WOW! And here I thought that no one replied... turns out I just never got any emails about the replies. Anyways, thanks to everyone who did reply for all the hints and tips. In the time that has passed I have walked with my landlord over the whole property and he's all for what I plan on doing here as he's been unlucky with his tenants to date not wanting to do any type of improving upon the aesthetics here. I can understand why the landlord hasn't put any type of money into the place as when we moved in last fall the whole back yard under all those nice shade trees was nothing but dirt. That's why the grass is so patchy back there. The tenant before us had 28 fox-hounds in a big caged in area under those trees... the area is almost completely filled in with grass that was seeded last fall, needs another seeding though. Now that I've had more of a chance to pay attention to just how much sun each area I plan to plant gets I now know better what to plant there. The back of the house gets quite a bit of sun actually, almost 6 full hours of afternoon sun whereas the front gets full morning sun. The place we chose for the veggie garden is in an area that gets sun from about 9am until dusk so it will have enough, plus it's close enough to the water hose! I've also identified some of the "bushes" that I didn't know when I originally posted this thread. There are two large groups of Common or American Elderberry (one that is crowding out my snowball bush) as well as some honeysuckle bushes, a large Mimosa tree that's just about to bloom and a straggly looking red Mulberry. It's difficult to tell at first whether some of the trees are Black Walnut or Tree of heaven but I figured it out as the BW has it's fruits developing. There are still two unidentified bushes but I'll figure it all out. Now that I've bored y'all with my uninteresting story I guess I should end this by saying that I will probably be posting photos of the design I finally chose for this large property. From what I've figured so far, the investment will be no more than about 2-3000. We are planning on staying here for quite a while... don't plan on moving until hubby's ready to retire (15 more years) and the landlord knows that if we do move most of what I plant will be moving with me. Especially the bulbs and anything easily transported to the new place. So once again, thanks for all the replies. ttfn Mystic.

Welcome to the world of gardening! You've gotten some good ideas. Here are a few other things to consider. For color Katie ruella is a good little border plant. It's a dwarf and comes in purple, pink and white and will bloom in just about any conditions. Mexican Oregano blooms almost year round in those same conditions for me. Texas Betony is good. I see you already have Mealy blue sage that seems to be liking it there. There are other sages to consider. Also ornamental grasses such as the purple fountain grass you already have. Some grasses grow nicely under trees such as inland sea oats for me For something with a little height consider some of the Texas native understory trees. I think Possomhaw holly does very well in the Houston area. It has bright red berries in fall and winter. Mexican red bud stays small for me and blooms heavily in the spring. Anacacho Orchid Tree is a lovely little white blooming understory tree that butterflies love. You may have to make your bed a little wider to accomadate all the nice things you'll find to grow there. Sorry I don't have any experience with Virginia sweetspire. Beauty berry might be nice in the corner. It gets very large here in San Antonio in full sun, but in part sun would be smaller. Check out some of the plants on the site linked below plus a local privately owned nursery would be able to make more suggestions. Also visiting a botanical center and seeing whats growing well in similar conditions that you have is very helpful. Here is a link that might be useful: Natives of Texas

Starting your own plants from seed is one of the most rewarding gardening experiences, it can also save you a small fortune! Also, many species and varieties are simply unavailable unless you "grow-your-own". Choosing seeds is the first step, there are many reputable companies that offer catalogs, besides the fun of browsing through them, mail-order companies are generally good about dealing with any problems you might have. In buying seeds through retail outlets,it's a matter of "buyer beware" ,those 10/$1 seeds may not be such a bargain if they don't grow! Check the package for date,and complete growing instructions,a reputable seed company will also list the Latin name and germination percentage you can expect.If you've acquired seeds from GardenWeb swaps,or other seed sources ,ask for any info the grower can give! You can use most any container,as long as it will hold 3-4 " of growing medium and has drainage holes in the bottom. Flats with liners are nice,but "recycled" containers will do, if you're reusing containers, follow the cleaning instructions under "what is damping-off?". Seeds need a loose,porous,fine-textured medium, one that won't develop a "crust" on the surface that can interfere with emergence . "Potting soil" is an extremely variable product, many retail brands (especially the "bargain" types)will give disappointing results in seed-starting! A "soil-less" mix will make your growing experience much easier. Some common ingredients in soil-less mixes: Vermiculite, a heat-expanded rock, can be used alone or in combination for starting seeds. Milled sphagnum moss (NOT the same as peat moss unless it says"sphagnum peat")has the benefit of inhibiting damp-off fungus, mixed with vermiculite it is frequently used by professionals. Peat moss(sometimes called "Michigan peat" or "peat humus")a heavier,more difficult to wet and more variable product than sphagnum moss ,is common in retail mixes sold for starting seeds,often in combination with perlite or vermiculite,it's often(much!) cheaper than sphagnum-containing mixes but can be more difficult to handle,especially for the beginner. Don't start seeds too early,there's a wide variation in optimal indoor starting times,and unless you have lots of room,starting too early can be stressful,for you and your plants! You may want to consider starting perennials in summer for Fall planting,as many perennials don't bloom the first summer,to save room for annuals and veggies that really need a head start in temperate climates. Sowing seeds: Fill containers,allowing an inch or so from the top for easier watering, and moisten well. Allow excess water to drain, medium should be moist,not soggy. Press the medium down lightly to eliminate air pockets. For plants that don't mind ,or even benefit from transplanting, like tomatoes and lettuce,a number of seeds can be planted in larger containers and transplanted to individual pots when seedlings are large enough to handle. For those that dislike transplanting ,such as melons,or to save yourself time later on,plant 1-3 seeds in individual containers,snip off all but the strongest seedling with scissors. Sow the seeds on the surface,and cover with additional dry medium to the proper depth, a general rule is twice the diameter of the seed.Very tiny seeds,or those requiring light are surface-sown without covering. Mist the medium well and cover with clear plastic , a 13-gallon clear kitchen trash bag fits a standard flat perfectly(I buy the kind with the handles and tie them loosely)Don't put an enclosed container like this in direct sunlight!! A temperature of 65-75 degrees is suitable for the vast majority of common plants,but there are many exceptions,too many to list here! Check at least daily,and remove the plastic when seeds begin to sprout. Place under bright light ASAP! Seedlings need intense light to grow strong and stocky,fluorescent lights are your best bet (see "do I need special lights?") Position so that seedlings are 2-4" from lights, 14-16 hours a day. A timer will help automate the process. If space under lights is limited,you can try rotating them under lights in 12-hour shifts. Keep a close eye on them and adjust heights as needed. Containers enclosed in plastic should not require watering until seeds germinate,once plastic is removed monitor closely,seedlings should never be allowed to dry out completely,and should be kept moist until roots begin to penetrate the medium. Allow the medium to become dry 1/4-1/2" down before watering thereafter,to allow air into the medium and encourage roots to spread. If you've used a soilless mix, begin fertilizing 4-5 days after germination with a water-soluble 15-30-15(or similar ) fertilizer at half the recommended strength,and weekly thereafter. I've had good results with fish emulsion and seaweed extract at recommended rates,for those interested in growing organically. For growing on info see"OK my seeds are growing...?"

I don't know, I haven't had that happen to me. The Helpful Gardener site said something about if you don't post more than once that they will delete your account for being inactive, which seems extreme to me. I just logged into my account there (same name: tanya117), I didn't have any problems so far. The way that they treated you seems very wrong. You might try emailing them at: admin@helpfulgardener.com to see if you can get them to restore your account.