With respect to the front bed, I'm on side with removing the tree. The trunks really only look good from one angle, and from the other angles it's not a real beauty. And when it comes to suckers, I have very low tolerance! But what really bugs me in that bed is the shrubs, and I would totally rip them out as well and use that space to create a lower profile flowering garden. My urge is to open the space visually. If you want a tree, I don't see that it has to be in the bed; it could be closer to the front of the property. With the long narrow bed, if liriope will make you smile, you're a pretty happy person :-) it takes more to get a smile out of me, I'm afraid! But in these long narrow beds against a wall, it is often about what will grow the way you want, rather than about what we like, and I admit I've got a long and troubled history with trying to grow more interesting things in a bed like this, because almost anything tall (anything deciduous in particular) will always be snaking away from the wall toward the light. As a general rule, evergreen material will grow much more reliably upright even when the light is one-sided. So from a maintenance and looking tidy perspective, you could do a lot worse than a row of liriope, daylilies, or annuals. So much depends on what kind of a gardener you are; how much effort you want to go to to choose and source plants and so on, and then what kind of maintenance you want to do. For example, what would look quite spectacular along this wall, and go with the somewhat manicured impression that the house itself makes, would be an assortment of specialty conifers and evergreens, the type that are narrow and slow growing, either upright or weeping or just narrow by nature (or even spiralled or otherwise topiaried), either just mulched or dressed up with colourful lower-growing plants. But those plants you have to go hunting for, and it takes some work to arrange them. And then there's the option of containers (on gravel or mulch) and/or wall art. Or vines on trellises, that would require you to tuck them all the time and then clear them in winter. It all depends on what kind of work you want to do initially and ongoing. But what about the area along the fence? You might be able to create a more generous bed there. You can certainly borrow light from across the fence, and if you can also borrow airspace above the fence, then some small trees might even work. KarinL

Sam, you crack me up! You've asked this question before, I think just to get folks riled up...but the good thing is that folks like me get to hear all sides of the issue, to help us plan our ponds. Last summer, I did a lot of reading before putting in a bottom drain. I DIY'd it, with a toilet flange and 4" PVC...so far, no leaks! How do I know? Water level stays constant,except with hotter,drier weather, which I assume is evaporation. (Otherwise, the water loss would be constant) After all the reading I did, I came to the conclusion that a bottom drain would make things easier...and I want maximum enjoyment for minimum work! That's what I've got! :o) ~Kevin

"Parasitic wasps are usually strictly tied to a single species" - not necessarily. Some (probably many) attack multiple species. The parasitic wasps released for gypsy moth control, for example, also readily attacked native caterpillar species. The 3 new parasitoids being released for EAB could very possibly also impact bronze birch borer and 2-lined chestnut borer, both closely related to EAB (not that I think that's a bad idea!). Here's the report from Buckeye Yard & Garden OnLine: "(USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Forest Service (FS) are proposing the release of 3 parasitoids for the purpose of reducing EMERALD ASH BORER (EAB) populations. These parasitoids are known to attack EAB consistently in its native range in China. The biological agents include the following: a larval ecstoparasitoid, Spathius agrili; an egg parasitoid, Oobius agrili; and a larval endoparasitoid, Tetrastichus planipennisi. The initial release of these parasitoids are planned for the summer of 2007 in Michigan."

For those of you who are interested, I've lost 80 lbs. It took me 1.5 years. I've kept it off for almost 2 years now. The maintaining is more difficult for me than the losing was. I went to a doctor who has the industrial style of the little scale Mtn recommended. It measures the fat, water and muscle. Tells you your BMI, etc. That really encouraged me. It also tells you your resting metabolism. I ate 500 calories a day less than what my resting metabolism burned, and I consistently lost 1 to 2 lbs a week. After about 25 lbs, I joined a gym and started working out, too. I never really felt deprived because I decided how to use my calories. If I wanted to splurge on something, I knew I had to give up something else. And I always have one Dove dark chocolate candy before I go to bed. I struggle with keeping the weight off because I still love food. I eat so much healthier now, but I have trouble with portions. I gradually eat a little more and a little more. That's why I weigh every day. I can't afford to let it slide. If the scale starts creeping up, I have to nip it in the bud immediately. I've lost weight on 3 separate times in the past, and always gained it back. This is the longest I've ever kept it off. Before, I started gaining it back almost immediately after I'd lost it. What started it all was that I found out I had a fatty liver. It scared me. I didn't really think I could lose it, but to my surprise, I did. After menopause, when I tried to diet, I felt starved and deprived, and then didn't lose any weight. I wasn't cutting back enough. With this calorie driven diet, since I ate what I wanted, I was in control, not some unseen dietician or author. But different things work for different people. Now I'm healthier than I've ever been, in better shape physically than I've ever been, and feel 42 instead of 62. Since I lost slowly, I lost primarily fat, and minimal muscle. And the gym helped with that as well. So take heart, if I could do it, you can too. And if you fall off the wagon, jump right back on. The longer you delay, the harder it is to get back on.