Another reader with another yard that needs our help. Blog readers, come to our reader's aid.

Says reader with problem yard:

Hello Ms. Kidd, I was hoping you could help me with some ideas on what to plant in a 5x10 shaped flower bed in the corner of my yard! (front and side view pictures attached) Also need some ideas on drought resistant plants for the side of my porch that will not get much rain; the front eves hang way over and while they provide shade for the porch, unfortunately there is not much rain that can get to any plants under the windows.

Pictures here:

If it were my yard, here's what I would do:

* Plant ornamental drought-tolerant grasses on the side of the porch (think black mondo grass, carex, Japanese blood grass and blue fescue). Anchor the bed with a flax plant. Perhaps heuchera, creepy Jenny, some ground covering sedums and a random hosta or two to fill in the spaces.

* In the front garden bed, I'd repeat the ornamental grass theme, and add heuchera to duplicate the color scheme. I'd also layer the plants to give the bed depth. I might even build out the sides of the bed to expand it. As for those blocks along the side of the bed? Ditch 'em, I say.

But that's just me. And, yes, ahem, raising hand and admitting guilt to being ADDICTED to ornamental grasses and heuchera. Guilty as charged.

Tell us what you'd do.

Doris Page of Tacoma needs our help, fellow gardeners. She's got a garden bed in search of an identity. It's got a camellia, and really not much else, as you can see here.

Says Doris about her bed:

There is a sprinkler in the back of the Camilla. The area faces east and gets morning sun. It is shaded in the afternoons. I had everything removed and want to start with low maintenance perennials or anything else readers might suggest.

So readers, help Doris with her tragic mess of a yard. What would you do if this garden bed was your blank palette? Thoughts? Comment here or e-mail your advice to sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com. (Submissions may be published in any form).

The photos below are an example of a yard with potential, yet so overwhelming in its overgrown state, it seems impossible to even figure out what to do first. Or at least that's how it would feel if I was living in the middle of it.

The yard belongs to Dena Reaugh of North Tacoma. Here's what she wrote:

Well, here I sit with a yard that is so far gone I haven't any clue as to how or where to start... I've been here about 10 years or so. The yard was in pretty bad shape when I moved in, and It just hasn't gotten any better. I feel bad for my little girl, because she's just itching to be able to go outside and play, but I don't have any where for her to do it. I mean, look at the pictures. Would you let your child play in a yard like this? Me neither! My yard is divided into two sections. There's a flat area near the house that has an old cracked cement patio and a spot where there was some extremely patchy crab grass growing. (Last summer I covered it with cardboard because I just wanted it all DEAD!) I also have an even larger sloped area that used to consist almost entirely of Himalayan blackberry. Now it's just mainly that same patchy grass.

Tresa Nelson of Puyallup sent us pictures of her backyard with an amazing hillside. I'm sure there is a lot that could be done with a slope like this. But where to start? Geesh. I have no clue. I'd probably just close my curtains and pretend everything is fine (la-la-la, hands over eyes).

Wrote Nelson:

Our backyard ends with this hill -- I have tried terracing it -- planting it with rhodies, then planting it with fruit trees. It always looks terrible. I don't have the time to keep it weeded, so this is how it looks most of the time. I would love some ideas!!!

Ok wise garden readers, it is your turn to weigh in. Take a look at the pictures and comment here (or email me at sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com).

Barbara and Jay Sumerlin of Spanaway have a yard with... well, let's just say "issues." (The phrase "tragic mess" comes to mind, but our trademark lawyers say we shouldn't overuse our soon-to-be legally binding phrase to describe yard drama).

The Sumerlin yard is in transition. They just tore out an above-ground swimming pool. They've got a retaining wall that is more weeds than plants. Their dog, a Great Dane, needs a place to play.

If it were my yard? I'd ditch most of the lawn and replace with planting areas that have dog-friendly rugged perennials that could withstand brushing and exploring from a big ol' dog like a Great Dane. I'd also leave a small strip of lawn for the dog to play. In the raised beds, I'd plant ornamental grasses and a few phormium. I can also see heather and lavender in the raised beds (then I'd call garden designer Sue Goetz and ask her what else I should plant). I would design a small herb garden in one section of the raised bed. You always should grow something you can eat in your yard, right?

So here are pictures of the Sumerlin yard. Tell us, oh-so-wise readers, what would you do if this was your mess?

We are all about garden inspiration here right now. After our Fix My Yard section ran last week with garden designer Sue Goetz offering readers advice on how to fix up their yards, we had a few more people send us photos of their plain yards. Do you have advice? Post your comments here, or email them to sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com.

