I started using buckwheat on my rows for a few years, where the row wasn't being used, or at the end of the summer into winter. I have been pleased with how it softens the soil after breaking down, and I mix it with the top layers in the Spring. And I usually leave some part of it go to seed to pick for the following year. Buckwheat doesn't add to the nitrogen values, so I'm trying alfalfa this year in some rows. As for the clover, I plant the red clover next to the buckwheat in the rows where I want more nitrogen available. As I said, you would want to turn these plants before getting seeds, or they'll come back like weeds in the future.

Mindy: Aphids are normally annoying but not plant killers. Depending on the situation. When I first start to notice aphids on my roses I either squish them or if there are tons of them it is time to get out the hose and blast them off with water. This summer I'm washing my roses a couple of times a week with water to help me keep any powdery mildew, worms and spider mites at bay also. You should be able to control an infestation of aphids easily with water and a little consistency. There is the option of using a spray like Safer Insecicide but in my opinion that should be a last resort. As you may be aware aphids are a favorite treat of ladybugs and once they show up they will have a major feast on any offending bugs you don't get rid of with the above steps. Hope this helps. Kate

I think I'd be careful how I spent it, but if you will enjoy the process and this is your "bucket list", then I'd go ahead (again, carefully). The longer the wait to do it, the shorter the time you will enjoy it. I have done things many times and wondered why the heck I did not do that sooner. I am very cautious and it sounds like you are too. I bargain shopped and am pinching pennies til they scream, lol. However, I have waited a long time to get a home that is done and is where I feel is our family nest for the long term. I work hard and save everywhere else, so this is our splurge. I think it may also make your dh happy to see you getting what you have waited for for so long. It would be lovely if he could enjoy it for a while with you. If he is with you on this and likes planning and working on it with you, this could be a project that gives you time together and it may be therapeutic to see tangible results. We can't always control our health, so maybe controlling your surroundings is a way to feel a little power again. I do like that your focus is on looking forward. I would just caution that you do not mortgage more than you could get for the house, although since most banks won't let you do that anymore, that is less of a concern. You don't want to find that you can't afford to live there and yet can't afford to sell later on. I'd also hate to leave any heirs with a financial mess. You do not owe anyone to make them rich, but I'd hate to have my passing make someone I love poor. I do like your plan for taking on a roommate or renting out an apt. It is a great fallback position and a way to generate money regardless of your health. We rented out part of our first house and it helped us be able to move along and gain equity enough to now be in our second house and in the process of fixing it up. Some people were aghast at having to live with a tenant downstairs, but then again, most of them are not as well off now as we are ;) I wish you and your dh all the best and hope you have longer with him than expected.

Whether landscape fabric would stop unwanted plant growth ("weeds") would depend on how well it blocks a plants access to light. If you can see through the fabric, even just a little, that means some light will get through as well and that could cause a plant to grow, but then some hardy, invasive, plants will grow anyway. Mulches stop those unwanted plants from growing by blocking access to light which is why newspaper and cardboard make good "weed" blockers. A mulch material would need to be at least 4 inches thick to suppress unwanted plants without something that would be a good barrier to sunlight. If newspaper or cardboard is used on the soils surface then the other material, wood chips, shredded leaves, etc., would need be only about 2 inches thick, enough to hide the paper and hold it in place. kimmq is kimmsr