I do not understand how a neighbors pond could drain yours and kill your fish?

Rosebud, I am pretty sure that that is a virbinum. There are 150 different kinds, but since you think this is an early bloomer, that will narrow it down some. The leaves are shaped exactly like a virburnum. Next spring, make a note of the flower color, the scent and notice what color those berries turn later this fall. Then you will be able to see exactly what kind of virburnum it is. They are nice shrubs, they are reliable, hardy, beautiful shrubs. Congrats on your shrub and your new home.

Tricia - What a lovely idea for a thread! It gives each of us a chance to reflect on our own feelings about and uses of our gardens as well as a chance to eavesdrop on others doing the same. Thanks to all who have contributed. My folks arenÂt gardeners, but my granddad, the parents of one of my childhood friends and a neighbor growing up all influenced my love of gardening and as I putter around the garden, I remember them. I have four garden areas. Around the house, which is surrounded by open farm fields, are flower gardens and along the road in our extended side yard is the vegetable garden. Down the road is my husbandÂs shop, which is approached by a 1/4 mile wooded driveway where I am subtracting bramble and poison ivy to allow the more decorative existing plants to flourish and adding native plants and those that will grow in acid woodlands without too much care. My goal there is to have varied texture and form punctuated by seasonal flowers. Around the shop are flower and shrub gardens as well as one wooded "island" surrounded by a small field and woods. Both the wooded island and the woodland edge are planted similarly to the driveway. My gardens provide me with spiritual sustenance, intellectual challenge, and physical activity. Like Marie of R, my garden is more about process than the result, though they do provide me with beauty and food. Like her I also love the mental challenge of land stewardship and finding the right place to make a plant happy, though sometimes it happens through trial and error. Because the two gardens by the house are close to the road, like Martie they provide me a chance to meet and greet neighbors, whether they stop by to visit or ask what a particular plant is, pick a few veggies, or just honk and wave hi as they tool on by. Often someone who stops by for another reason leaves with a division of a plant. Our gardens provide wildlife habitat and the enjoyment we get from watching our wild visitors. There are berries and nest sites for the songbirds, the old farm pond for the frogs to visit in spring, occasional food for deer ;>(, and right now we have a turkey nest with a dozen eggs under the low hanging hemlock on the meadow edge. Other visitors include various hawks, coyotes, foxes, several varieties of woodpeckers, ducks, and an occasional moose or bear. We often sit on the back patio in the evening to see who comes wandering through the garden or the field. ItÂs pretty much just mine - DH mows the lawn and enjoys the flowers and produce, but he doesnÂt get involved in planting or maintaining otherwise. I know my garden wonÂt ever be finished, but the it's a joy to work toward an end, even one I'll never reach.

lynn: Your cherry office sounds wonderful. Are they built-in or freestanding? I can't wait to share pics!! I'm also wondering what to do for chairs since we have hardwood floors. It would work best to have chairs with castors so we can roll out of the way when we need to open the drawers, but am worried now I'll scratch the floors. rmkitchen: Ah, gentleman's closet, yes something like that. Who knows it'll have all our files, charging station, etc. DH wants it to go to the ceiling so my new idea is to do that and split the difference between ceiling and top of window molding (which is about 12") for the other cabinets. Would you mind posting a pic of your taller cabinets? I'm also wondering how it will work/feel with the huge upper doors (about 56"H)? Sort of like pantry doors sitting on top of a desk. I could td two stacked cabinets instead, but that will cost more, plus make the space less flexible to store larger items in adjustable shelves. Perhaps she could break up the look visually by making it look like one door is stacked on another. Does that make sense? I should probably go back through the FKB to see what the taller doors look like. Also with the taller cabinets, now the shorter base seems out of scale. Where it'd be really nice is for the two cabinets between the desks, but would be odd I think to do 2 different heights. I can't quite comprehend how these drawers eat up so much space with the glides, framing, etc. I'd at least like a drawer to store envelopes there. I can't quite get it as I have it in my freestanding desk--top pencil drawer, middle for envelopes, bottom of files--but it's a shorter base. I may have to loose the notion of a trash cabinet and just put under one of the desks--which I suppose there is room towards the back area. Anyway she'll come tomorrow and I think for the base, I'll see what she recommends will work best for the area where the cabinet butts up to the step and carry that look everwhere.