If you're looking for something evergreen, there are dwarf nandinas that are very pretty, and low mounding junipers. For flowers, consider begonias, impatiens, balsam (taller), sweet violets, dwarf columbine, spanish bluebells and summer snowflakes - though you'd have to heavily amend for bulbs like the latter two. Actually amending the soil is probably a good idea anyway. Incorporating several inches of washed brick sand and organic material like compost, hummus and/or peat moss will not only make the soil healthier, it will make the clay a whole lot easier to work. You might consider having your soil tested to see what you ought to include. Your county extension office can help with that, or there are kits you can buy.

Hello, Thanks everyone :) Wanye - I too finally came to the conclusion that it was a blotched water snake. I did not get help from my local wildlife center. I sent in the image and was told that it was a dimaond back. I knew this was not correct. I was then told it was the blotched water snake by - Clint at Texassnakes.net. He was very nice and quite helpful (SUPER NICE GUY). The animal control officer that I sent the image to, said it was a yellow belly water snake, whatever - I dont care as long as it is not a cottonmouth. I have let the snake alone - and will purchase some tongs if I need to relocate it because my husband just cannot come to grips with a water snake in our yard. Otherwise - it is free to live in my garden. Besides with the water source, if he were to kill this one, there would just be more anyway, especially since I have seen the babies for two summers now. Me and my fourteen year old daughter are perfectly ok with being bitten by a non-venomous snake. It only hurts for a little while, not much more than a bee sting in my humble opinion. Speeking of bee stings - I hate to kill things - so much -that a couple of years ago - I moved a honey bee hive (see I truly do hate to kill) I called a couple of beekeepers, and no one would come out - so I moved them myself :)-(Thank God my husband was working in Japan - he would have totally freaked out on this one too) Only ended up with two stings - and that is because when I went back for the second load of bees, guess I did not get the queen the first time. I was too lazy to tape my sleeves to my gloves. I moved them a couple of blocks away to a open field. I looked so funny carrying a box of bees, dressed all in white - and having a hat and my husbands old jersey stretched over it, I had to peek through the holes in the shirt. (my home made version of a bee keepers suit:) I can only imagine what the people driving down the main road where thinking!!! Back to the snakes. I would like to know however - are they agressive by nature, or only if provoked? Meaning, do they try to reatreat if given the chance, or do they stand their ground - there are only a few of these types snakes that I am aware of, but not sure about the water snakes. Thanks for all the help - RT

I have caterpillar's that look similar, in that they have no obvious legs. But some are brown (slightly striped) and some bright green. They are eating leaves voraciously in my greenhouse and the basil in particular is struggling to grow faster than it is being eaten. I remove a kill as many as I can find but especially the green ones are hard to spot. It's now only August and some of the links above suggested that these larvae are only laid in late summer, and I've had the problem since July, and maybe earlier (but i first guessed slugs as i have lots of those too but pellets have more or less one that battle for the moment) HB

We did look at the ledge during the day when we took this picture, but there is nothing above it except for the overhang. The only place they could be hanging out is right on the ledge. We've noticed a few scattered droppings on the floor of our porch that appear to have fallen off, but we've cleaned them up and there isn't any fresh droppings for several days and then they appear again. Whatever is hanging out, seems to come and go.