The front yard is horrible, compacted clay soil and too much trouble to amend (my dad tilled the rows for the surrounding rugosa rose, boxwood, and holly hedges and it took hours!), so I figured raised beds were the way to go. They're simple boxes I built from hemlock planks, 12" high, which I filled with layers of leaves, goat manure, kitchen scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds, and anything else I could get my hands on last fall. The final product was about 18" - 24" high. I covered the beds with black plastic and let them bake over the winter. This spring they were only partially decomposed but I planted in them anyway (see http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wtrsow/msg042101474916.html) and it worked fine. Now, at the end of the summer, they're only about 6" deep and I need to pile on a bunch of stuff this fall. I'm also going to add bone meal to beef up next year's blossoms. You're so right about the kids, even my 4-under-9 now clearly understand where Mommy's plants are and know not to run/bike/roll through the garden! If only I could train the cat....

Thanks, folks! I appreciate the feedback. :-) Annette, I did a search and can't find how to harvest seeds of the stachys. I'll keep searching for info. I planted those last year and they didn't bloom much until this 2nd year. When I was at the wholesale nursery picking up plants for the greyhound fund-raiser, they had too many of these stacys. They said that no one buys them (except me) because they are unknown. When a gardening magazine writes about it, then they will be popular! I love the plant. It mounds beautifully and the spikes are straight and heavily blooming. The foliage is almost emerald green and so lush. It's difficult to find lush, big leaves on a plant that the deer won't eat and can take the sunshine. It does like more moisture than other stachys.

Ron, came across your post which I missed before...what a beautiful place you have. I am in the midst of planting shade companion plants, so appreciate your thoughts on light for the list you have. Hope you will keep posting pics! Oh, forgot...the potted hostas that you overwinter in the garage...do you have any special tricks for overwintering? I have done it 3-4 years now with about an 85% rate, but I'd like to improve on that because I do not like losing even one! I overwintered some out in our shed this last year instead of the garage, and the mice got into them and I lost a bunch. My biggest problems have to do with springtime moisture levels...I do not water them at all in the garage, come spring, I try to make sure at least 1/2 have broken dormancy before going outside. (Leave them in the garage too long, they dry out and die, water them in the garage, or take them out too early, they can rot.) Would love to hear how you handle yours. For this next year, I'm thinking about giving each small one an ice cube in Feb/March. Just to add some moisture back in as the weather warms up.

My youngest are almost 11 now - a boy and a girl (twins). Hard to believe so much time has gone by. It's difficult to get teenagers interested in doing family things but the younger ones still like to get out and go places - as long as I give them enough time to save their game on the Playstation first. lol I didn't know about the daylily and hosta sale. I think there is a garden tour for the Garden Railroad Club this weekend. My son would like that. He doesn't care for the garden part of it but he does like trains.