Growing up, we had a pet goose, a pet duck, and they never did anything except nip at a ripe tomato now and then. We did, however, have NO PROBLEMS EVER with slugs, as they gobbled them up. Also, where a goose goes, a goose poops, which is a free nitrogen bonus for you. Gross to us but the plants love it. Also, my pastor has a huge garden and about 12 visiting Canada geese (and babies) to their pond every summer, and they leave his veggies alone too. As far as our birds went, we did feed them, as they were pets, so that might be why they left out huge garden (and large strawberry patch) alone. If they didn't eat the veggies because they had their feed grain, here's an idea-- If you put out some cracked corn (away from your garden area), they will prefer to eat that over your green growing things, and they will still munch on the slugs.

I just came across this thread, if you haven't found out what it is already it's a bur cucumber, sicyos angulatus. They do grow incredibly far out and I've seen them climb to the very top of trees that are atleast 80 feet tall. Leaves can be enormous also.

Unless it's a dwarf version, China doll can get much taller than 8 feet. Let's get rid of the silly old wives' tale about any plant liking to be root bound. No plant likes to be rootbound. What is necessary for plants to stay alive is for their roots to not rot, which can happen so easily in a pot with dense soils, like ground dirt, or bagged mixes of predominantly tiny particles of peat, (or to simply shrivel from simply never getting any water.) Having very little soil around the roots would make the soil dry more quickly, and for even the most dedicated plant-overwaterers to not rot the roots of their plants. This is not ideal, since most non-cactus plants are stressed by dry conditions, it's just a way of coping with soil that has little air in it when moist. A more porous, chunky soil (like cactus/palm, if one is buying bagged,) can have more air in it even when it is moist because there is space between the particles. Roots need oxygen and moisture at the same time to function. When there are tiny particles of any kind in a pot, such as peat, sand, silt, clay, they filter into all of the tiny spaces in a pot, eliminating the air. "Overwatering" is the label and manifestation when roots have suffocated and/or rotted, combo of both. Over time, organic bits decompose into smaller bits, so even the "best" soil, if it has organic components, will need to be replaced when this happens. The speed at which this happens depends on many variables, but on average, about 1-3 years. Mine kept getting root bound so fast, I couldn't keep it moist enough. This is the fastest growing woody plant I've ever had.

softpunk that's for you to decide..the size seems right the style seems right and it will work with the sconces..but my opinion is not to buy if you feel you settle..and yes to buy if it touches you in a special way as for the money..changing three countries, with some back and forth in the middle, taught me to try not to convert the currency..as absurd as it sounds)) like, convert it of course, and it does come automatically in the beginning, but then you plainly stop doing that. it's rarely a pleasant surprise..unless you go to Nicaragua..))