I would not use Permaflex. I have known of several people in the past few years who have used it and are now in the process of peeling it back off because it is not staying water tight. It seems to develop pin holes and flakes after a few years. If you do paint it, I'd go with black. All koi ponds are built with a black liner because the black disappears. It also look nice when the green algae starts to grow on the walls. A blue pool looks really bad with algae growing in it.

Well, it is good to know my requirements sound reasonable! I would be ever so glad to build my beds myself but it would be easier to find someone to do it for me since I dont really have time. My son and his roomate cut in the knockouts today so we only have one more side of the parking area to go (I have Bonicas there) and I take care of the roses myself, so all I need is someone to cut grass, edge and clean up after themselves..I just thought I would help out someone elses business and save myself some work contracting out the work I needed done..I was weeding around the Jasmine that surrounds my cocker spaniel's excercise yard tonight while the Knockout bed soaked and realized that half of them are badly damaged from weedeaters and some are totally cut off at the base. They are dying at a rapid rate and now I understand WHY....That will mean big time replacements in the spring. HECK it might be a reason to buy more roses! The new yard crew I interviewed seems to understand my needs. I spoke to the ENTIRE crew not just the owner. They come for the first time on Tuesday. I told them and put in writing I want debris up (which is mostly pinecones because I pick up trash daily), weedeating as needed where safe to do it, edging done as needed and remove the nuisance plants that no one has touched yet this year, grass cut weekly and the sidewalks and parking lot blown off if needced and the excercise yard raked or vacummed (its only 20x30 but its where my show dogs go). The quote I was given is abit higher than the other crews ($10) but if they DO IT its worth it to me. HECK guys, I have 32 potted roses (soon to be fewer cause I am building ab ed for some of the grandifloras tomorrow, sigh) that I MOVE into the parking lot myself so they dont have to! They said I dont have to that they will, bit I will do it still until I know they can be trusted because I just dont want my property destroyed. My HT's are all over 3 foot tall and full of foliage and blooms....I feel better doing that myself until I can get them mulched under and around to prevent having to move them to mow and weedeat...that will be next week if all goes well. Being in the service industry myself I may expect too much, I dont know.....but like I said, keep it clean, safe and do your job without destroying stuff and we will be fine!

I have killed huge fire ant mounds by using the used coffee grounds that Starbucks gives away for free. After experimenting with these used coffee grounds for 8 years, I have found all kinds of interesting uses for them. Mainly as a direct contact spray, I can take care of all the insects I have problems with, and I have 40,000 plants. I found that the coffee spray will not kill ants, but they ARE repelled by the used coffee grounds. This may take a little practice, but I take the used coffee grounds and mix them with enough water that they turn into mud. I put a thin layer of mud all over the mound, and I found out the trick is to cover another 4 inches farther than the mound because they try to tunnel out under the coffee mud. The only thing I can figure is that they refuse to dig through the coffee, and when they can't go out and feed the mound, the colony dies. One way or another, it kills the mounds. This is hard to do when you collect your own grounds, bit you can get so much at one time at Starbucks when you go at the right time of day. Sometimes, I have come away with about 60 pounds of used coffee grounds when I ask them for the bag they are filling behind the counter. On another note, try experimenting with coffee repelling ants and other insects. Like if you had a small garden, you could pour a barrier of grounds around the perimeter of the garden to keep them away. The barrier would also keep out mealy bugs, scales, aphids, and even spider mites. I never got to finish a formal experiment, but I would bet money that used coffee grounds would get rid of chinch bugs in the lawn as well.

Similar, I cut pine boards and pallet planks approx 8” with my metal cutting Chop Saw with a 10” Carbide tooth blade. Stand all in a 6” deep metal pan on end chop for 1/2-1” targets. My goal is to start this to start round or split Oak or Pecan, when no coals are held over from a fire. My load of oak pallet planks has lasted since2009 with years of planks left. I would not buy the “Fire Logs” vs them being given to me. I will buy the smaller “fire starters” and break the soap bar sizes in half. They are great toward starting (w/o my news paper) while I move on to another chore. Two 18” x12” pans of processed wood “work” easily last a winter due to wood projects ad tree trimmings. The starter wood is “not fun to store” once it’is cut.