Just a few thoughts, which I am sure are redundant but here goes... 1 - I can't see location but make sure you keep any woody mulches well away from your house. AZ termites are nasty (Lived in PHX for 5 years and I remember the horror stories!) 2 - Natural mulch is what you want, it breaks down and helps your soil. Second best, I'd guess, is chipped rubber product, the white sort, since it will hold moisture and reflect heat. If you do decorative gravel...well I'd say don't. Even white gravel will add heat to your soil in AZ. Plus in order to stop the rock from working its way into your soil you need landscape fabric which adds a whole new level of ugh to tilling etc next year. Plus when monsoon season hits the stuff will often float and if you have any hilliness on your property you will spend a fair bit of time raking it back into place... Just a few thoughts...

You all are so kind Mary- that huge shrub is a rhody.. starting to bloom right now- let's pray all this rain doesnt dash it all to bits this year! I hate that. Gotta Garden.. yes- I am goign to try the larger rocks when i get a chance :) You all can notice the difference? I look at these pics and think- gosh for all that work- it doenst show much of a change! :( Msscarlet- thank you for thinking my home is pretty. It's a little hosue- but i think it's kinda cute.. and i hope i get the cottagey feel across. I hear what you're saying about that blue spruce that blocks the view. it will only get bigger too... but here's the thing.. getting rid of that ONE might not make a difference- as you cna see in the pic- there is a HUGE one next to it and and even bigger one next to that one!!! haha. at first i hated them but I am rather attached to them now.. and this small one is the only one i can attempt to decorate for christmas. haha PLUS- there is actually a VAST amount of space betwee that spruce and the first corner bed by the house.. the angle the photo was taken at it straight one.. but coming from the other direction yu can actually see th ewhoel house.. i'll try to take different shtos for you guys and you can tell me what you think. Now Gladno1.. yours is the silliest question..hahahakeep bermuda grass out of my beds? You make me laugh!are you kidding me? what do you think i do all spring- march to may!! I dig out all the bermuda grass and re-edge my gardens.. it's horrendous. if anyone knows any trick- please tell me.. but i'm with you gladno.. this stuff is eveil. the only good thing is that it requires no water and stays short in summer and crowds out the weeds. however- it is EATING my driveway too.. can you believe it??!!! now you know why i need hired help right? all my energy goes into keepig bermuda grass out of my beds. haha

For tasting dragon's blood! Seriously....sort of. I think it's a "cordial set"...and looks to me like it's been sprayed silver....try a little nail polish remover and see if it removes the silver "paint"....and may be pewter....there are lots of sorts of pewter....some contain lots of lead, some none at all, some lots of tin, some antimony....so it could be something like that. It's...."interesting".... LOL!

Thanks Bobby for the inspiration!!! I just put 2 bushels of potatoes I dug into storage so have plenty of tasty potatoes to work with. I am seeing some "all but the kitchen sink" soup getting made today. (I call it all but the kitchen sink because I just add what ever I can find, usually ham, carrots, onions, celery, bacon, sour cream, ham, cream cheese, velvetta, cheddar cheese, milk and butter.) Feeling hungary, Stacie