Stain it something in the medium to dark range.

Leave it. It will naturally turn less pink over time.

lovemycorgi -- I wouldn't bother replacing what didn't come back, some bare spots in the garden aren't going to dissuade buyers. Focus on keeping the front of the house tidy and inviting, especially by the front door (e.g. pots of flowers, trimmed shrubbery, swept walkways). The rest of it? Nobody cares.

GGal - Well, that really sounds like an adventure though. Where is this container garden area going to be set up? On a deck? Porch? A small outdoor area? Will you be able to leave it in place all year and not have to break it down and put it away at the end of the growing season?

I hope you are taking a lot of photos to document the whole process.

Each condo unit has a small fenced backyard as well as a deck or a small ground level patio. I have an elevated deck (3 steps) and the rest was/is bare lawn....of sorts ;-) And not very much of that. I have about 500 square feet to work with.

Except for some seasonal stuff, everything will live outdoors in containers year round. And out in the lawn area. A couple of smallish pots on the deck but not much room there for anything other than my herbs and summer vacationing houseplants.

The 'befores' are not very interesting and borderline scary (at least to me) but I'll be taking lots of 'afters'!

"Chispa is a paid Promoter upset because of my comments and pictures on multiple Marvin product discussions."

Chispa is not a paid promoter, she is a long-time contributor to these boards and a valued member here.

But hey, I hear you -- I think my Marvins are lousy windows.

No, Chispa is not a paid promotor. She has been on this board for years.

However, back to op. I would do vinyl like you already have. Why would you want a different type of windows on part of the house, than you have on the rest of the house. Keep your windows very similar to what you have. I noticed, you said the designer wanted a different type. Why would a designer want your windows to look different than what you already have. I would insist on windows that match the ones you already have.

Oh no! Sorry this happened to you. I was watching a YouTube video where she had tried this new geranium overwintering method in paper bags, and it was an epic fail. The only thing I generally try to overwinter are my alocasias and colocasias, which I just leave in their pots in the basement. It’s quite dry and warm down there, so I’ve had a few dry out - but I’ve honestly got so many going on down there it comes as a relief to lose some.

I had one cutting take, but it's very small -- it will grow but not to a meaningful size this year. I've overwintered geraniums dormant for a long time, occasionally have some losses but not the whole lot of it. IDK what happened this year, only thing I can think of is I waited too long to pot them up and they dried out but I really don't know. Sigh.

Thanks so much!!!

side wall of pantry (the wall perpendicular to the light switches on teh wall leading out of the kichen)

Wait a minute. Back up the bus. Where are your parents in all this? It's their house, what do they want? What will they accept as acceptable? Are they elderly and not up to making such decisions, or just too busy to be bothered with these sorts of details themselves? If all of what you want ends up costing more, are they going to be ok with coughing up the cash? Are there going to be hard feelings when the dust settles because somehow you ended up in charge of their project and they may or may not agree with you on some of the details? Who does your contractor actually answer to, anyway -- you or the people signing his check aka your parents?

Time is $. Ask your contractor, how to achieve your wishes while staying within the time & budget alloted for the job. Adding more work time = adding more pay. Show your contractor photo examples of the look you prefer & ask them for his suggestions or ideas. Speak up,politely, if you see something that could be an issue, but focus on the solutions, not the problems. Show appreciation for the skills & experience your workmen do during. Give thank you for jobs well done along the way. If someone goes beyond, give some $ beyond. Basically, Treat others the way you want to be treated, will give out good vibes & get better results overall

Tile & shimming cabinets to be level, often need different finishing applications to hide the usual gaps between. Sometimes, scribe may not be thick enough or tall enough to use as the finishing molding between cabinets to tile floor. Ask the GC if that's why he wants to use quarter round/shoe molding vs scribe. If that's the case, ask the Pro what SQUARE EDGE moldings can we use to finish it off & any other suggestions that can achieve the look you are going for. I'm thinking if scribe does not work, then a compromise of a 6" square filler cut to toekick height will work while keeping the square edges. Avoid the rounded look, like regular base molding or quarter round.

