Hmmmm.....I hadn't considered what to do by the time they are too big to tie, mad gallica. The problem is, not a whole lot of shrubs will fit those particular screening needs in small spaces. Have they stopped being recommended, I wonder? Brandon...we get lots of heavy snow most winters. This is my first winter with the Sky Pencil. I think I will be happier in the spring having it tied so it won't splay out. It was so easy too. Not having to tie it is one of the advantages of your zone and less snow, enjoy it. :-)

My favorite is the Sweet Southern Sunshine seedling, third pic. I also like the first one and the one below Trouble. Is he/she trying to stay cool or hunting something? Maybe waiting for a passerby so he/she can attack the ankles? Adorable. Marg

If they were dug in the heat of the summer and the foliage wasn't trimmed back, then they will probably adjust to the transplant shock more quickly if you trim off some of the foliage. Be careful not to overwater them at this time of year. Water them thoroughly and then DON'T WATER them for at least three days in between. More people just starting out kill daylilies by over-watering them, causing them to rot. ( especially by planting in the summer heat.) I just never plant at this time of year, as it is asking for trouble. Maybe it is safer in the more northern areas.

You don't need to add anything to the sand. Personally, I think fertlizing is over-rated, and since aquatic plants are actually designed to take more nutrients out of the water than out of the substrate, those fertlizer pellets that you can buy and bury in the substrate are a waste of money. Cambomba is a good choice, as are java ferns, though I think they actually look better and do better out of water, on land. Same as java moss. They like it extremely humid, not neccessarily totally submerged, though they do survive and even grow this way in many aquariums. Duckweed is a bad idea. It will very quickly cover the entire surface of your water, blocking the light to the plants below, and be exceedingly difficult to get rid of. As for dwarf lilies, they need serious lighting and serious CO2. If you're new to aquatic gardening, I would start simple, like with the cabomba, and perhaps an echinodorus (mini amazon sword). You will likely need to add some fertlizers, especially iron. SeaChem has an excellent line of aquatic plant products. Oh yeah, and even if you don't choose more demanding plants, CO2 works wonders on aquatic plants. Just be carefull about adding too much if you will also have a fish or two in there (a betta would love it! they really like that soft, tea-coloured water). At night the plants will switch, giving off CO2 and using oxygen, which can leave not enough O2 for the fish, suffocating them. This makes a betta an even betta' (ha ha!) choice though, because they can breathe air from the surface of the water if need be. As for more plants, ditto on the Black Jungle suggestion. Tillandsias and cryptanthus would be some great plants for attaching to your walls and the log. T. cyanea gets huge though, so pick smaller ones if you can. =) Oh, and choose the green ones, not the silver ones. And the china doll will also outgrow the tank very quickly. And you will need to trim the fittonia back a lot, but I do that too, and it's really not a big deal. Oh, Black Jungle has the most awesome mini calathea! It's a species, and I don't remember the name right now. Get it! But save one for me. =) I'm going to order from them very soon, because I'll be in Georgia for two weeks this Christmas! That's only 3 weeks away! Woohoo! =)