Dave, I got a couple pictures of the box for you. The size is roughly 48X48". In retrospect I should probably have made it bigger, but it was truly spur of the moment because I saw the fiberboard siding material, intended for sheds, for sale as 2 remnants at HD that were about 48"X40". Yes, on the junk lumber cart. Just small enough to fit in a sedan, and only a couple bucks a piece IIRC. I instantly came up with a plan how build it and bought most of what I needed on the spot. Some of other wood was my own scrap or also from the junk lumber cart. Anyhow it was around $50-60 IIRC, because some things are pricey like the hinges and rubber coated chicken wire. I completely lined the bottom with wire mesh, to hopefully keep rodents from digging in. The only semi-permenant plant so far is a Rhododendron 'Goldstrike' rooted cutting, which weathered last winter handily in the box. However, next year I plan to move all rooted cuttings into this after their first year, have them do 2-3 years in here, then transfer to the garden. Also my 2 (hopefully 3, still not sure about one) successful rhododendron grafts will go in here for a couple years, so the graft can fully heal without an animal or the wind disturbing it. In some sense the size is good because this is about a 200' walk from my only water spigot, and it's just about what a 2 gallon watering can can water if it got dry. As it happens, I haven't had to water it at all in the past couple years. At the moment I've let some forsythias overgrow it for shade, but I will eventually cut those back as an Abies firma to the east gives it some more shade. The adjecent rhododendron will have to go this winter or next spring. The main annoyance is that slugs can still get in there, and they are actually sheltered from my many toads that keep them under control. It doesn't affect shrubs but a couple herbaceous things were eaten. Next spring I might try to locate some fine copper mesh and dig it in next to the galvanized wire mesh lining the bottom, but first I need to research whether that will cause a galvinic corrosion problem. It's possible that fine aluminum window screen will work as well. I highly doubt the slugs will then have the intelligence to climb all the way over the top of it and come through the top mesh...but who knows. This post was edited by davidrt28 on Sat, Nov 22, 14 at 12:58

Looks like a catmint to me :0) I've not had mine spread rambunctiously but the plant itself does tend to sprawl outward - easily remedied by whacking back with the added bonus of whacking being another round of bloom. Of course it increases in size each year, but again very easily remedied by dividing - after which it doesn't miss a beat so go ahead and whack and divide all you want, this plant couldn't care less. I get a whiff of something when I disturb the foliage - not minty to my nose, though. Whatever it is, I don't particularly care for it but it's not off-putting per se.

Good topic. I wonder if water demand is different than water tolerance. While a Taxodium distichum my become a dominate tree in southern swamps it is not the least drought tolerant tree by far judging by what I'm seeing in suburban landscapes this year. Does that mean it uses the most water or can just tolerate the most water? In my experience the trees which get their leaves late and loose their leaves early - juglans nigra for example - are kinder to plant under. More of the year whatever you plant will get sun. I do not know if this applies to water or not. Am I correct in ASSUMING conifers on the whole do not go dormant until late in the year?

This is Pothos, Devils Ivy, a common invasive pest plant in Hawaii,I have several on my property, won't die. Common houseplant on the mainland. Cannot take frost, otherwise incredibly hardy.