Another of the greats, as much as we need the sun we also try to hide from him. Regulating the sun is no easy task.

Thank you 'sheepco'! Seems we have the same green clingy stuff on our pond sides that the fish nibble at. Yes, it does cover the sides of the plant pots so they look less visable too so guess I 'like' that algae & won't try to scrape it off. My friend's 'green'- formerly pretty 'white'- rocks on his pond bottom must have the same green algae on them but the longer 'slippery' green algae on his pond sides doesn't seem to be string algae like he has had to pull out before (some 2-3 ft. in length!) but maybe just not old enough or maybe even another kind of that darn algae?! He has a UV light in the filter but to save on the elect. bill he doesn't run the pump all that much every day which may be part of the problem. Gave him the posting of a solar pump that one of the Pond posters listed ... sounded like an $$ investment but if it really works would be a cost saver in the long run! I feed my fish a little bit only because they look so cute coming to the surface with their mouths wide open when they see me (now when the dogs go to the pond they notice the difference :) & go to the bottom!ha).

Simpson Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans) or Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria). Both are native and need no care once established. They are evergreen and dense growing and if they get to big tolerate heavy pruning. They also both produce berries for birds and the dense growth is good for cover and nesting. The flowers on Simpson Stopper are fragrant. With the Yaupon Holly, find the "wild" species type. A lot of the time nurseries sell the dwarf compact forms, such as 'Schillings', 'Stoke's Dwarf' or 'Bordeaux'

Upstate NY has high and low temperatures currently several degrees above averages. Though a day ago it was 5 degrs at the school bus in the morning, but high tomorrow at 41, currently a dusting of snow. None of the -20F nights in sight yet. But the next hosta generation is coming : seedlings of War Paint, June, Sally & Bob, Starboard light are growing under light. (I have to check on them every few hours) 'Uncle Albert' seedlings I bet are germinating right now, and I might get more seeds arriving today in the mail. I have to keep hosta gardening also in the winter! Bernd