I love the name of this post because it is so true. My favorite "fail" happened early on in my hypertufa career. It was back when I made my mix too wet and was too impatient to wait before unmolding. The end result was a pot that was broke in half with a 2 inch rim. In disgust I threw it into the garden and called it a "Toad Abode". After a bit I relized it was something more. By adding two painted "balls" and a painted "patty" I ended up with a Ground Hog. It is the most commented upon "fail" in my garden -

Those are really nice! One day I may try and get that creative. Try some tiny creeping elfin thyme. It is very low and hussock forming. I think it would be perfect. This one is only about 1 inch high, and remains tight and matted in the fun. And flowers too!

Coll, unconditional love yes. Also they know their rights. When my dear fiance (who later became DH) first came to my house, my little boy Maltese, MoonPie, did not like another male in the house. So he walked over to the chair where DH sat, and hiked his leg and peed. Take THAT! Attitude and he made it clear. Well, I was shopping and saw an almost life-size figure of a white dog hiking his leg....PERFECT....so I bought it and shipped it to MA. I thought everyone would know what was going on with the dog, right? But when I went up to visit later on, I saw the dog with both back legs sitting on the ground and only one front leg. I asked what had happened. DH had never been around dogs, so he did not know it was the habit of males to mark territory in that manner. I cracked up laughing. These days, that statue of the little white dog is in the Back40 hosta area, which is called the MoonWalk in honor of little departed Moon, who had liver and kidney failure last October at the age of almost 13. He never wanted to get his feet wet, so I laid red pavers all through the back yard so he could follow me everywhere. I got the hosta Moon Shadow because he was always with me like my shadow. Anyway, that statue has a leg up on H. 'Purple Boots' right now. If he didn't like something, you knew pretty quick.

I am about ready to construct my 3 ETs thanks to Ray helping me out with the wicking baskets. I am going to try the removable cages. Home Depot sells the 24" 1/4" threaded rods for $1.47. Unlike bdobs, my local store sells the 36" ones for $5.87 each! , so needless to say I went with the shorter ones. I don't think I am even going to cut them.. I just hope they are not too heavy to adversely affect the cage support system and the aeration bench. The extra length above the soil might help a little for the taller tomato plants too. Then again..with enough twisting patience, I could twist the nut high enough on the bottom of the rod where the reservoir is to give some stilt-like support to the bench. That will give 8 points of 4" extra support in addition to the 4" cut drain pipe pieces for the bench. This might not be a bad idea since I am using the cheaper, thinner Sterlite totes ($7.50 each at Walmart). I don't want that cage system to jab a hole through the bottom of the reservoir, so I'm trying to come-up with a cheap way to add protective 'shoes' to the bottom of the rods. Possibly soda caps from 2-litter bottles of Coke can be 'shoes' glued to them. I bought the Glamos cages a few years ago at Walmart and accidentally took almost double. When I got home and was pulling the cages apart I noticed my mistake. I returned the extras to Walmart, but I bet that happens very commonly, especially when Walmart just asks you to run out and pull the UPC off one of them and run back to the check-out and asks you for quantity. Ooops! My cages are bent at the 'feet' from trying too hard to jam them through subsurface slabs of limestone deep in my garden, so when I get pictures up to share, don't be surprised by the artsy-look of the randomly re-formed shape of my cages.