Some great pics this week. Sorry I'm late with the new Gallery theme...been pretty busy getting prepared for Gustav.

Morning, Haven't been back for awhile. Dahlia plant is slowly doing better and now getting taller but it is quite a bit behind the other dahlias in the bed. I don't know what critter dug it up but could be rabbit, chippey or deer. Usually the deer leave all the dahlia's alone. I'll have to check which dahlia it was. Will go out and do that now. It's "Micks Peppermint" SC RW A. One that I ordered new for this year. It is so far behind the other dahlias growing in the dahlia bed. Oh, well, will wait and see how it grows.. Thanks for all your help DB and Poochella.. Later, Sue

hi sandy, i have several chinese tree peonies that are 5yrs. old i can trade for your fabric. i also have hostas, abiqua moonbeam,abiqua drinking gourd,blue angel& great expectations. dj

I was thinking about that 165gallon pond... You might want to make it above grade for two reasons - having an edge to sit on thankfully while trailing your fingers; and not having to hack through a bazillion tree roots to install it. You may need to think about either a leaf net or a cover for autumn when the leaves come down in bulk. I have a pool cover of wire netting over mine - to keep out the swamp hens and hedgehogs - and it also catches most of the trees' leaves as well. I agree about the chain link fence - and it does seem to have attractive uprights. However - can you easily get behind it to weed? Or are you going to pay the 'fibro price' for pulling and tugging in an awkward position? Thinking of bee-friendly plants for dappled light - forget-me-not (Myosotis)is great in spring (and an oh dear! if your dog has a long coat but they are easily combed out), Dicentra, Heuchera, Hosta, Clematis - which could do well in one of the lower trees, Prunella. And the simpler forms of Dahlia are much-visited, as are Buddleias. My old dog was always fond of shady 'scrapes' under shrubs or ornamental grasses. Or the middle of the Iris innominata...:-( The wooden decking was popular, too. If you find your tree roots rapidly colonising any garden beds you make you may have to either make raised beds with a barrier layer and above ground drainage points - or move to container growing. They might be why your yard has hungry sandy soil and weeds. The tree looks a bit like a birch of some kind. (Secondary guess would be a flowering cherry.)