Here's some images of islands on TILE to help you & your GC come up with a modern solution.

Ooh, pineapple sage! I grow it every year - a must have. I couldn't care less about the flowers, it rarely flowers for me before the freeze hits, but the leaves, which are reminiscent of pineapple, are wonderful in fruit salads.

I had "Jacob Cline" monarda a few years ago, and it declined over the course of a couple years. I have Mondarda fistula, which is a vigorous grower. It's not as showy as the cultivars, but a valuable native addition and attractive in its own right. I very much like it.

Rouge -- those blooms look great! I occasionally get a flower here or there in some years, but more often than not bupkis. Still, I grow for the foliage and its culinary use so don't even care.

Thanks @mxk3 z5b_MI. 10 years and more ago it seemed that we would get frost by Canadian Thanksgiving (October 11). Now we go well into November it seems before we get a killing frost...so more than enough time for these late flowering plants to do their thing.

"Now we go well into November it seems before we get a killing frost..."

It's variable up here, but not as late as November. Couple years ago we had a hard frost in mid-September; other years, it's usually sometime in October.

Dockside Classics isn't bad, but they're not frozen; IDK if you can freeze them.

I looked online at TJ, but they were not listed. I froze four of mine, so we shall see in a week or so.

Do you have Aldi's? I've heard people rave about the ones they sell.

http://www.sometimesfoodie.com/2017/02/maryland-and-boardwalk-style-crab-cakes.html

I wondered about that.

"For some, truth hurts and is best suppressed, ignored, or both. ." Ain't that the truth!!

Woops! Missed this. Fooey.

"If one is very close, pull over on side of the road, get out and find a ditch to jump into."

^^ This. You want to get as low as possible and out of the way of flying debris as best you can. Do not stay in the car, and try to put some distance between you and the car if possible in case it gets blown about by the tornado.

The only time I've been near a tornado was in the 1960s. I was driving to work when a minor tornado appeared. There had been no warnings. I drove my little Healey into a low spot beside the two lane road -- not quite a ditch but lower than the road -- and waited as it whipped past. Weather was dry everywhere else. It was very minor, quickly gone, no serious damage.

LOL @ Elmer

When my son was about three, a friend of mine was in a new job at the local radio station. It was his first day "live" on air, and the tornado sirens went off while driving home from work with my son in the truck.

My friend lost his cool a bit, and exclaimed something like this ... a tornado is on the ground! Take shelter immediately!

My son instantly became just as excited, loudly proclaiming ... Mama! A tomato is coming! A tomato is coming! Go home, Mama!

Nice to hear a positive review, I'll have to keep them on the list to consider should I need anything.

Yes, seems like they know what they're doing..I liked the careful packaging in addition to the plants. I think they had a big and nice selection.

"...the laundry queen who could walk us thru getting out every stain..."

That would be Mama Pinky, who has sadly passed on.

I came to the KT in 1999, which i recall started in 1998, & was here reguarly for several years, but only drift in occasionally now.

I don’t remember anyone with the moniker BunBun that you mentioned, but there was Kimmie BoomBoom who lived in the hills of Kentucky & was quite a character, & had clown gigs. Others:

Littlebit (Denise) from TN who drove a schoolbus, loved & grew irises.

Wanda from VA retired from gov’t service & loved quilting (like me).

Rella from Chicago who had a spin off forum from KT;

KathyOK;

Angela from Idaho;

Carwil (Carolyn) from Texas;

Susan from TX (originally from NJ?) loved roses & suffered from a very painful disease.

Ginger lived in Virgin Islands & retired to Mexico;

Dave (RIP) from Louisiana shared beautiful photos;

Donna was from Louisiana & later moved to TN;

Lynda from the Woodlands, Tx;

I think it was Tammy &/or her mom Joyce started the spinoff OurHumbleHome (OHH)

UglyBugg (Paula) from MI played bagpipes (?)

