Hi guys, :o) it's time to update this thread! The work is still in progress, a few Roses are still waiting to be planted, and some architectural detail need to be completed, but in a few weeks all should be done! Here's some pictures to share with you the work in progress :o) I've started by the end of April, planting the very first roses, even if nothing of the hardscaping work was done :oP There where still the giant cardoons that I was going to uproot by the end of June. (The blooming rose to the right is the Wichurana Rambler 'Paul Noel') I keep on planting all the summer long, step by step, working very early in the morning (it was SO hot!!), and by the end of August nearly all the Roses have been in place - A bad picture prom the North side of the (shapeless) walk By the end of September, with a more pleasant, fresh air and a couple of showers, we have started with the path, steps and a few other architectural details... A picture with my father in the background, to better show proportions. The path seems to be larger than necessary, but this is to allow the roses and perennials to spread out in the path. By October, two big Moroccan jars have been placed making a striking focal point at each end, The North side (I've planted a Rosemary hedge behind it to hide the back structures and to make a "firm" background) And the South side... In November, some Roses where in flower (Gloire de Rosomanes and 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' in the foreground, with green flowered Chrysanthemums (...how many weeds to pull out...!) The last picture I've take, a few days ago. Note the chipped leaves of the Olive Tree to cover the path, and the steps leading to the small vegetable garden. It looks so bare now...I'm waiting for Spring to come!! Ciao! :o) Maurizio

HI GRAMMA JAN! I'M DUANE. I AM A "NEWBIE". WE RE-ENTERED THE COMPUTER AGE A FEW MONTHS BACK, AND I DISCOVERED GARDEN WEB. THIS IS WONDERFUL! WE HAVE A COTTAGE ON AN ESTATE: A FULL ACRE TO PLAY WITH, THE PREVIOUS OWNERS DID VERY LITTLE WITH, I'M STAYING MOSTLY NATIVE WITH MY PERMANENT PLANTINGS, PERENNIALS AND ANNUALS NOT SO MUCH. BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF RURAL PENNSYLVANIA SUNSETS OVER THE BACK NEIGHBOR'S MENNONITE CORN FIELD. AND MY LOVELY WIFE, TWO DOGS, DAUGHTER, AND TWO TOE-HEADED GRAND-DAUGHTERS TO SHARE IT ALL WITH. ISN'T GOD GOOD! A SMALL KITCHEN GARDEN, SOME FRUIT TREES AND BLUEBERRY BUSHES, EVERGREENS, SUNFLOWERS AND BUGS (LIGHTNING BUGS, LADY BUGS) IT'S ALL A WONDER TO A 2 AND 4 YEAR OLD (THEIR COMBINED B-DAY PARTY IS TOMORROW. AND THE JACK RUSSELL LOVES THE GRUBS AND JAPANESE BEETLES (SHE'S BEEN SCOLDED FOR EATING BEES). SHE LOVES TO FETCH, AND SHE'S THE ONLY DOG I'VE EVER KNOWN TO BEG TO PLAY IN THE WATER HOSE. AND MY WIFE (DID I MENTION SHES'S LOVELY?) LOVES TO BEAT ME AT CROQUET! I'M THANKFUL TO BE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO ENJOYING THE COMPANY OF LIKE MINDED FOLKS LIKE YOU.

