I substituted perlite in my mix to cut down the weight, and it is much lighter this way. It's working very well so far and I haven't noticed any separation when watering gently. But I don't think I would use this mix outdoors. The wind and rain could send the perlite everywhere and possibly knock over or uproot top heavy plants. As for Floor Dry, I've used it and it seems to be a perfectly acceptable substitute for Turface. I prefer the color of Turface though, and since they're about the same price, I use Turface. Their website lists distributors for each state. That's how I found mine. Also, I don't think calcined DE like Floor Dry will be a problem for soil microorganisms. It's powdered DE that is used to control pests. -Chris

Brugs are MUCH more fragrant than daturas, and, in my opinon, much easier to grow. Daturas are (mostly) annuals, and must be started from seeds each year. Brugs are tender perennials, and in order to 'come true', must be grown from cuttings---but cuttings are super easy, and can easily spend the winter in a glass of water on your windowsill. Brug cuttings taken from flowering wood will flower at a very young age---for instance, just before frost I cut several bouquets from my brugs. Most of these rooted in the vase, and a couple of the little buggers are putting on buds already! Brugs WILL require more watering, especially when planted in pots. In your zone, if you want a less labor-intensive plant, put your brugs in the ground and take cuttings in the fall. Plant them on the east side of your house, where they'll get AM sun and PM shade. Daturas want all the sun they can get, and don't mind moderately dry conditions. Neither are particularly prone to bug infestations while outdoors, and brug cuttings rarely give me any trouble---potted, BIG brugs sometimes do, but nothing they're not worth. (*grin*) As a beginner, I'd advise you against growing brugs from seed---cuttings are SO much easier, and flower SO much faster. Brugs grown from seed are largely a crap-shoot---they don't 'come true', and most seedlings are white. They also often have an 'anomalous' first flowering, meaning that subsequent flowerings may look very different. If you're into trading plants or seeds, drop me an e-mail and I'll try to fix you up with some beginner brugs.

Sorry about the late response, but I have been doing lots of other things. First thing that I notice is that there is very little space between the fence and the box. Will that be practical? If you don't want to do too much walking there, consider have vines fill that area (if cukes, then you might also install a trellis thing to make them easier to pick). Got that off my chest. Get some soil in there so that the worms can get going on it. It should be ready to plant in the early spring. Peas can go in early and they can be fixing some nitrogen in the soil so that you can follow with something like peppers. Lettuce and radishes can also go in early. When those items are done, then the soil will be warming up enough to get other veggies in the same spots. Are you considering using one of the small boxes for nothing but herbs? Dill will self-sow, so that will work; oregano, thyme, chives, sage, etc. are good to have and don't need a lot of attention. You can add the annuals as you need them. Put it on paper, see if it will work. Don't grow it unless you will eat it when ready or you are willing to preserve it some way. A comment about kids in the yard. My granddaughters were here over this past weekend and they were thrilled to hear me talk about what grows and what doesn't. Don't pretend that all is perfect. Let the kids know that nature can turn on you; later they will appreciate the lesson. The girls really liked smelling the herbs. So many different aromas that they are not exposed to when they shop with their mother. Take pictures of things as they grow so that you can remind the kids what things looked like 60 or 90 days ago. Jim

Thank you, I could not for the world figure out how to get these pictures in the post, at a reasonable size to view. Appreicate your help.