sherry, best thing would be to contact your county's agricultural extension office or the university. They are more familiar with your area and best at recommending and help you out. They would have local information that they know more than us who are not in your area. Besides, the help is free and they would gladly help. That's a good starting point. Then you can clarify some questions in this forum and we will relate to your problems of growing your fruit trees.

Gary, One thing to keep in mind with orchids at the big boxes is many are, for the money, a better deal than buying cut flowers because they last so much longer. I do that, knowing that I know very little about keeping it alive or getting it to rebloom after it finally peters out. I just stick them in the boot of the palm tree out back and once in a blue moon fertilize them. And several have died out there, but one rebloomed for me recently. I felt like I doubled my money on that little very common purple and white dendrobium. I do the same thing with the little broms with the spectacular flowers (or whatever brom's non-flower flowers are called.) After several weeks, the flowers die and I plant them in the ground. I've had several of those rebloom too, and I'm even bringing pups and big divisions to the swap. They're not fancy, but for the $8 I paid, I got a lovely flower in the kitchen window for weeks, and if I get more, wow, yippee! I also think the orchids make much nicer hostess gifts than showing up with a bunch of cut flowers. If the hostess can't keep it alive to rebloom, he or she will at least get to enjoy the nice spray of flowers for much longer than cut flowers will last. (so when you see me at HD, don't bother to counsel me on my brom and orchid buys... just all the other stuff I might buy and potentially kill or hate!) As for the in-store kills, I saw a massacre in the making yesterday. Someone should go to the K-Mart in Miami Shores and convince the manager to sell them all the broms and orchids for cheap. They lost the shade covering in Fay and everything there is burned looking and won't last much longer. I thought about talking to him or her, but I don't know enough about orchids to think that even if they were heavily discounted, I could keep enough of them alive and get them to rebloom to make it worth it. susannah

I never posted on either of the forums, but read them all a lot. I have followed your other thread. I have few questions: *Do you think you'll eventually replace cabinets & renovate the kitchen? *If yes, when - few years from now? much longer than that? *Is the existing layout satisfactory to you or is there anything that has to be changed soon? Almost everyone suggested that you keep existing cabinets as they are. I personally like dark color too. BUT you are and will live in that house. Looking at them every single day. On top of it you mentioned that they are pretty worn out. So you should do it the way you like them. If you are not planning major reno soon, I would think it would be best to invest some $$$ & have them painted professionally. It will cost you little more, but results would likely be much better. (My daughter paints & I wouldn't have her doing my kit cabinets - walls, trim yes, maybe laundry cabinets!). Just don't forget that the frames/boxes (hope that is correct term) need to be painted same color. That has to be done on site, but it is much smaller/narrower area so maybe your husband can do it. Same paint color as door. The panel by the fridge should be as wide as the appliance - you mentioned that. Would you carry it to the top of cabinets? (I would). Then you need to make upper cab deeper - I am sure you know that & it can be done. Definitely replace tiles. Bar could be just drywalled & painted same as walls (I had something similar & it looked great). Is the counter appropriate depth?(looks just bit shallow, but that may be just because fridge seems to be sticking up too much-lack of proper width on that panel). I had caesarstone organic white counter & loved it. My cabs were darker brown with greenish undertones. And my backsplash was white tile (white on white subtle design). Together it looked great. Sorry, don't have photos to post. If you like gray cabinets (or any other color), I would suggest to go to paint store & p/u color chips that you like. I would take them to IKEA (or other kit showroom...) & look at all gray (whatever color) kitchens they have, comparing the color chips to cabs you like most . That way you'll see how the cabinets will look. You may be able to get ideas on backsplash & paint color too - usually, the showroom kitchens are set up to impress! I am not good in suggesting colors, but having paint chips will help again. Check them against existing walls. If you think it looks good, buy a small sample of paint, get larger piece of hardboard or drywall, paint it & put next to adjoining walls. You will see if they 'go together' much better from the large sample (make it at least 2x2', even bigger). Most important, I think, is not to rush. You will spend more $ than you think (it always works that way...), and you will have to live with result for a while if you don't like it. So rather take more time planning. Your kit is in very good shape for a while longer (even if you are sick & tired of the red cabinets). Don't get pressured into something you don't like, and don't do it so-so/good enough...just my opinion... Rina

rosecanadian, you may have already seen the pictures I shared before, but here we go again! I love Belinda because she smells dreamy, tough as nails, in constant bloom and one of my first roses! (my mom purchased her for me, along with a few others) The other thing is that she has so many different "faces". Classy, upright buds that turn into the most glorious blowsy blooms! I can cut flowers and they seem to last forever in the vase...scents the whole room. I have seen many post that she is not that fragrant for them..but not the case in my humid, hot climate. She is a rose that I will always have..234I cut her back for the first time this year (4th year growing, I think) so she would put on more growth from the bottom. My son's lab plowed thru her while playing with my little dogs! My girls went under and Scout went through! lol I did see a touch of black spot this year, but she drops a few leaves and soldiers on. NEVER looks bad..even in our 98 degree + weather. I have one that I rooted a few years ago, planted in a spot in the yard that is a pain to access with a hose, and it is thriving. I watered it a few times with a watering can and that is it! This was a few years ago. She is in my back yard that gets full sun from the south and west. She never wilts even with the excessive heat radiating from the driveway and light colored bricks. (and gracious, everything else does!!) I actually planted a forest pansy redbud behind her...that area bakes!! Tea olives are another must have southern staple. They also just bake and thrive.