Composting in the Winter in UpState NY Living in Upstate sure creates a problem if you like to compost when knowing we have several months of almost cold dormancy. Like many of you we started kitchen composting years ago with a small 1 gallon bucket. It always worked fine in the warmer weather but in the dead of winter we always ended up with gallons of frozen compost in the bin that took weeks to thaw in the Spring. By the time it was mixed in with other greens and browns and turned into soil Winter was almost back at our doorstep. What I've been doing now to overcome some of that problem and hasten that process came somewhat by accident. One Winter long ago, I left a gallon pail in our unheated 5x8 outerroom walkout basement where it became somewhat forgotten. There was generally about a weeks worth of kitchen waste whereas the bottom was always a little soggy under those circumstances. Then when I remembered the pail a few days later the waste was frozen solid. I couldn't get it out of the bucket. Having a lid I secured it tightly and brought it into the warmer cellar to let it thaw where again it sat harmlessly in the corner for probably at least a good week as we had already started another gallon container. Then when I realized I'd better get it outdoors to the compost bin you can imagine how ripe things had gotten. Because a great deal of the waste had broken down into a slurry this is where I got my idea long before I heard of the Garden Web that has a great Compost Forum. Some might be thinking if this is about Composting put it on that Forum, but then again this is Central (Upstate) New York not Central Texas where they benefit by composting all year long. Hence hopefully this might be a Garden Secret for those who don't go to the Compost Forum and experience the same problem I used to have. So I started Winter Basement Composting on a small scale using two 1 gallon pails. When the first kitchen pail filled I took it to the basement and let it set there 'til the second gallon pail was filled. Then I emptied the first one that was sitting for at least a week or more into the bin. There was always an odor but fortunately our home was adjacent to a park and I would dump either early in the morning or when the wind was coming out the west. I'm sure my neighbors must have thought I was nuts checking out the slight breeze after putting my index finger in my mouth and then either bringing out or not bringing out a bucket. Did they ever realize it was for their benefit :>) It seemed to work so well and plus not having to go out in the cold as often I graduated to two 5 gal pails with lids. This also eliminated the need for having a kitchen pail as I would take whatever was available to the cellar. One pail would fill and sit with the tightly closed lid 'til the second pail was filled. Now with five gallons of slurry I really had to check the wind. Whew! Then we moved. Then we had neighbors on both sides. Whew! What do I do? Shredded newspaper to the rescue. I figured if the slurry could be absorbed the odor wouldn't be as severe, which is the case. Yes! There is an odor but almost minimal and not that offensive. So what I do is shred a section of newspaper and put that on the bottom. Depending on how much waste is available after I put it into the pail I either shred a section of newspaper right then to put on top of that or wait a couple of days. But I always place a whole untorn section of newspaper on the top whether I shred a section of paper or not. It's amazing how much the untorn section at the top absorbs the evaporation, again cutting down on any tell tale odor. Plus it tells me the little bit of heat inside is rising. I fill one 5 gal pail and wait for the other to fill before I dump the first into the bin. The process can take up to 3, 4 or even 5 weeks. Obviously it doesn't break down to a slurry like it used to but it does break down somewhat. If you don't have neighbors slurry is the way to go. But then again indoors like the basement you will get some odor every time you open. In fact by using the newspaper the odor is definitely more of what I would call organic. Another thing I noticed was, when the weather warms I continue to use the 5 gallon pail method by bringing them up to the garage. What I've noticed is after a period of time the material in the pail is definitely breaking down more rapidly because the whole untorn section is more moist and when you lift the section up you can feel the warmth coming from the inside. Why would I want to do this throughout the summer or warmer weather when it could be breaking down in the bin? Good question? And I hope the answer makes sense? Less turning the bin and more time to pull weeds :>). So I hope some one benefits or maybe even has another Garden Secret idea on the way they Compost that I'm unaware of. I'm sure you Wintersower's are glad we're back to Winter, for at least a few days? Jim

a. the tall skinnny evergreen might be sky pencil holly b. salvia greggii & knockouts (already mentioned) are perfect, i think, for those areas - both are relatively zero-maintenance - you'd only have to "climb up there" once a year c. i agree with the comment that the stonework/concrete will increase the ambient heat - native & drought-tolerant is the way to go if you want low-maintenance d. i've got some purple heart, if you want some - they do spread, but not in an invasive way - they're native to mexico & can handle the heat e. there's someone on our forum who describes their style as "native texas cottage" or something similar - who is that? not exactly an english garden counterpart, but similar - is it the orderly, geometric, trimmed "english garden" that you like, or the overflowing, miss marple "english garden" that you prefer? - that would help us make texas-friendly suggestions f. your structure would look wonderful with a local native flowering vine - have you already told us what part of texas? - that would also go a long way in lowering the ambient temp