One of the best things I learned from this site is the use of cattle grate (thanks Tom), just picked 3 lbs of green beans growing on the grate this morning and it is so handy. When it comes time to clean the old growth off, it is a snap. SWB (self watering buckets)made from Burger King pickle buckets are a god-send in this sand nematode infested area. I've used different mixes in these buckets. One of the best is so far is 40% peat, 40% compost, 20% perlite with a handful of lime and 1/2 cup of time release mixed together. Then add two strips of fertilizer on top before closing the top off with plastic wrap. Am currently using palmetto "coir" that I harvest from my property here instead of peat. It is definitely renewable, constant battle to keep it from taking me over. Make my own compost from horse stable cleanings. Am also trying Silvia and Tom's touted Al's mix in some single buckets watered and fed from the top. I could not get this mix to wick in the SWB's. Haven't learned to grow squash and cukes successfully yet :>( Learned from list that you can grow Black Jungle Butterbeans and yard long asian green beans in the summer heat. Also get okra and eggplant and sweet peppers. Thanks to the list I've been fairly successful and I've only been gardening for 2 years now. bernie

I'm a casual hosta gardener, so I can't answer your questions. However, I have a similar problem with the one in the lower picture. It could be the same variety and almost always has some kind of edge damage. I just went out to look at it and this year, it has some small spots on the edge. It's probably 10 years old, so I don't even notice the problem anymore. For me, the slug damange is always on the edge. It looks like someone took a pair of scissors to the edge (except not straight, of course). If I forget to get the pot feet under them in the spring when they break ground, the slugs always get them. (I have to grow in pots here.) I don't know about the holes in the middle of the leaves. However, I was just looking at the post entitled "mice". the photos show pictures of a hosta with holes in the leaves. I might ask him/her about it. Barbara

Here is a website that you may find useful.http://www.extension.umn.edu/Garden/ There is a wealth of info there. It really isn't necessary to test your soil every year, I think the recommendation is about every five years. Compost is one of the best things you can do for your soil. You need to be careful adding sand to clay, you can end up with bricks. You can build raised beds, or berms if drainage is a problem.Leaf mold, compost, peat moss....any organic material will be helpful. I am mainly organic but do not rule out synthetic chemicals in some cases. You may want to research IPM (integrated pest management). An excellent book is "The Truth About Organic Gardening" by Jeff Gilman. He talks about and compares synthetic and natural chemicals and their eco impact. If you haven't had a soil test done, it would be a good idea. Also, instead of trying to change your conditions to meet plant needs you may want to choose plants suited to your conditions. Best of luck to you and have fun playing in the dirt.

If possible, I would do one wide shade across the four windows. It will give you a cleaner look. If your window is too wide for one shade (there are size restrictions on certain systems and fabrics), I would do at most two shades in that space. I would recommend looking at Hunter Douglas Duette or Applause shades. They come in both horizontal and vertical applications, so you would be able to do the same fabric on the windows and the slider. If you prefer Roman shades, Hunter Douglas Vignette shades also come in horizontal and vertical applications.