Okay, so I'm easily convinced on not going with the landscape fabric. I was looking into it and realized that the place I bought it from had it on clearance for about $2 for a 3' by 50' roll, instead of $20. I had been saving cardboard to use as a barrier that would eventually compost instead of the fabric, so I'll just go that route instead of the landscape fabric. Could I use landscape fabric temporarily in the vegetable garden? Classes that I have attended emphasized plastics, but I was just wondering what I could do with the fabric now. As far as border plant ideas... I had just started from seed some zinnia, assylum, sweet william, and Lupine. All but the Lupine have sprouted. I also have some day lillies that I can divide and transplant to put into the back instead of the front. There's another low growing shrub with white and green variegated leaves that I can take cuttings from on a side yard. I started a forsythia bush from a branch that had started to take root, but those can get rather large. I also have some roses that I am going to experiment with taking cuttings, that's probably a longer term project. There's also some Salvia next to the house that I would rather move out to the border. Last year I planted some dahlia in the border, but I apparently didn't give it enough winter protection, or it's just not ready to wake up yet. I'm also interested in getting some Iris started. Another alternative would be to transplant the runners from our patch of everbearing strawberries. Can't ever get enough berries! I had entertained the idea of creating a "room" at the southwest corner. Instead of putting the grapes on a trellis, I would train it to a small arbor with raspberries in a raised bed on either side. Then we could put the vegetable garden in that corner a little more hidden from view, or make that more of a cutting flower garden. Another idea would be to put a bench in a shaded area on that side of the yard, maybe inside the arbor, so there is still a view of the children's play area, but my wife could oversee while reading and not be in the middle of the action. I think I need to print a copy of the picture of the lot so I can commit more ideas to paper, and locations of these flowers that I mention, to further develop this master plan. One thing I realized last year was how effective using cardboard was to prevent some things from coming up, and how dead the soil I was using was since it was coming from deeper in the ground. Building up the fertility of the soil will definitely need to be part of the plan. As far as priorities, I would like to move the raspberries sooner than later, and establish the border around the peach and cherry trees. The trampoline going in-ground got an early start, but the support structure to prevent erosion is bigger than I think I realize right now. I've seen people use brick, steel sheeting, and lumber, but I've yet to determine my own approach.

From Wikipedia: "They require a warm subtropical to tropical climate that is cool but also frost-free or with only very slight winter frosts not below âÂÂ4 ðC, and with high summer heat, rainfall, and humidity. " They need high humidity ... really high humidity. And acid soil Also, they may need cross-pollinating by a different variety ... "Isolated or single lychee trees will usually set acceptable amounts of fruit. However, recent research has demonstrated that under some conditions, cross-pollination among different cultivars may increase fruit set. Therefore, in some cases there may be an advantage to planting more than one variety. " Here is a link that might be useful: California Rare Fruit Growers

The color is stunning. Wish it were mine!

Carol, I have Pickering's Four Seasons so know it's not the same. catspa, eureka! I think you found it. Baron de Bonstatten wasn't listed when I bought it but is available this year and I actually have it on reserve. It's a fantastic rose even with my conditions. Says it can be grown as a climber too. Maybe I'll use it with Florence Bower's Pink Tea on the other side of the arch. Thanks for checking Jan's rose list. Good detective work. You get the Miss Marple award. Diane