I enjoyed the container related dog talk. I have 4 terriers(3 males, 1 female). One of them, Duffy, likes to pick and eat bell peppers. It doesn't bother me at all. I get a kick watching him. The dogs and me walk on leash virtually every morning. They are sometimes unruly and act nutty; they are terriers. But they are generally well behaved and they are an integral part of our family. I fully understand both viewpoints. The bitter apple suggestion is a good one. I've also used the stuff you buy at a pharmacy to stop children from sucking their thumb. It worked well. You might also try the product at pet stores that repels them from furniture. I'd caution against the white granules that people put out to repel dogs and cats. I tried that once to keep cats out of a flowerbed. The smell was absolutely horrifying. That year I had to nearly wear a gas mask to do anything near that garden bed. -Hal

Taraxacums are notorious cross breeders and there are several sections each with micro species. They are very difficult to id, especially with no foliage or habit to see. If the stem was soft and hollow with milky sap which stains fingers brown it probably is a dandelion of some sort. Well nigh impossible to pin down further. I have been unable to establish whether T albidum occurs in Germany. It is a Japanese native. I think you will get more responses to your queries if you post each as a new question. People may look at this thread, think they have already checked it out, and not realise there is a new question at the end.

Ruth - the leaves in last picture you posted makes me wonder if it's a R. podophylla since those one's leaves are supposed to have 'shallow lobes towards the tips' and the leaves in the picture you posted look somewhat like that, although most images of R. podophylla show quite definite lobes compared to those in your picture. But the flower panicles are supposed to be relatively short - 1' or so - so that doesn't match your description of tall flowers! However, I've also found places saying 3' flowers... I wonder whether the difference is due to measuring the whole flowerstalk vs measuring just the flowering portion? One reference I found said there was a lot of natural hybridizing between the species, so perhaps you've got a mixed one..... I'm now on the hunt for a R. podophylla! I can't imagine that conditions were too wet this spring for your astilboides. The first ones I ever saw were growing at the edge of an irrigation pond at a nearby nursery. They were in full sun so obviously needed the water. They were enormous! Perhaps though, the harsh winter cold that froze the ground deeper than normal combined with wet and shade to overwhelm them this year. Mine came through the winter fine, although they were slower than usual to emerge. Mine get water from one of our downspouts, as well as from a downspout on the neighbour to the north's house. Snails do munch on the leaves at times, so perhaps the snails got yours....? Here, the plants get shade until about 2:00 in the afternoon when they get a couple of hours of sun before they go back into dense shade from the house. shadyplace - I'm sure, in your zone, they'd need that morning sun instead.

Thanks, Daylily! tlbean, I sometimes have an inkling of an idea, but often don't know what the plants in the drawing are or should be. In selecting plants, much depends on what grows and performs well in a given area. Let's speculate on some possibilities for here. The hedge below the window could be low-growing azaleas, dwarf yaupon holly, or any shrub that looks good and could be kept at a 3' height without too much trouble, including boxwood. The groundcover surrounding it could be a Liriope, lily of the valley, heuchera, Pachysandra, etc. The tree could be crape myrtle, Japanese maple, beauty bush, burning bush, etc. The surround below the tree could be daylilies, ferns, hostas, cast iron plant, etc. One could look around their town and see what plants people are keeping at these heights and that has appeal. Or search Google Images for the general type and see what appeals in the photos that are returned. Research the plants that one finds interesting to see if they have possibilities. Vett them with people who have knowledge of the local climate. Each plant has it's own personality which should be taken into account during the selection process. If you were to use my drawing as foundation for selecting plants, you have great latitude in tweaking what it looks like, depending on the plants you choose. For annuals, pick something that can tolerate the conditions (light, moisture, soil, etc.) It will boil down to what will tolerate the conditions and happens to be available and looks good when you go to buy.