Applenut, IMHO I would not use seedling rootstocks. They are unpredictable and don't have the drought tolerance and climate adaptability that MM-111 provides. In Santa Cruz county, MM111 is the preferred rootstock because under dry conditions, growth won't shut down. With other rootstocks, adverse weather conditions can shut down growth and it's much harder to get the tree going again. I have had very poor luck with seedling rootstocks in my poor soil and southwest facing hillside that cooks up to 100F in the Summertime. MM111 will generally overtake a seedling in no time. Antonovka seedlings have been especially terrible for me, they don't take well to dry sandy soil. Also, a number of local growers have noticed that MM111 seems to lower overall chill requirements for many cultivars. I don't know how this works, and why it does, suffice to say MM111 has proven itself in our milder climate. If you really need a low chill vigorous rootstock, then you might want to root Northern Spy, this is one of the parents of MM111, and it's quite vigorous, and cuttings will actually root. It should have some similar traits to MM111 except be much more vigorous. Variety wise, I think Anna and Dorsett Golden are good choices, but I've always been curious about the "truly tropical" apples, e.g. those that require a super long growing season to ripen, and will not ripen well in shorter season climates. The varieties that come to mind are all from the Southern hemisphere, and include Granny Smith, Lady Williams, Sundowner, and perhaps even pink lady, one of the only apples in my backyard that doesn't get sunburned. These varieties seem to not be very sensitive to lack of chill accumulation. I believe Granny Smith even came from Sydney surroundings, where the climate is as mild as coastal Southern California, but with humid Summers. Around here, Granny Smith ripens as yellow table apples in mid January along with Pink lady, followed by Lady Williams in early Febuary, and then Sundowner a bit later. The trees defoliate here just as the apples ripen. The only drawback of the longer season varieties when grown in the tropics is that you have to get them through the rainy season with fruits on them, not a good prospect when it comes to disease, but maybe some of them are disease resistant. The trouble with Anna and Dorsett golden is that they are disease prone in humid climates, so one would need to breed in resistance into low chill cultivars. You may want to post to the Cloudforest at www.cloudforest.com/cafe/, there are a bunch of tropical fruit growers there that also grow apples in some of the mildest parts of California, Australia and New Zealand. There are lots of discussions there about low chill apple cultivars.

It sounds as if you are talking about trying to induce a new plant from a branch in the main flower spike on a plant with just one crown. As arthur says, you may find some advice in a thread on keiki paste. These describe a way of inducing a new plant on a spike. However, there is no chance that potting a spike or branch of spike will give you a new plant. There was a thread recently on a cut spike in water that produced a keiki. Also, I have seen keikis form on the stub of a cut spike, when two nodes were left on the cut spike. But this is not a sure thing. And you don't pot the spike, you wait for it to make a keiki.

This isn't 3x6, But I think it's pretty much what you're looking to do: So long as the glass isn't thicker than the tile (and I've yet to see a time when it is) you're fine. Your installer might have to build the accent up a bit, but that would be the worst of it.

Jpmom, you home is gorgeous already! The 12" crown will look perfect with the already tall baseboards. Then add all the other woodwork in, the fireplace mantle, wainscoting, and pillars in the dining room. So pretty! My first reaction was to continue the white painted woodwork. It seems naturally connected to that bar wall from the the LR and DR with the baseboards and wainscoting. Oh and I also love that transom window above the other doorway too! My other thought was that I know from experience how the backsplash tile can completely change colors due to the lighting and what is directly next to it. I would want the two areas in the kitchen with the backsplash to look related. It may look completely different with one being next a window with white cabs and dark counters verses the other being in low natural light with black cabs and white Quartz. I'd definitely wait to decide on what to do with the bar area until the rest of the kitchen is painted white as Romy suggested. I do think it might look great either way, but I'm just one who needs to see it in real life before committing. I am sure either way it is gonna be stunning! ETA.... Could you possibly find a remnant of the Volga blue to fit the bar top if you went with white cabs on the bar? Or possibly just cut the granite and add a dark walnut type wood butcherblock section that reads dark above the wine fridge? Think romy's dark wood top next to the granite? Just a thought....:-)