I cant recall the name of the gal from VA who had a summer ice cream stand & loved her German Sheppard dogs, one named Jager.

Lots of others …. i recall bits & pieces but cant recall names/monikers.

We had lots of laughs as well as some bickering & disagreements, but overall good times.

Shelba from TX. We met in person a few times, she went to some of the get-togethers. Her hubby was Ed, I am pretty sure. After he passed, she just withdrew from the table and communicating. I know there were others, but nowadays I am struggling with my memory, so can't think of names. Sure is fun reading through this, though!

Call an exterminator. You have to get the larva in the holes in order for the treatment to be effective, otherwise, you'll just have another brood. I have to call my guy every year around June -- the joys of living in a log-sided house....

Buy a bee house and place AWAY from your deck. Seal the holes in your deck. Move them away from what you need to protect.

Not a bee house for carpenter bees. They don't use the premade holes, that's other bees. Carpenter bees like a chunk or few of untreated soft wood like pine, fir, and cedar to chew a nest in. Preferably weathered a bit. Extra if is where it gets moist, but protected from direct precipitation. It's part of why they are so attracted to our construction- a lot of it is made with the wood they like most. If left to weather or unsealed, it becomes softer and nicer for them to chew.

A lot of the sellers at my local farmers’ markets north of Chicago are from Michigan!

In my experiences with date-pushing, harvest didn't come any sooner. Again, and I can't stress this enough -- you're up against soil temperature in the spring up here in the north.

You're probably going to have more success trying to extend the season in the fall -- at that time your battle is with air temps and frosts/freezes more than soil temps, and you're going to have a better chance at things then by using things like frost blankets and such.

ETA: All this presumes you're planting directly in the ground. Soil in raised beds warms at a faster rate.

You can buy a soil thermometer.

Hostas are out, soil temp is 60 at 4" down. As long as I keep a close eye on them worse case I just add some more heaters. I have a lot of elec heaters of all sizes.

I put tom's and peppers in and built a few more cold frames. Covered now with light bulbs in them to add a little heat. I am able to keep air temps 10 degrees higher than outside. Soil temps 4" down are 55 in AM and 60 during the day. I am sure this will increase with cold frames built yesterday. Lowest forecast is 32 so I should not get below 40 air temps (and only at 40 for a couple hours).

I feel confident air temps will always be over 40 and soil over 57 (most times 60 or more).

I think this should be good. We have a cold week ahead then a big warm up. After next week most likely no more temps below 40 until fall.

I don't have tape lights (considered them but chose differently), but I did see tape lights without a diffuser at someone's house -- I did not like the effect, it was like straight line of small bright circles running along the countertop. She has a dark countertop, maybe that makes the difference, IDK I never saw anyone else with them IRL. Just get the diffuser, they're not that expensive.

Some of the newer LED light strips don't give you the pin-point lights. No diffuser needed.

@chispa, can you link to those?

" the dreamer grows up and inhabits that dream for a while ... they find that it isn't as dreamy as they expected. "

A life truism for everything - sometimes it's about living in a mansion, sometimes it's about living in a heritage farmhouse. Sometimes it's about living in the city of 2 million, or living in a small town of 2000. Yet, I don't think it's about finding out the dream isn't as dreamy, it's about changing lives, priorities, and preferences.

To me, those changes are a normal part of life, and changing dreams is to be expected and welcomed, not regretted or resisted.

Alyssum was my first thought, too.

You might also try marigolds or nasturtium.

nemophilas (various, all lovely), phacelia campanulata, vaccaria, gypsophila repens, silene coeli- rosa "Blue Angel', phlox drummondii, convolvulous tricolour.

also a bunch of slightly tender daisies such as ursinia, platystemon, layia, dimorpotheca, arctotis, zinnia marylandica, heliophila.

The company you have on Amazon is great, been buying off them for years. Just got a order in the mail from them. Try the code Amazon at check out for 10 percent off the order.

