Whether the excess water will soak in or run off depends on the makeup of the underlying soil. Retaining walls in areas with erosion or runoff problems are often installed with a drainage system at the base of the wall, buried under the newer, higher soil level, to carry the water away from the area. It consists of drainpipe laid on a bed of gravel and topped by water-permeable material and more gravel, then soil. Be aware that even with your erosion problems, the slope is taking water away from your foundation. If you flatten the area and expect it to soak down through the soil, you may find it coming through into your basement. If your foundation is stone, you're talking about an older house, and you may be even more likely to create a problem than if you had a poured concrete foundation. Can you use some boards held in place with wooden stakes, or some similar getup, to hold the soil in place while you allow a soil-holding groundcover to get established? This will allow you to cover the area without having to go to the expense and trouble of terracing. If the plants you choose are tall enough to hide the supports, you can leave them in place. If not, they can be removed when the plants are well established. For soil-holding, you'll want something that is perennial, evergreen is even better for winter appearance, and densely planted to create good coverage by the root system. I agree that you shouldn't plant anything against a wooden fence, liner or not.

The Muttville show is a hoot! The bend in Sarah's body resisting the treat says "kid" in spades - staying where she was told to stand but no way going for the liverwurst. You should put her in mime classes, Saucy! Since this seems to be an anything-goes thread, this photo was in my mailbox this morning. Mitch asked for my opinion before he sends it to the sitter. "let me know if this portrait is attractive before I send it to the poor girl." It's not my fave for some reason. Can't decide if the expression is insipid or Mona-Lisa profound. Not sure about that angle either, like the photographer was on a chair... Here is a link that might be useful: opinion on this portrait

I tend to look at British, rather than American magazines for ideas. I know this sounds strange climate-wise, but those magazines tend to provide "big views" of the gardens instead of tight photos of plant combinations. Not that I have any problems with tight shots, it's just that I like to see plants in context with the overall garden. Since I contend with full sun and lots of deer, I tend to look at the plant combination recipes (like the special edition mags from Fine Living) for color ideas, not plant selection. This fall, I decided to convert a holding bed in my garden to a purple and orange garden. The orange asclepias tuberosa and some purple agastache that were in the holding bed provided the catalyst for the color scheme. I rounded up plants from other areas in my garden, so I only bought a few bulbs and flower seeds. I take a lot of photos, so I looked through photos by bloom date and color and put them side-by-side to see if I liked them together. Then, I started rearranging the space. Here's my "story board" that I put together before I started transplanting: From more details Cameron

It depends on how the picture was taken? What resolution? What megapixel is your camera and did you shoot at the highest resolution? How large do you want your print? Screen resolution and print resolution are very different. I could view a print on line at 72dpi and it would look great. Don't try to print at that resolution tho. It would be best to print at 300dpi but I've been pleased with 5x7s at 250dpi. Walmart digital printing (on line) will warn you if you try to upload a photo and print at a size and resolution that's less than optimum. Monica