kqcrna ....its really a very easy question to answer and you can use this formula anytime you think you have the same excuse to use soil. Measure the area's width and length in feet...multiple the two. That gives you square footage. Then, multiply that figure times the depth IN INCHES of soil you plan on using. The figure you multiply times 3, divide by a thousand. (multiply by .003) The resulting figure gives you exactly the required CUBIC YARDS of soil required. Let's go with 3" 4 X 8 = 32 square feet.....times 3" = 96 Divide by 1000...= .096 X 3 = 2.76 cubic yards. Now that's the way to do in future. Now about the cardboard. What's that supposed to be doing. Its September...and if you remember the September song...November aint so far away. If you are planning to kill grass or whatever under that cardboard...well, OK, it might do the job by next September. It surely will not, cannot, kill anything between now and spring. The method you are using, usually called "lasagna", needs heat build-up and deprivation of sun and water to kill what's underneath. Unless you live in Florida....and even there, it wont do the job in time, it doesn't stand a chance in you know where to do anything before you will want the patch. Soil --3" or more, put over the ground, will surely smother weeds/lawn/and anything else, including tree roots, simply by asphyxiation...denying oxygen. The time to plan a lasagna garden cure is in spring so that the coming summer heat can do its thing.

Well Carrie, if I did get a response like I said in my last response to you, I can't remember who it is (amnesia). I've looked back through the mail and can't find anything. Well, it's October here in the Upstate of SC and the temp is starting to drop a little so maybe its best that I can't remember. I hope you have a great winter. I'm trying to get some Spring Bulbs ready to plant but I have to plant them in a place where I can sit and get up by myself. Never know how my legs are going to be when I wake up in each morning, may be able to walk, may be just able to hobble around until I get all loosened up. I really enjoyed writing to you and I pray that your plant to great. The pic is of my daughter and myself. Its a few years old. She didn't take up my interest in gardening. She's a nurse and I'm so proud of her because we feel like this is a calling of God and she is a wonderful young woman. Now she does have a special relationship with wild animals. When she was small, I was always taking wild animals away from her and letting them go but it was too late by then, it wasn't wild anymore. She'd go out on the porch and yell BABIES and chameleons, field mice and others would come running from everywhere and see who could get to her first. We called her Ellie Mae! ok, I'm getting in bed now. Bye. Joel Morris

I was joking OK? I even signed off with VBG or some such. Actually, some of the most magnificent plants I have ever seen are the yucca at Goldfield Summit. Those right at the top are, in my mind, better than anything at Joshua Tree Monument. They are in a league with Saguaro and Boojum Trees. Where do I live? I am a Snowbird and don't really "live" anyplace. Some years I have done Fairbanks to Bisbee passing through Gibbs, Jiggs and Denio with side trips to Pioche ( I really like Pioche ) Montello and Midas just to mention a few of my fovorite Nevada places. When iVillage took over I lost my personal blurb and one letter of a favorite forum and they posted an email that is not mine. I cannot edit my page. I have four potted plants.

Hello to Beca! Just to let you know I'm here and slowly getting settled. It was a long trip mid-Aug. with the temps going up as we crossed the countryside. Had some plants in the car and trunk...didn't do too badly except that I forgot the first day to cover the ones near the back window; leaves got burned. But all survived and are reaching blooming stage again. Ones in the movers' van had a more difficult trip but I was surprised. My system generally worked. Some lost no leaves at all. A few drooped a lot but they were the ones where my watering system failed. And stuff didn't arrive for two weeks. Repotted lots last week...know they won't be getting into any flowerbeds for another year (doing the back area is bottom of the list of jobs.) So, I wanted them to have a better chance of getting through the colder weather. Some desert plants were already in place out front, but found out the drip irrigation system wasn't working all this time. (I started watering by hand when I arrived, figuring that weather was so hot system wasn't able to water enough.) Later realized valves weren't even turned on. Still had problems; maintenance came to check. Discovered that mine was also sprinkling house next door and visa versa. But, since neither system worked properly, we both have dead trees and puny shrubs. Another of those "to be fixed" things. Realize lots of things do grow here but it won't be the conventional type of garden I was used to. And neighbour told me Oct. is great time to plant - she also said it was definitely fall. (Temps. have to change a lot more for me to think autumn.) I've no plans to buy any more plants til I know what kind of areas I'll be working with. My husband bought an oleander, some bougainvillas, and hibiscus. They'll all have to stay in pots for awhile...but at least they're growing. And you weren't joking about the winds! WOW - actually blown some pots over. My concern now is what do I have to bring in when temps get colder? Would bougs., hibiscus, oleander have to come inside? Always brought them in back east. What about my orange tree? Could they just be tucked against the house? See - I never stop with the questions! But I am ready to put up my birdfeeders and hummingbird feeder (with your good advice about the solution to put in). Still construction going on here but less in our area so some birds are back. And, of course, the windchimes have to go up...hope they don't drive the neighbours crazy. Still so much to do inside but some garden things just couldn't wait. Have you ever planted bulbs? I brought my favourite tulips with me. Kept them in the house til now. Got a huge pot, layered those tulips with some daffodils and paperwhites - covered all and left in garage. Did this before (but insulated pot with styrofoam and newspaper). In spring, bulbs were showing; simply moved to front, uncovered and let the sun do the rest. Tulips were beautiful but squirrel did get some of them. I've been told there are no squirrels here to worry about. Let me know how things went with your garden over this hot summer. Sorry I was so long getting back to you, but we've had so many problems with communication because the area is new and farther out. Finally got internet service and a different telephone system. Cell phones still don't work inside very well (dropped calls all the time). It's been frustrating but finally have a workable arrangement.