^^ 8 qt Vigoro perlite = $6.47. The Home Depot by me carries it in stock.

There is also a 2 cu ft bag for $26.97.

ETA: Are you checking the Home Depot website directly?

Here's a photo.

Actually seems very comparable to the coarse perlite in the link Al posted. This was a scoop from the top part of the bag. As you go down, just like potato chips, you get smaller chunks and some dust. Is it the usual amount? No idea as I don't have much experience buying perlite. Which is why I posted to get feedback on others experience.

As for price, $40 something for a 4 cu ft bag seems about average, with the exceptional price @Atheen - 7a - in Maryland, USA was able to get on sale. Nice find!

I'd say check your local Hydro store.That PVP stuff is not consisent and more dust than #4 or #3 grade . I've used one bag of that. I suppose it depends on how it's handled but IME, if you can visually see a bag (like buying it locally at the local Hydro store), easier to see how consisten the entire 4Cu bag is

50 Most Creative Barcode Designs Ever

192 of the Most Genius Barcode Designs Ever

Etc ... Google Search: Artistic Barcodes

That guy kinda reminds me of Weird Al.

I'm sorry to hear this news, laceyvail. It really stinks to have to give up on growing something that you've grown for so long and thoroughly enjoyed. I have used pyrethrin and spinosad in the past for targeted purposes, and they both work well. You might want to consider looking into those.

I am finding this thread educational. I've never heard of the allium borer, but I looked it up and will be on the lookout for it this year. I also didn't know most garlic in the store comes from China. What about the chi-chi places like Fresh Thyme or Whole Foods that sell organic -- same story?

I was at Kroger this morning, and their garlic was a product of USA.

Interesting that people are recommending specific pesticides to control allium borers (leaf miners), and quoting respectable sources. As I noted a few days ago, it has also been claimed that no residential pesticides are available that will work. See https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/allium-leaf-miner. So I guess there is some disagreement in the community. Though it is true that spinosad, for example, is banned in several states and some countries. Permethrin is also mentioned here, but that is not approved for residential use.

daninthedirt, that was also my understanding. An exceedlingly difficult pest to deal with.

Perhaps if I were younger I'd try some of the suggestions. But at nearly 80, I can't take on more garden set ups than I've already got. So, probably gilroy garlic from now on.

One of the two darker ones. I like the one on the far left (darker of the two dark ones) the best, it matches the Taj veins almost perfectly from what I can tell on my monitor, while the lighter of the two dark ones looks great with the background color of the stone. So either one of the two darks, they both go well with teh counter and would look good with teh white cabs.

That said, I do agree with Jan on Taj not needing any competition. Your slabs are particularly beautiful, so proceed with caution and your eyes wide open whatever you choose.

I think that for the small amount of backsplash, the darker tiles will give the room a bit of oomph, but won't overwhelm the Taj, especially on the island--it's definitely very prominent and won't lost any of its cache if the b/s is dark. My 2cents.

If you find your kitchen too dark, then the solution is to add lighting - and lots of it - not to simply paint the cabinets white. Plenty of white kitchens look dingy and drab because they are not properly lit.

I was interested in doing a two-toned kitchen and was advised not to as it would not look good in my kitchen. I have since seen some kitchens similar to the layout of mine and agree with the advice that was given. I have now concluded that I think I only like two-toned kitchens when either the kitchen is very large, has a high ceiling (10 ft or more), or that are not open to other rooms.

dani_m08

I like the quarter sawn white oak also. I saved this from a Caped Cod Magazine-

Your cabinets are beautiful as-is. I don't think the cabs look bad against the floor, but if you don't like the combo, it's easily fixable with a big rug. You need to take the lighting suggestion seriously.

Jan….thxnks for comment on quartz . Have put 50 percent deposit but they have not cut yet. Hopefullybi csn redirect if needed.

