How to force bulbs is a common question. good idea...what bulbs should it maybe address... daffidils...both those requiring chill and also the paperwhites tulips hyacinths crocus muscari (grape hyacinths) What else is commonly forced and asked about? It seems to me that there should be a bulb list with season to plant, bloom season, and perhaps planting depth? with zones or something. I think zones would be best and some of then would be approximate, since the net gives various hardiness zones for some bulbs or different cultivars. Do you think it should be just one list with all bulbs, or a list for each zone? I'll be starting some threads and putting FAQ in the subject line, to start to compile some info. I like the way the existing FAQ are set up, with a main link for example for Daffs and then it goes to all the daff questions. I thought it would be nice to try and organize the info similar to the existing format. I found out the format is called HTML anchor codes....something totally new to me. I think this could almost get overwhelming, but try to keep in mind that they can continually be updated, or corrected as need be. Maybe an 'outline' would be in order after some more input/suggestions here, think?...Maybe a Google document that could be shared with all here. Sue

While I think that the "FAQ" as outlined by swanoir was presented tongue in cheek ('the humus'), many of the subsequent comments and/or links to threads that could/should be included in a FAQ were presented in a more serious tone. And maybe they do make sense as a foundation to a real LD forum FAQ. But I've also sensed something else in these comments that may contribute to the apparent lack of communication between new posters seeking advice and those that regularly frequent this forum and offer it. And that is that the long checklist provided by Miss R must be (or should be) answered in detail before posting. Well, of course not! But it is definitely something worth reviewing and giving some thought to. This checklist, or something very similar, is what most designers utilize when first meeting with a prospective client. It gives them a feeling for what the client wants to do with the property, how they intend to use it, what they hope to get out of it and how much effort (time/$$) are they are intending to put into it. Hopefully, reviewing an outline or checklist such as this could help to refine and focus some of those blank slate questions and even educate those new posters totally unfamiliar with the process the degree of complexity, the number of variables and exactly what is involved in the formulation of a landscape design. Even DIY landscape texts intended for the homeowner with no previous design or landscaping experience offer similar checklists to get one started thinking about the process. Obviously, this is overkill for those questions that are more issue-specific, but I think very appropriate for those that are much broader and far less focused.

Getting a headache using the navigation bars since this post is sized so large - harkens back to yesteryear using micro-fiche. That being said, let me add that humor and wit may well assuage the underlying message. I lurk and learn here because I'm simply a gardener, or better yet, simply someone who gardens. What I know I know from reading, asking, or experimenting. Every new season is another opportunity to get things "right" given the confines of my property and the idea as to how I wish to use it, the set of my house which is no doubt the real controlling element, the hardscape, garden areas, existing large trees, focal points, etc. After almost a year of following these posts and going back through those of interest to me, I accept the fact that presenting my situation to any 5 landscaping pros would get me 6 ways it's not someone's idea of good. I agree that good planning should be the first principle; taking into account there is no substitute for taste and knowledge as well as being aware the world offers a wide range of different conditions and materials with which to work. Also wide ranging is one's ability to cope with both the practical and financial implications of planning even a simple garden. I see no fault in prompting or pushing someone in a certain direction for plant selections or regional growing conditions. I also see no fault in expecting a poster to provide pertinent information: a photo when possible, location, exposure, budget, likes, dislikes, maintenance issues. I do have pause with some of the seemingly unncessary put-offs or downs. Why does one bother to repond to a post in a manner that serves no purpose other than to put one in their place? What has been referred to in previous posts as "abstract snobbery" might not have its intended effect in helping someone think outside the box, or to identify the 800 lb. gorilla, or the misplaced nose on the Pekingese. No offense to anyone as these were interesting think pieces, but someone not "getting it" should not be relegated to the dunce corner.

From my experience, I would not recommend buying moss online. They tend to ship it sheered off above the soil, so it has to regrow its little grabbers (it has no true roots) and the birds, especially the cat birds, like to flip it over to look for bugs and worms. Even with netting stapled to the ground, the amount that survived was minimal. Transplanting from around the property, on the other hand, was close to 100% successful. Just slice out a rectangle with a little steak knife the size of your spatula and then slide the spatula under the moss so as to leave about 3/8 to 1/2 inch of soil. Remove any loose debris from your destination and build it up with clay soil if it's not high enough, pressing it in lightly, then simply place the moss and press it in with your foot. Removing only part of the moss from the source location and filling in the gaps with clay soil will encourage regrowth, and I have found that removing any grass growing in and around it with your fingers, especially on a damp day, will allow the moss to thrive. I now have what you might describe as a small moss "farm" in a couple of locations. I have so far filled up the spaces between square pavers, used as a walkway, and adjacent areas. I have also found that placing the moss between the pavers encourages the moss to grow on the pavers. Basically, the more moss you have, the more you will have. I have also tried placing small strips of moss in the spaces in a crude brick rosette I made from bricks I salvaged from the base of an old handrail. Again, just build up the spaces with clay soil and then press in small strips and clumps with your fingers. I appear to have at least two species, one light green and one dark green, which produces an interesting mottled pattern.