean-out that never existed (discovered when the line needed to be snaked). My 1890 house (a converted schoolhouse) is over a crawl space that is mostly inaccessible. Fortunately, a friend of mine is an experienced GC who, with help from his brother, a licensed plumber, was willing to crawl in the funky space and make needed repairs. Some of the posters on this board don't realize that many rural communities didn't enforce buildings codes as recently as the 1980s. Even today, a lot of slack is given to owners of old buildings that can't comply with current codes. Please keep us posted on the results of your search.