I think, the white white is too white with your floors. Your cabinets are already very nice and stained cabinets always hold up better than painted cabinets. I would not paint those cabinets, and if you possibly can, I would change the countertop order to something that goes with both the existing cabinets and the floors.

I like the green. It seems to pair nicely with all of your fixed elements and is a welcome shot of color. I don't know if it's exactly the right color green, though - hard to tell on my monitor. I'd continue down the green path, bring home more samples and see which works best.

I disagree with Jan -- it's not necessary that your island be green to use a green backsplash. Your floor is brown as is your island, and green and brown always go together -- look out the window and that becomes obvious.

Check out glass tiles - larger and medium size subway tiles are available or herringbone pattern them. Glass tiles (offered everywhere) allow a more translucent color without being a strong pop of color - if you are looking for something more subtle. All white kitchen is obviously a different preference. I think bringing in at least some texture is necessary, if not some color. If you don't want a strong pop - glass tiles add texture interest with subtle or vibrant color.

Post photos of the final result!

I think the tile on the left will read very 2024 and date quickly. If you love green (not because its trending) go with green. Hard to tell in the photos but I I think a slightly more olive tone or a tad lighter might go better, but that’s just the photos. Love everything you’ve picked so far!

I just did it again and got aprox 150. I have a slug problem!

That's a lot of slugs!

If they're not mushy, harvest and enjoy them.

They are still to small so I need to decide what to do.

"Does anyone plant bulbs in containers for spring display? "

I tried that one year, I think it was daffs or tulips or maybe both; they all rotted out over the winter, so I never tried it again.

@ LaLennoxa - Well, it's all a learning experience, right? Even if it's just learning what your limits are. Yes, throwing them into a compost pile will turn them into something good. I salvaged about a dozen hyacinth bulbs and half dozen daff bulbs, just by continuing to water them indoors until it was nice enough to bring them outside. The potted remains of the bulbs are outside getting watered when needed until it's time to plant them. But in your case, once they've been out all winter and didn't make it, you're right, they will turn into nutrient rich soil.

And you don't have to give up on a 'glorious spring display' for next year, you just have to come at it a different way next time.

Yes, I think what I had really reinforced for me is that planting directly in the ground works best for me for bulbs. I’ve taken on another double plot at a community garden. So one plot will be for garlic; the other plot will be my “holding plot” for excess bulb planting and overwintering stuff.

I took the advice and resisted temptation to order the ghost plants. Thanks everyone.

I agree with HU's sentiment -- head over to the granite area. There are affordable granites that will knock your socks off and likely be more affordable.

Some things never change, lol. No matter what I say it usually draws snark from Joseph Corlett. Nice to see you too, Joseph, and apparently you haven't changed a bit.

The whole reason I got involved with the stone industry is because there were problems with mis-labeling stones, and that hurts everyone, obviously. That remains true today, and it probably will always be true.

The stone that got me started was Super White "quartzite" (actually dolomitic marble). It was so misunderstood! But from the geologic perspective, it was a very easy one to figure out.

Guess what we just got installed in our living room? None other than the beautiful Super White. I love it so much and the backstory adds to my enjoyment of it.

Right stone --> right place --> happy customer. :)

karin_mt:

I'm puzzled as to how my fairly asked question, important and relevant, can remain unanswered and be mischaracterized as "snark".

Certainly mis-labeling stones is a problem, however, that's minor compared to the inappropriate stone peddling that's indisputably ravaging the natural stone industry. That's major.

I can't fathom a stone installed in a living room being subject to the same performance demands as one in a kitchen. Maybe it's a vertical application. Perhaps you could champion an industry labeling campaign "FOR LIVING ROOM USE ONLY" for the garbage stones we see foisted upon unsuspecting consumers here so regularly. Or you could make more "snark" allegations against those bearing the bad news.

The peonies outside are shooting up fast. I'll start putting the pot outside, though keep an eye on the weather.

Yea, it's getting to be that time. April is touchy, though -- weather can turn on a dime, so good you have the foresight to keep an eye on the weather.

