potting media.. is a water management system ... you choose the media based on what you are growing in it... high peat media... is for plants that like a lot of retained moisture ... like annuals.. perennial.. houseplants etc ... a low peat media with big chunks of other things .. is for plants that prefer a sip of water.. and then high drainage ... such as trees, conifers. shrubs, cacti .... etc ... a media is wearing out ... when it is no longer performing to expectations as to how the water flows thru it ... one might analogize.. that when the peat is returning to bog state by breaking down ... your plants suffer.. for lack of proper watering .... either too much for lack of draining... or too little for lack of wetting the whole .... running down the sides and leaving the center bone dry ... its not really a schedule thing.. nor something you MUST do every year ... its all about observation and understanding ... renewing you media.. as you note its decline ... if the water runs properly thru the media... then time release ferts can be applied on the top ... and the fert will be properly carried thru the media ... as there should be no need to incorporate it into the media ... you guys use a lot of fert/amendments compared to me ... but i dont keep things in pots for a long time... one concern with high usage.. is salt accumulations ... salts being ferts ... so you have to throw that into the equation.. of when a media need be changed ... if the media is working properly.. and water flows out the bottom.. as you put it in the top ... then in theory.. you should be washing away a lot of the salts ... and need to replace the nutrients ... but when your media starts failing.. and your not washing the salts thru... it builds.. and can affect the plants themselves .... such a vicious circle.. eh??? i hope understanding such.. will help you better decide .... how to manage your media ... you shouldnt change it.. simply for the sake of spending money and changing it.. according to someone elses observations in their pots ... is your media working.. or not .. that is the key ... ken

You can divide the driveway into "rooms" with "walls" of raised beds or occasional plants in large pots. Your firepit patio area is one of those garden rooms. This is an excellent place for raised bed "walls." You might also use an outdoor rug to delineate the space -- or if the budget will stretch that far, put down some sand or crushed rock (or whatever the experts say is appropriate) to even out the asphalt, and add pavers to make the "patio." The cheap pavers I buy at Lowe's for stepping stones are just under $3.00 per square foot. Probably at the right time of year, theyd be on sale. If that's beyond the budget, try Craigslist, Freecycle, your local Habitat for Humanity store, etc., for whatever someone's giving away or selling cheaply. If you see a building being demolished, ask if there are any bricks or pavers you could have (this saves on their dumping cost). Mention it to everyone, and you'll have a better chance of finding something. I've seen photos of hardscape made from mixed types of bricks and/or pavers. To me, it seems to look best if you either have a pattern (for example, one type in the center, another on the outside) or mix everything really well. However, since you'd be working on a hard surface, IÂm assuming it would be difficult to do this unless all your different pavers/bricks were the same thickness. What are you growing in the raised beds? Veggies, flowers? Is there a purpose for the raised beds other than to disguise and make use of the old driveway? That purpose might be a consideration in designing the "garden." Plot out possible arrangements on graph paper and see what works best with the space you have. You can cut different-sized beds from colored paper and move them around the graph paper. To avoid boring rows, use L-shaped beds with a path that meanders back and forth between them. Have beds of different sizes and/or heights. Add a change of pace with a large pot in the corner between two raised beds. Or a birdbath at the end of a bed or in a small open area. Or in a larger space, a secondhand garden bench. Add surprises with an occasional bit of garden art (itÂs okay to make your own). Karen makes a good point about disguising the boundary between the former driveway and the rest of the yard: try to create opportunities to cross the drive and be on one side facing across it, rather than opportunities to walk and look along it. You might even create complete barriers between sections, whether with plants or something else, requiring a person to step onto the adjoining steps to get by them. If the wooden deck doesnÂt border the entire driveway, another way to do this would be to place some of the raised beds so they are partly on the driveway and extend a few feet beyond the driveway. Or plant a tree next to the driveway that will hang over the driveway and blur the boundary. With the right tools, you could even excavate part of the driveway and plant a tree there! A possible answer for the leaking-dirt problem is to make mulch "paths" between the raised beds. When the mulch decays, add it to the beds. [You may be able to get free mulch from utilities pruning around power lines; or ask your countyÂs Cooperative Extension Service for possibilities in your area.]

You could drill little holes at the corners and attach small chains, bring the ends of the (4) chains together in one "S" hook and hang from a tree or shepherd's hook and you have one classy birdfeeding tray. A while back, I had 3 silver trays and I mounted them on metal rods at different heights (approx. 1-2-3 feet). I slanted the trays so that when it rained, one tray would empty onto another - kind of like a rain chain, done with trays. I planted flowers at the base of the taller rods. It was lovely and I got a lot of compliments on that one. Still thinkin... -Sprout...(Linda)

Your ladle looks lovely! I love the sunflowers on old bedsprings, really lovely !! You've been busy!! Jan