Thank you all for the wonderful compliments on the yard & BB. It was actually a very easy project: Get a bag of thinset & a bag of "sanded" grout from HD or Lowe's or where ever you like to shop. Get a Freezer zippy bag. Mix up thinset (it's simple: just add a few teaspoons of water to the powder, until it's the consistency of a thick frosting) I used glass pieces that I purchased from Mosaics by Maria (dot com)...the cheaper stuff is in the "offcuts" section or in the "sale" section. The bottom I used some broken china pieces, and glass globs that you can find in WM or craft store. The only "major" thing I did with this BB is it originally had "flowerettes" shaped all around the edges. I couldn't mosaic those, so I filled the whole thing with thinset to flatten it out so I could mosaic it. Simply use the zippy bag just like you would a frosting bag, and squirt some thinset on the glass piece, then stick the pieces to the BB. Grout: Mix it up just like the thinset, and smear it all into the cracks & crevices after you put the pieces on. Let dry for about 1/2 hr, then wipe off with damp sponge/rag/old sock/crumpled newspaper. After grouting, seal it: I sealed mine with "Tile Lab" brand sealer- 2-3 coats I think I used. The glossy finish one. Just brush it on with one of those cheapie foam brush thingys. That's it. It's obviously WICKED heavy now, but the birds really love it, and it doesn't seem to get as 'yucky' now that the cement is covered. Easy to clean & put new water in. If I left anything out, just let me know.

Outsmarting the tree rats (squirrels) around my house is a full time job. This past spring I hit on a new idea. When I plant a container I invert an empty wire hanging basket over the container and the plant gets sun and can be watered but the squirrels can't dig in it. Another idea: I bring in a lot of plants to "over winter" under lights in my garage. I have so many that it is hard to reach my hand under the lights (4 shop lights) to the middle for watering. So I bought a pump sprayer with a long wand and it works great! In late winter I add a little liquid Dawn detergent, few drops, to each gallon of water and not only does the soil get wet easier but the worms that are waiting to hatch into distructive pets just don't hatch. Don't know what it costs me to run those four shop lights all winter but I don't care. It is a small price to pay to be able to "garden" every weekend in the garage. Many people have mentioned that they mark their outdoor plants with a "permanent Sharpie". In my experience there isn't a "permanent Sharpie", they all fade and quickly too. A grease pencil/china marker or expensive "no fade" garden center marker are the only markers I have found that won't disappoint you by fading. Eight years ago I decided to learn about gardening so I tapped into my local library. I checked out nearly every book they had on gardening and learned so much. The Gardenweb forums are also a wealth of information and entertainment. There is always something new to learn and I appreciate all of you who take the time to write in your ideas. One last idea from me...I keep a small notebook on my computer table and jot down any idea I find that's new and I will want to try. Little pieces of paper get lost but I always know where my notebook is and also use it when I order "on line" so I will remember the name of the company and the order date. Tina or Trowelgal

[DH guest reply] Yes, the island is 64". The overhang is 12", and the corbels are 12 1/2"L x 10 1/4"W. The corner sink drain is fine. Surprisingly, the water really doesn't splash when it hits the metal, and the sink is over 12" from the top of the counter (very deep). That's probably a function of the aerator more than the sink / drain location, as the water doesn't feel highly pressurized coming out. While we're on sinks, there are two things I should point out that are difficult about ours: (1) I'm the DH, and at 6' tall, I have to bend my back quite a bit to do dishes in the deep sink. That's a downside of the deep sink that I haven't heard mentioned on this forum. And in case you're wondering, no, this doesn't mean I'm off the hook for dish duty :) Overall I still like the sink, as we do get all the goodness that comes with a deep sink (hides dirty dishes, etc.), but it's a detail that tall people should be prepared for. (2) I nixed a dedicated sprayer as well as a pull-down spray faucet, because we couldn't find ones that we thought were as pretty or gave as nice and uncluttered a look as only having the non-spray faucet we chose. In hindsight, that was a mistake. A sprayer (probably a pull-down to keep the uncluttered look) would have been really nice for cleaning the sink itself - the sink depth makes for a lot of cleanable surface area on the sides, and that would go much easier with a sprayer. As for paint, it was Benjamin Moore oil based paint, and we had the cabinets hand painted post installation. Hand painting is pricey, but provides beautiful, old-fashioned detail. We struggled with the choice of oil paint a lot, as the fumes are nasty for the environment. But everyone in the biz we talked to said that oil paint holds up so much better against the beating that cabinetry takes. So I convinced myself (not necessarily rightly) that it's environmentally sound to choose quality materials that last more than a few years. And, 4 years later, I can definitely vouch for the quality of the paint. We're in the kitchen a ton, cooking from scratch as well as eating in it, then cleaning the cabinets with a sponge, etc., and you'd have to look pretty closely to know it's not brand new paint. If you do look closely, you'll see some small scratches / chips right on the corners of many of our most used drawers & doors.

Thank you, Anna-Lyssa! Kes, the shrub between/behind Midnight Blue, Tradescant and Marie Pavie is Hydrangea mariessii Variegata. It will handle some afternoon sun in the PNW as long as it's well watered. It's also shielded somewhat by Buddleia Lochinch. There are a couple of starts of variegated Euonymus Emerald Gaiety in the bed as well. To the right. Carol