It has deep roots which bring up minerals but afaik merely growing it doesn't enrich the soil. It needs to be cut and either left on the surface as a mulch, turned into liquid fertiliser or composted. The type usually recommended for organic gardening is Bocking 14 which is sterile so you can't buy seeds.

In an orchard I can't see it performing any specific function by simply growing, apart from attracting pollinators and conserving the soil. You'd need to regularly harvest it for use as above for it to make any difference to the trees' nutrition.

Btw Comfrey liquid absolutely stinks. Don't brew it near the house!🤢

^^ Good to know, thanks for the info.

I don't have an answer to your question but wanted to chime in and say what a cool raised bed design! I'm in the planning process for mine, this gives me another idea to toy around with.

FWIW, whatever fencing you do decide to put up, leave 3-4 foot on each side for a path so you can easily tend the plants on the backside of the bed.

FWIW #2: A fence isn't going to keep out a groundhog, they can easily climb a fence. Racoons, too. But, it's the deer who will decimate your garden, so that's who you have to plan for.

FWIW #3: I haven't tried this wireless deer fence, but it has been talked about in the Perennials forum. It might be worth a trial before going through the hassle of putting up physical fencing: The Wireless Deer Fence.

I wouldn't tuck the chicken wire down into the inside of the boxes. It can be a bit of a pain to garden right up against it. If you get any broken bits it's easier to deal with it on an outside wrap than an inside one. I would frame the verticals on the outside of the box. You might want to go two high with the chicken wire depending on what you are growing- if it grows over the top of the chicken wire wall, the deer will snack at that level if they can.

For a stringer on the inside edge. It's just a single wire strung across the top of the garden stakes. You tie flags onto it. Colorful ribbon or non-sticky plastic tape like flash tape or neon yard tape. It creates a visual moat effect to the deer. With the box in the center and with the moat, the deer think there isn't a good spot to jump into there.

It's like building a chicken moat- only instead of running chickens in it you are growing your raised bed garden in it. Try looking up chickem moats. And enclosed or fenced keyhole raised bed is a good phrase to look up a visual of your bed with a fence on it.

Put a gate on the opening of the bed, and it helps keep everything out. Put a solid panel on the bottom of the gate, at least the same height as the bed walls. This will help keep out visual grazers like rabbits and some fowl.

If you want, you can install some PVC pipes in your bed vertically. The height of the bed along the inside edges. Then you have post holes in your beds. Use these for hoops for frost/sun/shade/netting cloths. Also can be used for holding stringer posts through the summer.

I would also suggest you put in some support for those long sides. It's built nice, don't get me wrong. But putting in a couple spanners/braces to help keep the walls aligned now is easier before filling. And prevent potential bowing issues in the future. Also or as an alternative. You can use your verticals for your chicken wire if you sink them into the ground as braces to help prevent future bowing.

This grid wire anchored to wood makes a nice fence.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091SL4NM9/ref=twister_B092BBH48S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Update 4/2024: I'm going to have to re-evaluate my use of "Black and Bloom" this year. Couple reasons: While it was a large, robust plant, which is just what I wanted for the pot, a bit later in the season it got bare ankles, the underplanting of petunias was bloomed out so taken out, and the bareness on the bottom bugged me. Second, the cuttings are not easy to manage in the house over the winter. They're too vigorous and require constant cutting back or else they want to take over the whole window cart. I just hacked them back again by at least 2/3 this afternoon.

Now, my "Black and Blue" cuttings are doing fantastic. I managed to get nice full plants over the winter with minimal fuss (unlike the "Bloom"). So, if these "Blue" that I grew from cuttings end up growing vigorously once outdoors, I will stick with those instead of the "Bloom" and take the cutting route yearly instead of relying on purchased transplants (reference my above comment about being disappointed in recent years). I like the flower color better anyway. So we'll see.

