Okay, I can see it now -- but I didn't get there directly, so I'll point out what I did that eventually let me see the photo. This has happened to me before. Google/Picasa asks me to sign up for an account; I tell them no. I don't remember exactly where that takes me, but Google wants me to log in to my gmail account. At that point, I right-click on the Back button to open the drop-down menu of previous pages, and left-click on this thread to return here. Then I click on lukener's Picasa link again and there's the photo of the hill! === Well, of all the things I thought I might see in that photo, I definitely wasn't expecting that wall! What's growing down it? How much water comes out of the weep holes (the round pipes in the wall) in a good rain? Is the area nice and damp after a rain, or does the water run off? What's the soil like? Is that a small concrete path (or perhaps a bit of old foundation) between the grass and the weedy area? [Yes, I know this is probably more work than you're interested in, but ... particularly if the soil's thin, stony, or otherwise not good, I'd be tempted to add something -- edging or a few inches of recycled concrete slabs, extra cinder blocks, or chunks of rock -- along the concrete to make the area into a raised bed. It wouldn't be a very deep raised bed: just level with the base of the existing Big Gray Wall. Fill up the bed with whatever you can find: leaves, grass clippings, dirt if you have any extra, cardboard -- anything you'd put in a compost pile (including kitchen waste). Add earthworms occasionally when you come across them in other parts of the garden.] Something to add about free wood chips: even if a tree service won't give them to you for free (they're delivering them to you, after all) the price may still be a bargain. If you're not in a hurry, they might be willing to drop some off for a lower price the next time they're in your neighborhood. Also, you could ask your county's Cooperative Extension office for garden club sale info, or sources of free or low-cost mulch or even manure. http://extension.osu.edu/locate-an-office

Thank you so much. Fantastic ! Then it stays ! Welcome Monarchs (although one little caterpillar would barely last a day on this, right ?) If I wanted to transplant it do you think I'd have any success ? How long should I wait to place it where it can self seed with abandon ?

If it is senna alata, let it grow. The flowers on this are incredible. Think though that it needs a longer growing season - i.e., starting seed well before last frost date to flower. A common name is candlestick plant or something close to that.

hi, thanks. i have daffodils in some areas, but it was too hard to dig holes for them. the mulberry are fruitless. all but one or two have to come out since it will be in the way of backing out. so any bush is out since it is only 4 feet or 3 feet from fence with driveway inbetween. driveway is to left. i actually began thinking of woodland phlox and columbine. but digging a hole is not an option at this point. my hands are really bad now. it comes and goes. wasn't arthritis but dr. thinks from the bone spur and pinched nerve in back. the area has some filtered sun. but if a wooden fence goes up then i don't see any sun reaching area until maybe late afternoon. not sure. yes, shade comes from the south, the right.