Western red-cedars are allelopathic. The kind of allelopathy that most of us are probably familiar with is the type exhibited by walnuts, and is a function of a biochemical produced in the roots (Juglans are also allelopathic in the leaves and wood). I'm not familiar with the specific mechanism for the delivery of the alleopathic components in Thuja plicata (the article says litter is the source, so it stands to reason that the more litter is present, the stronger the allelopathy will be). Unless it is a component of the bark or wood, I would not expect to find the effect in those components, so feel free to use cedar chips in your landscape. I've attached a link to a scholarly paper that plainly lists Thuja plicata as having alleopathic properties. If you remove the litter under the trees, you can probably grow a wide variety of plants just fine, since the allelopathic component seems to be the litter. Roots grow on a cellular level, and it happens so quickly that if you were watching it under a microscope, you probably could not see it happen with the naked eye. So if you start watering a tree (any tree) shallowly under the canopy, those roots will grow faster than the roots that are deeper, or outside the drip line, which will slow down their growth - because roots grow toward water, and if there isn't water, they quit growing, or slow down their rate of growth significantly. It's basic plant biology! Accelerated growth of shallow roots under the canopy combined with slowed-down or halted growth of deeper, wider-ranging roots means that the tree can tip over if the soil becomes saturated, or in a heavy wind. It doesn't happen overnight, but it is inevitable, and the problem is that there are no symptoms or outward signs that a tree has shallow roots. The next time we have a windstorm, just go around and look at the roots of the trees that fell over. They are all shallow-rooted. Botann, I saw your post on a thread on this same subject a few years ago, and I don't disagree that adding some soil under Thuja plicatas can be done without harm to the trees, because the roots that provide the water in a Thuja plicata with a full canopy is getting its water from beyond the drip line. As long as that continues unchanged, the soil under the tree is a non-issue. The problem happens when people put plants in that soil and begin to water them. The tree will send roots up into that soil, and if you don't continue to water the tree deeply or outside the drip line, it will eventually become shallow-rooted. Plants are amazingly adaptable, and since they grow where there is periodic flooding and in fluctuating water tables, Thuja plicata must have devloped an adaptation to having soil washed away or heaped up around them and flood-and-drought cycles, especially if it happens on a regular basis. But sudden changes are more stressful to a tree than gradual changes, and if the change is too drastic or too sudden, the tree might not be able to recover. If a tree in a floodplain can't adapt and falls down, it isn't going to hit anyone's house. The Thujas we are discussing might be able to adapt just fine to any changes the original poster makes, but if it were me, I wouldn't bet my house on it. Here is a link that might be useful: Allelopathy in Trees

I would say it is a sick cat -- maybe has worms or a blockage. In my experience it is not in a cat's nature to poop where it likes to hang out, and incontinence is a clear sign. She is so weak that you have to carry her? or she just doesn't want to go out? I've never noticed that heat caused my cats to lose weight, it causes them to shed! Having the 3rd lid visible at all times is also not normal, if it is so when the cat is awake. They will urinate when upset or annoyed or whatever. My very elderly cat started to do so on my bed where she had slept for a decade, after we had another cat and a dog move in, possibly because she had difficulty negotiating the stairs and other animals in the dark, or because she was just upset at the changes in her environment.

Thanks for the suggestions. I would love to find bed skirts in thrift shops, and I could easily sew my own, however, I don't have time. We just found out last week we must move ASAP for my husband's job and we are going on vacation later this week for 2 weeks. We would cancel the vacation, but it's not easy to do as it involves air travel and dog sitting for a friend. So we are extremely crunched for time! Our house is going on the market the minute we are back from vacation. Thanks for the help!

That’s a great looking space you created, looks like you both did your homework and put in the work. Tilling an entire bed and adding compost is much superior to only putting amendments into the planting hole. I think you’ve done everything right, but if your soil is alkaline I’d also spread some sulfur over the whole bed. I planted beds with all mixed colors, and I think similar colors should not be right next to each other (In other words, Queen Liz, Touch of Class and Chicago Peace should not be all in a row. `It’d be a big grouping of non-matched pinks, which you’d want to avoid). Just let the mixed colors be really mixed. Since your garden is out front, I’d plant Fragrant Cloud and/or Double Delight at the very front, since they are super scented and will make you many friends.