My computer needed memory so got some more & new Norton but wish I could get rid of all the popup ads! Anyway if I disappear it's because of computer. Yes you can use RR ties in CA. & you can even make wide steps that arn't too deep. I've been to places that have them on slope & they were like 2 ft square for each step with gravel in the middle-much less likely to fall if you are carrying pots or plants or garden equip. Hostas die on me almost instantly!! I'm so jealous!! I think they only do well with some shade out here. There was a nursery out by Ventura freeway going towards Westlake Village & it had paths of ties as the nursery is on a hillside. Try googling in So. CA. nurseries. They might have a web site. I walked on 1 picking out a rose for my yard. I wasn't driving so wasn't paying much attention to exactly where we were. They were right off the freeway & had a lovely gift shop, I think it was family owned. I looked for pics of DB backyard at other house but didn't go far enough back yet. I took a lot of pics that xmas so they are there somewhere in the tote, in shoe boxes by year in case I had to leave when we had the fire. Oh, cactus have thorns more than succulents but they are all succulents- only place I've read about them is in Sunset book called Cactus & Succulents, imagine Ortho has 1 also. They all have blooms at least once a year -or at least ones I have. Milkweed is actually 1 (I don't have it tho)Kalanchoe,Huernia confusa,donkey tail,sedums & epiphyllium are some common ones. None of these has thorns. Most do great in pots & will do well on hillside. Colors range from light greens, bluish, dark green, red, orange. Epiphyllium are the most beautiful as they have huge blooms in white, red, coral, pinks. Glad you have guy you can work with Linda, sounds like the perfect solution, someone that listens & bounces ideas off of you!!Jan

"We passed on an otherwise perfect house because it abutted a highly used nature trail. Sure, 99.9% of the people going by are fine, but what about the .01%?" That is why I mentioned checking the predator list. We looked at a nice house on 5 acres that was in a great area. The elderly resident was moving into a nursing home. While we were walking the property, we happened to run into the neighbor next door and had a chat with him. He seemed very nice. When I got home I did an offender search for that vicinity and was startled to learn that this 'nice' neighbors son was on the list for child offenses, domestic battery and burglary! He had lived elsewhere for awhile but was back living with his parents. It made me wonder if the children of the elderly woman had moved 'mom' out because of this. Needless to say we passed on the house. A little later I was curious to see who bought the house and learned that a couple with 2 young children had moved in. I didn't want to take the chance that they didn't know about the guy who lived next door, so I sent them an anonymous note with a print out of the offender and the stats (address). I didn't want to scare them but I would have felt terrible if I had neglected to share what I knew. It takes a village to keep kids safe in this day and age. I'm very happy to do my part to help any/every child enjoy a safe, happy childhood.

romeisburning 16 years ago (I was 57 then) I purchased a home in a retirement community - I KNOW I KNOW but it is lovely. The property had some crepe myrtle, some overgrown evergreen shrubs. I got rid of those overgrowns. Hard work but rewarding. Patience can be your best friend. I really do love the idea of a boardwalk path. You just blow or sweep the leaves off onto your plants and it is free food for them. I saw a picture not too long go of Annabelle hydrangea in a woodland area - beautiful -- I would stick with your landscaping friend. On this property, there was a beautiful rhododendron just outside my sunroom - I had trees removed and you know what happened to that rhodo? big mistake. Now I have two rhodos under the 8 long needled pines and they are very happy there. Deer - oh yes they usually leave rhodos alone but they ate the BUDS. Grass in the pine barons is possible.. Just some advice. I paid lawn service to help me with my grass - feeding the grass just made happier weeds in the grass. So much for that. I told myself I can learn how to combat my grass problems - and here goes, Had great success with fertilizer coated grass seeds - then covered the seeds with a little topping of compost with manure on the seeds - and watered between rains -.came up in one week and still going strong.. Also compost all your new plantings you will be amazed at the results. I would forgo any hosta because the deer love them. But check with your friend he/she would know. Oh yes on youtube ther is a great deer inhibiter - fishing line on small posts surrounding your garden attached to empty cat food cans on top of a bucket. When the deer trip the line the can fall off the bucket with a racket and scare the deer off. Check that one out - I am trying it - saves money for more plants and is harmless to deer. Good luck. When I learn how to upload a picture I will upload one.

Being in Texas, home of just about every poisonous critter there is, I’ve had to learn to be cautious outside … and it just becomes second nature. If I’m weeding, I use a rake to rustle the bushes/plants I can’t see under first. We don’t let grass get too tall anywhere or keep anything piled up outside. Don’t stick hands or feet into or under anything you can’t see. We’re very careful walking around in the dark. Besides snakes, we have deadly spiders and scorpions, and are very careful when reaching under or around anything. Things like that. We can’t control nature, so we just try to co-exist peacefully. I call animal control for any poisonous snakes that are in the yard; they come remove and relocate. This has only happened a few times, it’s rare. They relocate Rattlers, Copperheads, and Cottonmouths. I had a Rattlesnake mama have little rattler babies under our deck once. :D I know it can seem scary, but nature really is a beautiful thing. And wild critters want to avoid us, too. :) It’s just a matter of respecting that some animals can be a danger, but not letting fear ruin your enjoyment of being outside. Right now, I wish the snakes would scare off the @#*& armadillo that’s destroying our front yard! :D Your setting looks wonderful. I’d call in a landscape pro for advice about the slope. Congratulations on your house!