Wrote off self-watering pots for years. Thought they were a gimmick. Then a friend gave me one as a joke after my third peace lily bit the dust. Figured I'd try it with a calathea just to prove it wouldn't work. That plant is now so big I had to move it to the floor. @the_olivia is right, those reservoir pots are a game changer for picky plants. The fern I killed last year would probably still be alive if I'd had one.

Man I always thought being an authorized user was totally harmless, but this changed my mind completely.

What bugs are you keeping out with just a tarp down there?

Oh man I've been hearing about those clip systems for years but never tried em. Read a review in some masonry forum that said they were a game changer for big flat jobs like patios. Honestly I always thought they were just another gimmick to sell plastic junk to DIY guys but your story makes me want to give em a shot. Ive been laying brick since 2015 and my eye is pretty good but nothing beats dead flat especially on a 400 footer like that. The learning curve sounds like the main thing I'm worried about, I hate slowing down for new tools. Maybe I'll grab a bag of em next time I'm at the supply house and mess around on a small test pad.

The silicone mat industry really convinced everyone they reinvented the wheel when they just made nonstick oven floor mats. Parchment paper with holes is the move for sure, I poke a grid pattern into mine with a fork and it works better than any silicone garbage I've tried. At this point I'm convinced the whole air fryer accessory market exists just to separate people from their money while their fries get sad.