Miranda You appear to be making all the right choices in life. I will be a little bit presumptuous by offering some advice on helping you to raise your child in touch with nature in this age full of all the electronic lures that keep the kids indoors. or, when outdoors, glued to a small screen, rather than the glory that surrounds them. I am writing a book about landscape architecture and have a section regarding the importance of embracing nature in the preschool years. - which I would like to forward that section to you. However, my computer skills are limited to email and US Mail. I don't even know how to attach a picture to the text. If you would like to receive this draft from my future book, send me your email or postal address, and I'll get it right off to you. My email is cascio.offsite@gmail.com Good luck with your new challenges and opportunities. Joe Cascio

no, say it ain't so! As an older work friend once told me - she was maybe 55 at the time, lol. I don't do waist lines anymore! My husband says he is an all american mutt, as am i. he would never use a kit. i really don't want him too, they might discover that touch of cro magnon in him. the touching eyebrows, the too big jaw. the head that fits in no hats. the organs that every doctor says are the largest they ever saw! How you doing on water weight? that is what comes off the best? cut back on salt. no gassy foods - take gas x. now mind you the gas does not magically disappear, it does come out-you will now have burps worthy of a 12 yo boy with a rootbeer. what it does stop is bloating. Miralax uses water in the body to help the body get rid of excess waste. that is a thought, killing 2 birds with one stone. If someone had asked me 5 years ago if i would have this wealth of knowledge on this subject, I might have slapped them, thinking they had lapsed into insanity! oh, and about the thread, ttt is sure she posted it? re-mark-a ble!

Thank you all for your comments. Well, it's been a few months since my original post and we have since finished putting up the retaining wall and planting the hedge. We decided to go ahead with Murrayas - planted about 34-40 cm apart. I gave them a good trim about a week after planting at the end of Autumn and another quick trim at the start of Spring. They have really filled out in warm weather and I think the gaps between individual plants should close by the start of winter. I'm really happy with the choice - the hedge looks glossy and lush and the sweet smell of Murraya flowers is just beautiful. We didn't do any underplanting, but I'm still thinking about putting in the dwarf agapanthus for the inside border. A couple of weeks ago we planted some Rhaphiolepis "Snow Maiden" and Rhoeo along one side of the retaining wall to provide a border for a footpath and I'm really happy how it turned out.

I agree with the comments above as well. A garden with different types of grasses looks fabulous in a coastal environment. Your soil type may also impact what will grow best. I had trouble with planting out our front yard at our last property. I took a picture of the area I wanted to plant out to the local nursery and they were able to give me some really good advice of what sort of plants would survive. Also, decide what sort of garden you are after, e.g. low maintenance, native, colourful, or something you need to tend to. There are so many options, but deciding what you are after will make a huge difference in the type of plants you should get. Gallifrey your garden is beautiful, love those cute little green mounds!