GREAT suggestions, you guys. I hadn't thought of the "choose your crops wisely" idea -- will definitely take it all to heart. And planatus, it was very comforting to hear that you went through similar years and it still worked. Yes, I've heard horror stories about letting kids help with weeding! Having them help harvest sounds much less risky. Mindy, tickets not bought yet, as I just got back from one baby, will want to see her again soon (grand children only come around once, and this is most likely the only one for my son and daughter in law) and the other two babies are coming around Memorial Day and Sept 15, so all is up in the air about actual arrival dates and what they'll want from me and when -- so keeping it all a bit loose. Lots of winter squash, lots of mulch, carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic, greens, dry beans . . . I'm there! More suggestions welcome. This has been great -- so glad I asked my "dumb" question :)

Great garden tour/childbirth analogy, Mel. So true, and what memories it brings back! Our garden has been on tours several years, and this year I get to recruit tour hosts. I will be honest with them and give them the good with the bad. There is much more good. One issue is a closing time for the garden. Gardeners love to talk, and some will hang around until midnight if you let them, even with posted hours. At all times, you need at least 2 adults hosting. Be prepared for children who must use your bathroom. Very frail or overweight people sometimes insist they can move a barrier and walk across a pond gangplank. Overly helpful gardeners will insist on deadheading your daylilies that you are hybridyzing. People will argue that coins in water never hurt a fish (aaarg!) Guests will bring children who will feel free to cross over to your neighbors' play equipment. Last year, we built a waterfall from a tree into our pond, and people not only stuck their heads under it, but some drank it! I had to point out that it was recirculated pond water--ewwww! You'll endure comments like "wow, you must have lots of time on your hands or a full time gardener" No...I just don't park in front of the tv every night...then I do some quick lessons on composting and soaker hoses versus mowing and weeding. In addition to labeling unusual plants, you might want to print up a list of plants and sources. I used to do quite a bit of trading on the gardenweb exchange forum, so my yard is full of plants not available (and not hardy) in this area. I potted up seedlings and divisions ahead of time to give away, and had a trade list available to selectively hand out. some of the big hits were heirloom plants and the very new. We had a photo album showing the progress of the yard in the 4 years we've been here, because it looks very established. A complaint many tourists had was some yards looked like they were planted last week. Had to laugh...some were! The homeowners got insecure about what they had and tried to "buy" an instant garden, and it showed. I would suggest you don't put in anything new in the month before the tour. Have potted plants ready to move in empty spaces. Neighborhood boys searching for a baseball flattened some of my perennials the day before tour started last year, and I had to fill in with large planters set into the flower bed, and no one knew the difference there. Our tourists appreciated the igloo full of iced tea. One igloo was enough for the 250+ people we had each day. Every year, I get a few thank you cards in the mail in the weeks afterwards, and once, a lady brought me a new plant I didn't have as a thank you gift. All in all, it is tremendous fun if you are prepared for it. Make a plan to finish last minute work 2 days before so you can go into it well-rested. I still run into people at various places who remember me and my garden, because I took the time to talk to them. It really gives you a boost! Cindi

Its 18 inches on the outside from floor to top but thats only because there will be a flagstone floor that comes up about 3 inches. In the inside its 14 inches from the floor because there are 4 inch fire bricks on the bottom. There is a wood rack that sits on top of that, which brings the wood "off" the floor which is why most people have trouble because they try and stack the wood on the floor. This allow air to get "underneath" and around the sides of the wood. The wood rack elevates the wood another 3-4 inches, giving it a final height to the top of only about 10-12 inches. The wood rack was also "very hard" to find....and this is probably why most people are not using them. There are 4 mortar breather holes around the sides and there are 3 "drainage" aluminum tubes for water drainage and cleaning as well as air. I paid a ransom fee for the mortar. I contacted the vendor who just happen to tell me a landscaper bought a pallet of it because his mason was having the same problem. I called the guy and he started laughing at me. I said I'm looking for refactory mortar. His answer was "you and everybody else". Anyway, he charged me $80 for a 50lb bag. I forget to put this in my expenses--I guess I'm trying to forget. If he had been built locally they would have used standard mortar. Good for a few years until it all cracks off. Anyway, having talked with every landscaper and brick and mortar store and distributor here in Austin, I was able to get someone to carry it. Didn't help me, but the next person will be helped. Custom Stone Supply here in Round Rock now carries it and its closer to the $40-$50 price it normally goes for. She called me a few weeks ago after I was done to ask me if I wanted to buy it. They carry the indoor premix refactory mortar in a couple places but this is water soluable outside....so after a few rains, everything will come crumbling down.

If you build a permanent one that isn't essentially just a ring of rocks on the ground, make sure it has a cover and excellent drainage. Some friends of mine have one - a beautiful one of mortared stone - that collected water something fierce every time it rained and then became Mosquito Central until the water evaporated out, and until they put a cover on it to keep the rain out. It's a disc of metal with loop handles welded on. They also have to clean out critter (raccoon, squirrel, etc.) nests every spring because something always takes up residence during the winter. The freestanding ones that look like giant woks can be flipped over to keep from collecting water and moved into a cellar or garage for the winter. There are some great looking ones out there. We have one (currently packed away) but no Adirondack chairs. In some towns, firepits per se are against code, but "outdoor barbecues" are perfectly fine, so you just get a grill that will fit on top of the firepit/firebowl even if you don't use it. The large-chunk hardwood charcoal (not briquettes or the little pieces) is a good alternative if conventional firewood is a no-no, as it is in some residential areas.