I'd bet your potting mix has a fair amount of peat in it. When the peat dries out, the roots die. Then, when you water again, the plant rots because it is sitting in wet soil. If you eliminate the peat, the roots will not die and you can water safely because there will be roots to absorb the water. In the ground, the roots are alive and well. That's why it is healthy despite less water. Also, in a pot the roots heat up quickly and can cook. That doesn't happen in the ground. Try to find a spot where the pots are shaded. You can try lining up the pots right next to each other to block out sun, and place a brick along the south side to shade the exposed surfaces. Mesembs like cool soil conditions. In nature, they grow in cracks and under quartz where the soil is cooler than the air. Try using fine gravel, Turface, pumice and/ or perlite in high concentrations, mixed with a little garden soil or topsoil. Avoid peat and those pre-packaged cactus mixes in a bag.

Ken, I live here for 24 years, but never paid such attention, also had never hostas growing there except for lancifolia and Albomarginata. I watch out what neighbors behind my house do in respect to drainage. That area is 50 ft behind the house and level to my basement floor. I contacted once the Army Corps of Engineers, because it is Federal wetland and a developer planned to build a house behind me to my right directly in it and block drainage. Their house now has a 2 ft dia pipe under their driveway and a swamp in front of their house. Therefore, my water running under my fence into a natural gully, which continues under that driveway is part of natural drainage. The water entering from the yard to the left behind my house is also natural drainage. I converted a path into this dry creek bed, seems to be a low point for drainage, and I probably should lower it a few more inches, agree there with you. I shall probably also add some soil to some areas were water puddles and the soil is very soft, possibly add some gravel into it. Not only water is collecting and running off right now as after 11 inches of rain in 10 days, it does it too when the snow melts end of March. I think I understand that movement of water now, and will iteratively fix it. I had already added a few larger rocks at $27 per 100 lbs, but need more to give it a more rustic appearance. It is fun to see the water move there when it rains. By the way the hosta in the lower left in the third photo is 'Titanic', most other plants are younger. Thanks for you help! bernd

Becky, water celery: easy you can get a basket fill with gravel or the pond stuff you plant in plant it straight in the stuff, it can float or sink a little. OR you can plant it on the edge of your pond where it is wet. ostrich fern: Shade FULL shade needs LOTS of room can grow to 6 foot tall. Plant it in good woods dirt or humus. water iris: Easy, Plant around the margin of the pond or IN it but no more then 1 inch of water above the crown. varigated celery: same instructions for Water Celeery above. dwarf umbrella palm: Plant in a pot with yard dirt, must be a heavy dirt or the pond stuff. Plant the roots just below the stem. Place in the water, no more the 8 inches, as it grows you can increase the depth but I wouldn't put it too deep. water lily: You need a pot or a bowl with no holes in it to plant in. Put heavy soil in the bottom of the pot/bowl, then mound up a mount in the center and lay the roots out all around the mound. Then back fill with more heavy soil around the roots, firm the soil around the roots. It needs to be packed well. It depends on which lily you got as to which depth it can be placed in the pond. You don't want any air pockets around the roots of the lilies or any of the other water plants for that matter if you are using soil. It also needs to be a heavy type soil and clean so it doesn't get trash in your water. The reason you need to pack it firm is so there will be less air pockets when you put it in the pond and it will not make a mess. There will be a few small air pockets you will miss but when you go to place the pot in the pond do it slowly at an angle so that the water doesn't make a cloudy mess with the soil and move it slow until you hit the bottom or a riser. When I had water celery and water clover before my pond died, I planted those in strainers I got from the 1.00 store, in rocks and then I rigged up and thing to make them 'float' on top of the pond. I read they don't like to be deep but are happy if allowed to float across the water and mine seemed to be happy. OK, I hope I helped you. You can also research the net. I had found lots of info on pond plants there when I first started (wow 9 years ago now) with water plants. I love water plants, they are the easist plants to grow I think! LOL. OK again I wish to thank EVERYONE, I got my stuff potted up for the most part. I am going to keep the stuff in pots until I can get them planted and figure out where I really want them. Norma, I wouldn't want you to have to replace those plants. Not your fault. I am hoping they bounce back but I don't think they will. Ok well I need to go check another thread.... Thanks again EVERYONE for the plants it was fun! :) Fran

Yard man here today and had to find something more for him to do as the leaf blower is in for it's winter servicing. So, we continued with the clean-out. Today, was a lovely antique mahogany buffet that was once in my in--law's DR. We had no room for it in ours, but thought it might make the bottom of the steps in the basement look a lot better. Our basement is semi-finished but from the top of the steps and most of the way down, it looks finished. It is a great piece for storage of things (mainly silver) used far less often, but that I'm not yet ready to part with - thinking about those 4 grandchildren (who may or may not want any of it). Well, in addition to being good for storage, it is good/bad as it's a catch-all place. It's near the door into the basement garage, and things just end up "living" on this piece of furniture. I haven't seen the top in years! Things that need to go to Goodwill, upstairs, in the trash, be returned, put somewhere other than in the basement on this buffet. We started with the top and cleaned it off. Books went upstairs (God knows how I'm going to find space for them in my already over-loaded bookshelves, but I will!), lots of stuff to Goodwill (I won't make a special trip to the paint store to return the paint roller that was the wrong size and is still unopened - someone will get it for a bargain), paper trash - you name it, it was living on this buffet. We got it all cleared off and actually DUSTED! It's really very beautiful! Now, my portable oxygen and the charger for the extra battery, is at one end plus a basket to keep extra oxygen tubing and cannula, and shoulder strap for the carrier. The cordless phone is also there, next to a wall plug I had put in many years ago. At the other end is a small pile of things to return - I'll get enough money back to make it worth my while - only 4 things. A pretty green glass bowl is in the center. If it becomes a catchall, it will go below. A picture by a Vineyard artist that my late husband and I bought at the Cincinnati Antiques Show at least 15 years ago, is now hung - it's been propped there all these years. Yikes! I know my husband is pleased. Then we went through the 3 drawers - some stuff for Goodwill, mostly trash. Now organized and I know what's in them. There are two single cabinets underneath with doors, and one double one with two doors. Went through the two single ones - didn't throw much out, but I now remember what is in them. Center one is the silver - it will stay as it is and become my daughter's problem! We spent 3 hours doing this and I also had my yardman take the HUGE, very heavy bag of clothes from the clean-out in my late husband's closet (both his and my clothes that needed to go), to Goodwill for me. Altogether a productive 4 hours and worth the money I pay him! It will be late March/early April before he does much work outside, so this is my clean-out time with him. Onward and upward!