I just rescued several loads of rocks from a construction site. This is in Georgia red clay and the rocks are dirty red instead of a nice gray. I hosed them off and they are still stained reddish. Is there anything I can do to make them look "old" and lichen covered. This area is full sun so no moss will grow there. I am using them to outline my flower beds.

I could give you some liriope and daylillies and also some vinca, but beware that the vinca will take over. I'd be sure it can't get to some place you don't want it. I control mine in pots and have composted it. I live at Elon. I'll be out of town later this week until about Nov 5, in case you want to dig some.

I have clay soil full of rocks. My garden is way too big to use the lasagne method, so I have a tiller. It is rough going the first time around, getting through the sod, but then the grass rots nice, fluffing up the soil some, and I till in peat moss and compost, either mushroom compost, composted cow manure, or compost from kitchen scraps. A good thing about clay is that you probably will never have to add any minerals to it. Even though it is frowned upon because of possible soil loss, tilling under at the end of the season helps keep down the bugs a lot. I have to admit that I actually enjoy tilling too. I do use mulch in the small areas around the house that are planted with flowers and where tilling would be a PIA. It works well covering the grass with cardboard and then mulch with wood chips. The following year, the cardboard has rotted and you can dig holes for planting without a major battle. If I were rich, I'd do this with the entire garden--hell, the entire yard! Can't afford it, though. If you don't have a tiller and don't want one, folks are usually happy to come and till your garden for a reasonable amount in spring and fall. Just look in your local shopper paper for ads.

Oh how cute!! Did you make the hat too??? And how did you attach the arms and legs? I was watching the lady (Becky Meverden? I think?) on Carol Duvall this week. She made a snowman on an ornament and added a sprig of holly. I couldn't understand how she did it. (Couldn't see, actually; it was so small!) I tried making them all pointy once which was not easy. And which reminded me I DON'T want to do miniatures! LOL!