I need glasses... I didn't see "it" until you guys mentioned the fact! I must be getting old! Certainly don't mean to embarrass you, Al... it's a fabulous planter of cacti! But I must say... I've saved it so my husband can get a good chuckle when he comes home from visiting up north! I, also, admit to chuckling at the image! Don't worry... my mind has been in the gutter before! LOL! All things aside, I did enjoy seeing your photos, especially the hypertufa planter. Did you make it yourself? I've been wanting to try some hypertufa planters, but haven't gotten around to collecting the ingredients and mixing.

One question is, do you want this to be an area where you can walk/sit/play? Mulch can work for that, but vinca can't. Regarding the cost of taking the trees down, do consider getting an estimate, and find out what its components are. Disposal of the material will often be a good chunk of the cost, and if you can keep some of the chippings as mulch, or some of the trunk as firewood (put it on craigslist if you don't need it) you can probably keep it more affordable. Some types of wood are also worth something as lumber, and a tree removal company should be able to factor that in. You can also dispense with stump grinding, although obviously you will have to live with a stump for a while, as that often costs a few hundred. If you aren't getting the stump ground, a good remover should be able to cut the base pretty low for you. If nothing else, having an estimate will make your decision regarding whether to put so much effort into your yard an informed one. I have gardened under trees like this for many years, and it takes constant dedication to grow anything substantial in such an area, and it can rarely be done well. Mulch may be your answer, but is a shady mulched yard what you want? You might also consider that if you are planning to sell the place, the more unwieldy the trees get, the more likely it is that a buyer might deduct the cost of removal from the price offered for your house. Do you know what kind of trees you are dealing with? Karin L

Is that too shallow for shrubs dwarf yew? Ours stay green. Pachysandra would look good in winter. Google image the geranium macrorhizum in winter too see it does change and look a bit burgundy and dried up in winter.

Nidnay, my installer will screw a screw into the back of rods to use as a stop (same as CDR suggested). I have used double sided sticky tape so the sheers stick to it. I’ve used needle and thread to stitch the rod pocket tighter at the opening so they stay in place. I also have a small tag gun and will tag the beginning opening of the rod pocket to make it tighter. I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with something to do the trick. Try to get equal spacing on each panel at the top on the rod. Your sheers can be trained into nice folds like the photos that were posted. Take your hand at the bottom of each panel and fan fold the sheer about 5” per fold. Once you get across the bottom have a piece of fabric or cord and tie it around the bottom of the sheers. You need to form those folds up to the middle of the sheers and band them in the middle. If you have a hand iron that has vertical steam, you can steam the sheers while fan folded to help them train. Leave them banded for a few days and see how they look. Having a weighted hem in sheers is a plus because it helps them hold their folds, but that is a custom feature! Training them takes time but usually works.