First if it was my space I think that patio are would make a really cute cottagy sitting area. Right in front of and under the window I would put a white rattan/wicker sofa or loveseat with some pretty floral cushions. In the corner if their is room a rattan/wicker chair or maybe even a rocker. Don't forget a little table somewhere like a side table with a cute little lamp and a place to set some nice cold sweet tea (well in the south anyway). A nice outdoor braided rug and a plant or two to finish it off. Oh ya throw in some candles for sitting out in the evening!! Next I would make a cute little path (ie brick, somesort of stone) from the back door that curves around to meet the front of the patio somewhere and even the steps to the deck. Ok so basically the walkway will come out from the door, patio, and deck steps and all be connected which you could then have sort of branch out to the yard. Hopefully you get the idea. Anyway in between the spaces of the walkway that would come out from each entry plant with plants like you have already started like the Astillbe, forget-me-nots,columbines, daylilys and oh you must have Lily-of-the-valley! The smell near a patio is heaven. Also how about bleeding hearts? You could plant a hydrangea or two. I think shrubs in front of the deck would look really nice or put a trellis of some sort going up the end of the patio where the patio meets the deck and have some sort of vine going up it. I have also seen people use like a matchstick shade type deal that could be rolled up or down for more privacy. Flowerboxes on the deck would be very pretty too. I did that at my old house and it an instant way to dress up a deck (got them from wally world). Eventually curve your garden beds around the perimeter oh the yard. Well hopes this helps a little. Very cute space to work with! Meghan

Hi, This is my first posting. Last week my husband cut down a black walnut tree because we had 3 beautiful young trees and several perennials die last year that were very close to the black walnut. I don't know if it is related, but the walnut had a major branch fall off during a summer storm. Would that stress have caused the BW to send out more juglone? Unfortunately when I had planted those trees & perennials, I did not know about this website! Consequently, I had planted all the wrong species very close to the walnut. Now that the walnut has been reduced to a 1 foot tall stump, will my new plantings survive? I did choose species listed in this forum as being BW tolerant. I have not been able to find anything that lists tolerant annuals I could plant while waiting for these perennials to fill out. Could anyone tell me if Coleus is safe? If not, are there any other annuals that could thrive and block our view of the stump? It is the first thing you notice when coming down our driveway! Any advice would be much appreciated. We do have a younger BW 25 feet away that I have never planted anything around it. Should we cut it down now as a preventative measure? I'd like to spend the rest of my life creating beautiful gardens on our 2 acre property. I have learned so much from this forum in the past month. I wish I had known about it a few years ago when I started gardening. I would not have made so many costly mistakes. I'd really like to thank all of you generous gardeners for the time and energy you invest helping us newbie gardeners. Jennifer

Amy, your hostas are so very lovely in their settings with companion plants. Great pics! Old Glory is indeed glorious! Jo

The tide pool was at Lincoln City at Spanish Head. My daughter in law the Marine Bilogist sent me this (TMI!) after I asked her about it: The star fish are common purple stars (Pisaster ochraceus). They can be other colors like orange depending on where they live. Ones exposed to a lot of waves and surf action are generally orange, where ones in protected calm waters are generally purple. Sea stars can be stacked together. They slowly move to engulf their food (prey like clams, mussels, and oysters) so you may have just caught them traveling to more food. They are not stationary creatures. They are really gross when they eat too. Sea stars slowly pull shells open and then throw their own stomachs into the shellfish. They eat and digest shellfish right inside of the shells and it can take a couple of days to occurs.