Not all areas have the same laws concerning trees, but in my area, any of my neighbor's trees that are close enough for their branches to grow over my property, those branches become my responsibility. Any damage such branches do to my property, or to anyone on my property who get hurt under those branches puts me at risk of being sued, or responsible to pay for my damaged property. A few months back we had almost a week of off and on freezing rain that collected on the trees, and broke at least some of almost everyone in the area's trees. At that time city officials reported that if a person's tree fell on his or her neighbor's house or other property and caused costly damage, then under our local laws, the owner of the tree did not have to pay for the damages or even have to pay to have the tree removed from the neighbor's damaged house or other property. That seems totally wrong, to me. If that indeed is true, then it's my opinion that, in such a case, any neighbor should also have the right to cut down, or prune more of his neighbor's tree than just the parts which are spreading over the property line.

Lauraeli, LOL! I was wondering if anybody would notice my ponies! Merkity, thanks! Yeah, it is Spanish moss. I just chuck it in the sink for a couple of hours when it starts to look dry and that seems to keep it happy. Also I keep it out of direct sun. Thanks, Karin! Your bench isnâÂÂt so bad either! Those lights! Caw. The only real artificial lighting I have is a cheap aquarium LED tube over a terrarium. Glass would be fine. Fortyseven makes a good point. Plus before I made my shelf, I used to grow my cuttings in old fish tanks. It worked fine. I even remember once putting a plant under a desk lamp in a dark corner. Definitely no UV there, but the plant didnâÂÂt seem to notice! And actually, come to think of it, I think my perspex was UV resistant anyway⦠The only problem you might have with glass is its weight. But if you want to make something less big and unwieldy than I did, that probably wouldnâÂÂt be an issue. My shelf is narrow and the struts are quite flexible, so it falls over easily when itâÂÂs not jammed between the bench and the shower⦠if I move house, I think IâÂÂll have to bolt it to the wall or something.

Thanks for the reply. I will go ahead and finalize the project and hope for the best. In hidsight I know I should have angled the walls but I guess I just wasn't thinking at the time. I am not even sure that the roots would damage the utility lines (water and electricity in conduit) if it got down to them so maybe I have nothing to worry about anyway. In any case the planter looks great so I will chance whatever risks I am taking since it doesn't sound like there is too much potential trouble. Thanks again for the input. Matt

I've been dealing with Mum's desire to "reclaim" her former independence, too, Scotland! It's been really tough for me. We went to my favorite aunt's funeral a couple of weeks ago. Mum is the last one of her age group standing. She enjoyed seeing her neices and nephews and people who were part of her circle. The visit to her home, however, brought on all sorts of "issues" I've been dreading. Her complete lack of planning for the dissolution of her estate was very clear to her. (In fact, she was stubbornly unwilling to address ANY of those important issues before her cancer was diagnosed!). She was all jazzed up to "sell things"; her way of trying to mop up the mess she left for my brother and me. "Those are really quite valuable, you know", "I have someone in mind for that table over there..." (the "someone" wasn't my brother or me and the table in question was the dining room table! and the silverware she was so hot to "sell" was our paternal grandmother's set). My brother coolly asked her how she was going to go about "selling things"; "I'll have a yard sale". "How are you going to organize it from 70 miles away?" "I'll have to come up here and stay for a few days". Of course she can't do that. She can't cook for herself, remember her pills or take care of her urostomy by herself... she wasn't really capable of really grasping the extent of her inability to be self-sufficient. It was wrenching to watch. But we were brutally honest with her about what was going to happen to things. She was told, unequivocally, that her unwillingness to get it done when she was able meant that WE would take care of it now. She would participate, but she would NOT be "in charge". My brother and I have spent the past 2 years getting her estate in order; isolating valuable assets and establishing powers of attorney for both legal and medical situations. It hasn't been easy, let me tell you! Painful though it may have been for her, she has to know that she's "off the case"... she dilly-dalleyed too long and neither my brother nor I have the time or inclination to be pulled through a knothole because she was unwilling to "take care of details". PERIOD. I thought I was going to lose my mind the weekend of the funeral. My brother, more removed from her daily care than I am, offered some excellent ways to "deal with her". It's helped immeasurably and I'm looking forward to another 2-3 weeks "off" while she stays with him. It's hard. I sympathize, and can offer little more than my own stories... hang in there.