Let's face it, if someone wants to get over an 8' fence they're going to do it. It's psychology you need to employ. Alas, I believe it is slightly exceeding crotch height that should do the trick. No one wants to get hung up there. A thirty-six inch fence ought to take care of the average wrong-doer yet allow others to enjoy the view. Pickets would work better than a straight rail as all those points are unfriendly looking to the average nads.

maigrolds scabiosa instead of stella d'oro say lily, try happy returns. blooms same as stella does with repeat blooms, but is a much prettier yellow, softer yellow and flowers do look like full size daylily blooms.

I loved Chanticleer in PA. Longwood is spectacular at Christmas (or any time of year for that matter) The gardens at Burpee in PA were very nice too. Ghoghunter, now I'm bummed my mom and I didn't have time to venture across to NJ to see Bowman's Hill. We also didn't have time to get to Morris Arboretum. Next time! Ladew Topiary Gardens in MD was quite a treat as I thought I might get "bored" with just topiaries but it was so much more than that and the topiaries were unbelievable! I never thought I would see a full-size fox-hunt made out of topiary, including horses and riders, fence and fox! Spectacular. They also had a tall, long yew hedge and there were topiary swans all along the top of the undulating hedge. Brooklyn Botanic garden and the NY Botanical Garden (were lucky a Chihuly display was there when we visited) are both well worth checking out. As well as the Central Park Conservatory Garden. Cameron, I still need to get to Juniper Level Gardens. There never seems to be an open house when I'm down in NC, and when we had made an appointment one in our party got very sick so we had to cancel the trip. I'm going to have to check out Airlie and Horton. I agree with Juneroses that the Norfolk Botanical Garden is very nice. In winter they have a spectacular christmas light display that you drive through. Annette, someday I am definitely going to make it out your way to visit Butchart and other gardens that you've mentioned. That is a trip that is absolutely on my list so thanks for adding more gardens to this post. Also in Charleston, SC is Magnolia Plantation and gardens. It is so interesting because they have a lot of information about the slaves who worked there and many original documents. It was a lovely garden with a lot of history. I couldn't believe how HUGE the camelias were at Middleton Place! They were like big trees! And if you ever plan to go to Charleston, check with the chamber of commerce to find out when the private garden tours are. That was really nice. Fun ghost tours there too! In England, Sissinghurst is really incredible and I also really liked the gardens at Hever Castle. Well actually I think I liked every garden I saw in England. I was surprised as to how many parks/gardens were scattered througout Paris and they were all so beautiful and well kept. Listing out some of these gardens I've visited makes me realize how extremely pathetic I am that I have never visited the Arnold Arboretum in Boston or Tower Hill Botanical garden both only about an hour away from me!

Agardenstateof mind - it probably is Deep Cut Gardens though the name doesn't ring a bell. Is it the one with the old hemlocks in back of the main house with the stairs going down? I surprised no one has mentioned it here before unless I just missed it. Birdgardner, thanks for the update. I wanted to recommend Arnold's Promise so I'm glad you got it. The scent is great and the blooms glow. I have Diane as well but I have been disappointed in mine. It doesn't bloom well though I can't say that about other Diane's I've seen. I just got a dud and I am thinking about shovel pruning it. Also, although I've caught a scent off it once or twice over many years, it mostly doesn't have a scent. As far as combo's, winter jasmine, helleborus foetidus, early purple, blue or yellow bulbs like iris reticulata and crocus, any evergreen, cornus winterflame, kerria and other colorful stems. There is a beautiful display at Brooklyn with a the collection of witch hazel heavily under planted with purple crocus tommasinianus and it's gorgeous.