I had trouble with winter cuttings of "Mystic Spires". The cuttings I took from outdoor plants in the fall rooted quickly, but the cuttings I took from those were a struggle; a lot of them did not take, so I don't have as many "Mystic Spires" and I would like. Oh well. At least the ones I have look good.

Six of six 'Mystic Spires' successfully wintered in the garage, only bringing them in during frigid outbreaks when temps in there fell much below freezing. Soon will take a good deal of cuttings and shall set the original plants out as well.

I have a Whitehause apron-front fireclay and love it.

I have had customers get the Silgranite sinks - didn't hear back except for one. The one who had trouble had a gray color and had lots of problems with staining on it which I found very strange. They did let her return it and get a different color which seems to be just fine ( I think she got the black one ) .

Blanco silgranite. Almost 9 years strong and still looks great.

I really like the main living area, tons of potential there and beautiful hardwoods, lots of natural light, open space and what looks like good use of space in lower level. What I really don't like and would be a hard no for me is the stairs to enter from the garage.

In my neck of the woods bi-levels or split-levels get the least amount $$ per sq ft, so if and when they make an offer, they should know the going rate for splits in your area.

@ sushipup2 - It is true. I wish I had a crystal ball and would have bought a few properties before Covid and resold last year. I could be swimming in money, but who knew?

I know rhis area. The school district is just okay

I don't like this slab. Fissures are natural and to be expected with this stone, but the fissuring is excessive and much too obvious on the top part of the stone and going down on the diagonal on the one side. It looks all scratched up in the distance shot, even though it's not.

Given how popular Taj Mahal quartzite is, I would be very suspicious about why he would need to sell it at a significant discount.

Embrace the fissures/cracks please; they're wonderfully consistent.

Sounds like a never-ending battle....

Can you just make a meal out of them - a la escargot?

Sadly slugs and snails are not deterred by coffee grounds around plants. They happily attack my hostas even when the soil is entirely covered in them. https://www.gardenmyths.com/getting-rid-slugs-coffee-grounds/

As for spraying coffee on foliage, I believe the experiments were done with a caffeine solution, not brewed coffee. And in a wet climate spraying anything is a hiding to nothing. I'd be applying it everyday.

I've just removed three of my giant garden snails from a clematis obelisk. I cleared it yesterday too. And the day before ...

I'm sure you have done research and have tried a number of things, but don't give up, all you need is ONE way that works. Seek and you shall find.... 🙂

25 ways to rid your garden of slugs and snails

12 Natural ways to rid your garden of snails

Natural Predators of snails and slugs

A Western Washington Gardener's secret to ridding her garden of snails and slugs

I also do not have any windows in my kitchen proper. I have a dark floor, light cabinets, and a dark backsplash. I lit the cr*p out of it with can lights and undercabinet lights -- it is not dark in there because it's lit properly. Even kitchens with white cabinets and light everything else can look dark and dingy without proper lighting.

I agree with mxk. Lighting is everything. We have a finished basement with no windows and with proper lighting you wouldn't know you were basement.

Do not rip out beautiful hardwood floors for LVP. Huge downgrade. Spend that money instead of re-sanding and re-finishing what you have -- you can pick any color stain you want.

@jqueen3 Are your current floors hardwood?

I have so many reasons to love my LVP floors…not the least of which is to save the forests…but also the very low maintenance…and easy installation ..and no fading ..as I have tons of windows….i grew up with the monthly obligation of servicing beautiful old hardwood floors…so i am especially appreciative of my “only damp cloth for spots” upkeep…

Buy the programmable light bulbs thst let you change the K level.

AND the dimmers.

Brightness has to do with lumens. Color temperature has to do with Kelvins.

If you want it bright, buy bulbs with higher lumen output or add more cans (or both, depending on the specific situation).

I think it's misleading when people say 3000K is "too yellow". Yes it's yellow-er than 3500K or 4000K, and for some people it is too warm, but it's not YELLOW for Pete's sake -- that would be 2700K or lower.

But yes, buy the cans that let you change the K and decide for yourself which setting you like.