Thanks for everyone's feedback! I am in San Francisco, by the coast, so unfortunately, airing out the bin may be tough during our summer(winter), but I have more dead leaves on the ground which I can rake up and throw in the bin. I may have some sawdust/wood shavings from upcoming projects, which I can mix in as well. I had a feeling the Juicing Pulp is on the very wet side - and high in Nitrogen; but it sounds like as long as there's enough airflow (and tumbling), I don't have to worry about anaerobic issues - just may have slower composting and more flies - is that right? Thank you!!!

In my text I said the pale pink one is a mystery and it really is because it's not even on here! I'll try and get it posted next time. These daylilies in my yard were all purchased or given to me and I didn't keep track of names very well. But there is a paprika velvet here in my yard and maybe the orange one that I posted is it. I will see if I can figure it out this summer. I'm glad you all like my yard. I started cleaning up the 600 daylilies that I got last year and realized it's going to take a while! I would like to tell you that when I moved to this house 9 years ago there was only grass, and 2 birch trees and the large spruce. I've gotten rid of lots of grass, I love the shady back yard. I will post the sunny from yard sometime. Cindy I think you are "the Cindy from Ohio" that Dan was talking about. You are now like a celebrity! He said how excited you were to see his lilies and he enjoyed your visit. Thanks for all your nice comments

You could also maybe give your friends a break. I had a close friend who was very self involved. I told her three times what I wanted her to do (come see my very big project). She had time. She was in the area. She made really lame excuses why she didn't. Then she moved away with no notice and instead of calling me where she knew I'd be, she left a message on my answering machine saying the only time I could see them before they left was at a party they were having during my work hours. I didn't know how to respond and the advice I got was "who says you have to?" Then she wrote some letters without one word inquiring or commenting about me. Not the 2nd grade "How are you?" that we're taught to open with. We've been in touch a few times since, but I basically dropped her. I regret it. I know I needed to do it rather than be hurt by her, and I have better friends, but I do miss her and I wish I could have just let it slide and accepted that that's the way she was. Another friend stopped talking to me because I didn't understand what she needed from me after a death in her family. I didn't know why until at least a decade later, when she got back in touch, briefly (I'm guessing a therapist told her to mend fences). When she told me, she mentioned that she'd done what she needed for herself for me when my uncle had died. I didn't know that she was doing it so couldn't pattern it. It wasn't articulated that that's what one does (in her lights) when someone loses a family member. I would have tried. I miss her too. I have closer and better friends, but I wish she could have explained or accepted, and given me a break.

Good question! Landscape fabric works well to separate hardscape layers such as a crushed stone base for a patio or path from the soil beneath it, but that is its only real use. In something like 15 years here on the GW (now Houzz owned) forums I have read one person who had used landscape fabric in planting area for more a very few years and was still pleased with it. It needs to be totally covered to not break down in sunlight, and flapping gray edges are unattractive. Weeds root in from above from wind blown seeds and below from roots that were preexisting or that crept in from the lawn. It makes weed removal more difficult because the roots become entangled in the fabric. Landscape plant roots also get entangled in it as the roots search for the water and nutrients and oxygen that don’t move well through the fabric. It needs to be removed/cut back in order to plant. The soil loses organic matter that helps keep it healthy since the landscape fabric segregates the mulch from the soil, and then as any existing soil organic matter breaks down, there is nothing to replace it, so soil typically becomes compacted and less able to hold moisture as well as less fertile. As GG48 said, a good layer of mulch works as well and is much easier to remove weeds from, and it will slowly break down to improve soil tilth. I also like planting densely since many weeds need light for the seeds to germinate, so use a dense groundcover if you like your plants separate or invest in a scuffle hoe or light rake to scuffle up the mulch to expose weed seedling roots. Edge beds well to keep them separated from the lawn and any grass or weeds that might try creeping in from there. For now since it sounds like things are a bit out of control, see if you can hire a teenager to work with you for the summer. Weed an area and mulch it the same day, and then move on to another area. Once everything has been weeded and mulched, keeping it tidy is a matter of putting in some time while any new sprouts are still small so that weeds don’t have a chance to flower and go to seed. If it is still out of control, consider hiring ongoing help or returning beds to mown areas so that there is a size of garden that you can comfortable manage with whatever resources of people, tools, or energy you have available.