diff --git a/sandbox/align.css b/sandbox/align.css
index 28497b73b..37cdea344 100644
--- a/sandbox/align.css
+++ b/sandbox/align.css
@@ -1,19 +1,39 @@
 
+
 Screen {
     layout: horizontal;
     
 }
 
-Widget#thing {
+Widget {
+    margin:1;
+}
+
+#thing {
     width: 20;
     height: 10;
-    align: center middle;
+    
+    background:magenta;
+    margin: 1;
+    padding: 1;
+    /* border: solid white; */
+    align-vertical: middle;    
 }
 
 
-Widget#thing2 {
-    width: 30;
-    height: 8;
-    align: center middle;
-    background: green;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+#thing2 {
+    width: 20;
+    height: 10;
+    
+    background:green;
+    align-vertical: middle;
+}
+
+
+#thing3 {
+    width: 20;
+    height: 10;
+    
+    background:blue;
+    align-vertical: bottom;
+}
diff --git a/sandbox/align.py b/sandbox/align.py
index 851dcbfae..06d0b366f 100644
--- a/sandbox/align.py
+++ b/sandbox/align.py
@@ -1,14 +1,21 @@
+from rich.text import Text
+
 from textual.app import App
 from textual.widget import Widget
 
 
+class Thing(Widget):
+    def render(self):
+        return Text.from_markup("Hello, World. [b magenta]Lorem impsum.")
+
+
 class AlignApp(App):
     def on_load(self):
         self.bind("t", "log_tree")
 
     def on_mount(self) -> None:
         self.log("MOUNTED")
-        self.mount(thing=Widget(), thing2=Widget())
+        self.mount(thing=Thing(), thing2=Widget(), thing3=Widget())
 
     def action_log_tree(self):
         self.log(self.screen.tree)
diff --git a/sandbox/basic.css b/sandbox/basic.css
index 4d3e64d65..7ab6d8530 100644
--- a/sandbox/basic.css
+++ b/sandbox/basic.css
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ App > Screen {
   color: $text-background;
 }
 
+
 #sidebar {
   color: $text-primary;
   background: $primary;
@@ -81,7 +82,8 @@ Tweet {
   /* border: outer $primary; */
   padding: 1;
   border: wide $panel-darken-2;
-  overflow-y: scroll
+  overflow-y: scroll; 
+  align-horizontal: center;
 }
 
 
@@ -168,6 +170,7 @@ Error {
   margin: 1 3;
   
   text-style: bold;
+  align-horizontal: center;
 }
 
 Warning {
@@ -179,6 +182,7 @@ Warning {
   border-bottom: hkey $warning-darken-2; 
   margin: 1 2;
   text-style: bold;
+  align-horizontal: center;
 }
 
 Success {
@@ -190,4 +194,5 @@ Success {
   border-bottom: hkey $success; 
   margin: 1 2;
   text-style: bold;
+  align-horizontal: center;
 }
diff --git a/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py b/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
index af4a9cdd7..9f650be06 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/_style_properties.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ when setting and getting.
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
+from tkinter.tix import AUTO
 
 from typing import Iterable, NamedTuple, TYPE_CHECKING, cast
 
@@ -47,10 +48,14 @@ class ScalarProperty:
     """Descriptor for getting and setting scalar properties. Scalars are numeric values with a unit, e.g. "50vh"."""
 
     def __init__(
-        self, units: set[Unit] | None = None, percent_unit: Unit = Unit.WIDTH
+        self,
+        units: set[Unit] | None = None,
+        percent_unit: Unit = Unit.WIDTH,
+        allow_auto: bool = True,
     ) -> None:
         self.units: set[Unit] = units or {*UNIT_SYMBOL}
         self.percent_unit = percent_unit
+        self.allow_auto = allow_auto
         super().__init__()
 
     def __set_name__(self, owner: Styles, name: str) -> None:
@@ -90,7 +95,7 @@ class ScalarProperty:
         if value is None:
             obj.clear_rule(self.name)
             return
-        if isinstance(value, float):
+        if isinstance(value, (int, float)):
             new_value = Scalar(float(value), Unit.CELLS, Unit.WIDTH)
         elif isinstance(value, Scalar):
             new_value = value
@@ -101,12 +106,23 @@ class ScalarProperty:
                 raise StyleValueError("unable to parse scalar from {value!r}")
         else:
             raise StyleValueError("expected float, Scalar, or None")
-        if new_value is not None and new_value.unit not in self.units:
-            raise StyleValueError(
-                f"{self.name} units must be one of {friendly_list(get_symbols(self.units))}"
-            )
-        if new_value is not None and new_value.is_percent:
-            new_value = Scalar(float(new_value.value), self.percent_unit, Unit.WIDTH)
+
+        if (
+            new_value is not None
+            and new_value.unit == Unit.AUTO
+            and not self.allow_auto
+        ):
+            raise StyleValueError("'auto' not allowed here")
+
+        if new_value.unit != Unit.AUTO:
+            if new_value is not None and new_value.unit not in self.units:
+                raise StyleValueError(
+                    f"{self.name} units must be one of {friendly_list(get_symbols(self.units))}"
+                )
+            if new_value is not None and new_value.is_percent:
+                new_value = Scalar(
+                    float(new_value.value), self.percent_unit, Unit.WIDTH
+                )
         if obj.set_rule(self.name, new_value):
             obj.refresh()
 
