If they were mine, I think that I would strip most of the extraneous padding and so forth out of them and drill them for drainage (if they aren't already). I'd place a baby doll (or even just a doll baby head) filling with soil, and succulent plants to grow to look like a blanket covering the sleeping babe. :^)

Hi nannerbelle ! Are deer going to be an issue? I'm discovering lots of shade shrubs. Elaeagnus is so fragrant now preceeding the wild honeysuckle. I hear it's a nitrogen fixer so I'm going to try planting under/near it and see if plantings thrive for the nitrogen. Sweetshrub. Kind of a nondescript with aromatic foliage of no particular beauty but the dark mahogany red flowers are just starting to open. Surprised that even the two foot tall seedlings nearby (hint..it seeds easily) are putting up blooms. Once the blooms are open, they are quite fragrant. The structure is airy/leggy so front with something evergreen and dense. Older varieties of the tall blueberry shrubs..they give nice background under tall canopy/forest edge and they turn the most wonderful salmon color foliage in fall. Lowes had the taller version on their racks. (just sayin'..I buy from independents) This yard is , some would say..infested with Rose of Sharon. All different colors. Bright light is all they ask for and they are thriving in the mostly acid soil. I think first do the skeleton background of shrubs and pay attention to prevailing breezes and sun path as you site your shrubs. Damp feet area in bright forest edge? Florida anise,ilex Then, drag out your old "Southern Gardener Book of Lists" by Lois Trigg Chaplin. I'm a fan of the loropetalums and having had the biggest ones, the tallest thinnest ones I'm now excited about the smaller dwarf variety with deep purple leaves to be a background for a lime green w/ crimson splash leaved Heuchera.(s) (many many) Astilbe is a reliable spring bloomer in bright shade.(oops..babelsrus mentioned that already). lemon verbena does fine in bright shade moist but well drained (elevated bed). Another favorite early bloomer perennial is siserinchium (sp). The cultivated one is Lucerne and a truer blue than the native ones which are more blue violet. Tricky part is siting them so you remember they aren't grass to be pulled up,sprayed or weeded out. So site them where later flowers will cover the grassy foliage. In between bursts of flowering when some gardens look monochromatic green..coleus here and there bring reliable color foliage. For that patchy sun spot or good morning sun til noon or so..I had the cottage look of mixed blackeyed susans with tall perennial ageratum. The blueviolet fuzz against the hard yellow orange petals around a fountain or birdbath was so pretty and easy care if you get the early weeds and grasses out.of the beds.

If you're doing a theme type party, use things having to do with that. When my daughter was small, we did a safari party and they all wore "jungle" hats and had a scavenger hunt looking for animals you would find on safari. My DH came up with clever clues so they would have to guess what they were looking for. The kids had a blast.

I have a couple of friends who do the 'show me a piano and we'll do a sing along" thing... I might add "The Trolly song" "A guy is a Guy" "Are you sincere" "The Thing"...( Phil Harris...get out of here with that * bump de dump*) Good Morning Star Shine Yes sir That's my Baby Heart of my Hearts...I love that melody.. Cool Water Mule Train High Noon (speaking of Frankie Laine!) Matilda Peg O' my Heart Guantanamera See Ya later Alligator Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polkadot....etc And there are great "Country" sing along soneg...such as "I walk the line" and "Momma Don;t Your Sons grow up to be Cowboys"" And "Ruby don't tale your Love to Town" And of course "Daddy sang bass and Momma sang Tenor..." And a few that are not fit for polite company!! LOL!...Something about "clover"??? Linda C