Today's tragic mess of a yard (we are going to trademark that phrase, Craig Sailor and I have been using it so much)... is a Pierce County yard withlittle inspiration, a dog and a lot of dirt. Here's what Des Rodgers had to say about the place:

Please find attached ... photos of the yard at my friend's house in Meridian Campus off of Marvin Road. ... the neighbors at back can look straight into the living area. It's approximately 12 feet from the edge of balcony to fence. And the ground is very clay like.

Here is a pic of the yard

:

We are a few weeks away from our garden advice story by Sue Goetz, of The Creative Gardener in Gig Harbor. She'll offer advice to readers who have sent in photos of their garden disasters.

This photo comes from Carl and Judy in Graham. Their blah backyard is a perfect blank canvas, isn't it?

The question: What would you do?

Me? I'd get rid of some of that lawn and replace with garden beds of varying heights and widths and sculpt some garden pathways. But that's just me.

Here are what Carl and Judy have to say:

We have this very large back yard that we are not sure what to do with. We are hoping to remove the deck and rebuild larger or to go with a patio, maybe pavers or cement. Please help because we have no clue as to where to start.
Thank you so much Carl & Judy, Graham, Wa.

We've been receiving great response to our plea for pictures of yards that are a tragic mess (you know it if you have one).

We have Gig Harbor garden designer Sue Goetz on standby with all kinds of garden advice. We're sorting through the photos now and we're about to select a handful of yards that we'll hand off to Sue Goetz. She'll offer her advice for shaping up your space. (No actual labor though, that's what you get to do.) Watch for the story in early June.

There's still time to get photos of your tragic mess of a yard to us, but hurry and send them by Monday. E-mail your pictures to gardenphotos@thenewstribune.com or mail to Sue Kidd, Lifestyle Editor, The News Tribune, 1950 S. State. St., Tacoma WA 98405.

Take a look at the yard here. It belongs to Dean and Susan Williams in Puyallup. Do you have any advice for this blank space in their yard? If this was your mess, what would you do? Email your words of garden wisdom to gardenphotos@thenewstribune.com.

Is your yard a tragic mess? Disgusted with that utility box that dominates your side yard? Have a flower bed in serious need of rehab?

Gig Harbor garden designer Sue Goetz is ready to help you work through your garden design dilemmas. She'll offer our readers advice on what how to fix all kinds of garden ugliness.

All you have to do is send us photos of your garden disaster. We'll select a handful of yards and publish advice for shaping up your space (no actual labor though, that's what you get to do). E-mail your pictures to gardenphotos@thenewstribune.com or mail to Sue Kidd, Lifestyle Editor, The News Tribune, 1950 S. State. St., Tacoma WA 98405.

When Goetz, owner of The Creative Gardener in Gig Harbor, worked on the project with us last summer, we called it Fix My Yard. We're planning on catching up with some of the people Goetz advised last year to see if they made any of her suggested improvements or did anything else with their garden spaces.

Stay tuned for more details, our faithful readers.

Reaching into the reader question bag this morning... and here is what I yanked out:

Hi Sue,

Thanks for letting us ask questions.

I am looking for an inexpensive, non-toxic, non labor-intensive method of getting rid of root weevils.

I have tried nematodes (expensive and not long-lasting); I have purchased a Bayer product to kill insects (but, I'm afraid, very, very afraid); I have too many rhodies, camellias, and salal to go out at night and try to dispatch them in that manner; I have "Tanglefoot" but that won't work on the salal.

I'm desperate. My leaf notches are getting worse.

My father-in-law says to bury rusty nails around the perimeter of the plant. If the iron oxide is effective, would some sort of other iron product work as well?

Thoughts? Comment here or if our comments field is disabled (yes, we've been having "technical issues" with our commenting, but I have no official comment on that...), e-mail me at sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com.

From the reader garden question bag:

What, if any, chemical will kill those blasted seed throwers? We are inundated by neighbors' casually kept yards and they're just about to overwhelm us. I won't mention the morning glory that comes visiting. Let me know though about the seed throwers, please. They are sufficient to make our gardening experiences miserable.

Anyone have a solution? A bit of advice? I'll scrounge around and see if a master gardener has any comment on the problem. Until then, post away, people who have answers.....

So the ground isn't quite frozen (yet). Is anyone harvesting now or planting anything? Tell us.

We want to be garden voyeurs -- our own gardens are wilted, limp and gone (except for a tiny amount of rosemary I have left, ha).

So what are you growing?