diff --git a/src/textual/css/_styles_builder.py b/src/textual/css/_styles_builder.py
index e49d3f38c..1e3c07b46 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/_styles_builder.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/_styles_builder.py
@@ -625,7 +625,9 @@ class StylesBuilder:
         self.styles._rules["align_vertical"] = token_vertical.value
 
     def process_align_horizontal(self, name: str, tokens: list[Token]) -> None:
-        self._process_enum(name, tokens, VALID_ALIGN_HORIZONTAL)
+        value = self._process_enum(name, tokens, VALID_ALIGN_HORIZONTAL)
+        self.styles._rules["align_horizontal"] = value
 
     def process_align_vertical(self, name: str, tokens: list[Token]) -> None:
-        self._process_enum(name, tokens, VALID_ALIGN_VERTICAL)
+        value = self._process_enum(name, tokens, VALID_ALIGN_VERTICAL)
+        self.styles._rules["align_vertical"] = value
diff --git a/src/textual/css/scalar.py b/src/textual/css/scalar.py
index 25bcca554..33703ac81 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/scalar.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/scalar.py
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ class Scalar(NamedTuple):
             float: _description_
         """
         value, unit, percent_unit = self
+
         if unit == Unit.PERCENT:
             unit = percent_unit
         try:
diff --git a/src/textual/css/styles.py b/src/textual/css/styles.py
index 57fcf1013..eb9caa517 100644
--- a/src/textual/css/styles.py
+++ b/src/textual/css/styles.py
@@ -418,8 +418,8 @@ class StylesBase(ABC):
                 margin = self.margin
 
         else:  # border-box
-            if has_rule("padding"):
-                size -= self.padding.totals
+            # if has_rule("padding"):
+            #     size -= self.padding.totals
             if has_rule("border"):
                 size -= self.border.spacing.totals
             if has_rule("margin"):
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ class StylesBase(ABC):
         """
         offset_y = 0
         align_vertical = self.align_vertical
-        if align_vertical != "left":
+        if align_vertical != "top":
             if align_vertical == "middle":
                 offset_y = (parent_height - height) // 2
             else:
diff --git a/src/textual/layouts/dock.py b/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
index e040a9642..b507bbc67 100644
--- a/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
+++ b/src/textual/layouts/dock.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import sys
 from collections import defaultdict
 from dataclasses import dataclass
+from operator import attrgetter
 from typing import Iterable, TYPE_CHECKING, NamedTuple, Sequence
 
 from .._layout_resolve import layout_resolve
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ class DockLayout(Layout):
         add_placement = placements.append
         arranged_widgets: set[Widget] = set()
 
-        for edge, widgets, z in docks:
+        for z, (edge, widgets, _z) in enumerate(sorted(docks, key=attrgetter("z"))):
 
             arranged_widgets.update(widgets)
             dock_options = [make_dock_options(widget, edge) for widget in widgets]
diff --git a/src/textual/layouts/horizontal.py b/src/textual/layouts/horizontal.py
index 3245c5362..9bf3485c6 100644
--- a/src/textual/layouts/horizontal.py
+++ b/src/textual/layouts/horizontal.py
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ class HorizontalLayout(Layout):
             (content_width, content_height), margin = widget.styles.get_box_model(
                 size, parent_size
             )
-            offset_y = styles.align_height(content_height, parent_size.height)
+            offset_y = styles.align_height(
+                content_height + margin.height, parent_size.height
+            )
             region = Region(
                 margin.left + x, margin.top + offset_y, content_width, content_height
             )
diff --git a/src/textual/layouts/vertical.py b/src/textual/layouts/vertical.py
index f18a39477..9af7e76cb 100644
--- a/src/textual/layouts/vertical.py
+++ b/src/textual/layouts/vertical.py
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ class VerticalLayout(Layout):
             (content_width, content_height), margin = styles.get_box_model(
                 size, parent_size
             )
-            offset_x = styles.align_width(content_width, parent_size.width)
+            offset_x = styles.align_width(
+                content_width + margin.width, parent_size.width
+            )
 
             region = Region(
                 margin.left + offset_x, y + margin.top, content_width, content_height
diff --git a/src/textual/widget.py b/src/textual/widget.py
index 74dc4aabf..e987980c0 100644
--- a/src/textual/widget.py
+++ b/src/textual/widget.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ from typing import (
     Awaitable,
     TYPE_CHECKING,
     Callable,
-    ClassVar,
     Iterable,
     NamedTuple,
     cast,
@@ -16,10 +15,9 @@ import rich.repr
 from rich.align import Align
 from rich.console import Console, RenderableType
 from rich.padding import Padding
-from rich.pretty import Pretty
 from rich.style import Style
 from rich.styled import Styled
-from rich.text import Text
+
 
 from . import errors, log
 from . import events
@@ -394,10 +392,7 @@ class Widget(DOMNode):
         if renderable_text_style:
             renderable = Styled(renderable, renderable_text_style)
 
-        if styles.padding:
-            renderable = Padding(
-                renderable, styles.padding, style=renderable_text_style
-            )
+        renderable = Padding(renderable, styles.padding, style=renderable_text_style)
 
         if styles.border:
             renderable = Border(