Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, I hate Dallas when it's 110 in the summer, but I do love that I can work outside in relative comfort in late December.

I am working on making some changes to my boxie enclosure. The front is getting loose from the cottonwood's roots, so I've pulled it up and am putting the posts back in, a little straighter than last time. But the BIG change, will be I have opened up the enclosure and plan to combine the Easterns with the 3-toed.

In the past, I kept them apart for fear of bullying from the 3-toed, but I think now that the Easterns have grown so much and are maturing, it's time to put them together. It will give them each double the space, and allow me to put in one pond in the middle and a lot of different areas; wood, leaf piles, plantings, etc. I have been really jealous looking around the net at some superior enclosures, and I just want to make mine as nice as possible for my space and limited funds.

I'm planning to cap the enclosure as well, add a couple of stepping stones, and replace the grass with a natural planting of sedges, hostas, ferns, sedums and more.

Curtis

You're lucky that your weather is so nice and you can work outside. We're in the 20's here and waiting for snow. I'd love to see the finished enclosure. Always looking for new idea's.

Sounds like fun!

Here in VA I do a lot of planning over the winter but any planting or transplanting waits for spring or autumn.

As a landscape designer, I would advise that the hostas and ferns have shade to thrive best...the sedges and sedums can handle sun of course.

Enjoy!

Thanks. Yes, my enclosure has both sun, part sun and shade exposures. I actually work at a nursery and and am a garden writer and avid gardener. I'm redoing the plantings because I can now plant a lot more now that I'm opening up the pen. As it goes with hostas and ferns, here in Dallas I have to plant them in full shade and water everyday.

Redundant advice, then! Have fun with the re-design.

Thanks! I will post pictures, of course.