I understand what you are saying John. I have been in the nursery business for over 50 years now and I know how things have changed over those decades. Sadly I also know how very outdated much of that info one can read online is. Add to that the need they feel they have to try to cover all points within a brief page length (so some will read it) and one finds all sorts of issues hidden between the lines. In the article you linked for example they skim lightly over the issues of "free of pathogens and seed-free", of "density and disease concerns", "hold nutrients well", etc. assuming the reader will know how to prevent all those issues - issues that kill more container plants than all other issues combined and so easily avoided by simply using a bagged already sterile mix. They make no mention of the size of containers and even imply these "mixes" will work in any container. They don't discuss how one is supposed to evaluate "density" or recognize what is good or bad density. They don't address HOW one is supposed to retain nutrients when daily watering is often needed. I could go on but but as I mentioned above all this is discussed and debated in infinite detail on the Container Gardening forum as it is only indirectly related to Growing Tomatoes. Bottom line - the choice of what to use is yours. I have tried them all over many years and IMO container mixes that incorporate coarse sand (except for succulents), top soil in any of its various forms, much less garden soil and even compost pose far more problems for plants grown in containers than any potential benefits they might have. Dave

Thanks for your suggestions. I've considered most of the options you all mentioned but didn't want to make my post so long. The original idea was to get a slide in range. I have white appliances and I want to keep white appliances. I do not want stainless. My fridge and dishwasher are less than 2 years old. I won't be replacing them an I want all appliances to match. Induction ranges do not come in white, except Viking, which I considered but I don't like many things about it so it's a no go. So I gave up on the induction and looked for a radiant slide in. I have had a radiant range for 19 years. I like it just fine. The electrolux slide in was my pick, but when I went to buy it, they discontinued it in white just a few weeks ago. There are none left in the country! I liked a JennAir in white (my fridge is a JennAir floating glass white so that range would match perfectly) - yep, discontinued in white. When we originally built our island, I wanted a cooktop in the island and to put double ovens where the range is right now. At the time, that was cost prohibitive so we didn't do it. Now that I'm having such a hard time finding a range I like, my husband wondered if we couldn't do the double ovens where the pantry is and retrofit a cooktop where the range currently is. If we can, I can still go with an induction cooktop and get everything I want. The panty is 24" deep. The installation specs for the JennAir double oven (JJW2830WS) show 24" is necessary. The width is fine too. Matching the cabinets would not be a problem as they are only 3 years old. The "Chinese thermofoil" comment above was kind of uncalled for. We chose those cabinets 3 years ago. I loved white and my husband didn't want painted. They clean nicely and I like them. I didn't know any better back then and if I were to do it over again today, I'd chose Pioneer brand cabinets painted white (our island is Pioneer brand painted navy). But that ship has sailed an we have what we have. Anyway, the poster above who suggested a contrasting cabinet under the cooktop got me thinking that a bit deeper cabinet (so it bump out a bit and maybe has leg/post accents) in the same SW Naval color as my island would be very pretty. As for the electrical someone mentioned, my SIL is an electrical engineer and we just had our electrical box upgraded this past fall. We have plenty of room and installing whatever we need is not a problem. I will not be installing a vent hood. I've never had one in 30 years, and I only cook with electric. I don't really see the point. They are pretty in the reveals I see here on GW, but I don't have grease all over my cabinets and the house is never smelly with fried food. I don't think it's necessary and won't be having one. The point about the granite does make me think. It makes sense that I can't have a piece of granite added with a square hole cut out because my space is only 30" wide. (It would be a 30" cook top (JIC4430XS)). Can we build a frame and have granite strips in the back and front edge of the stove? Would that work? Our granite is blue pearl, so it's quite generic and should be easy to match. I haven't checked with the fabricator yet. We just thought of this last night and wondered if anyone on GW had done this or seen it done. Thanks for your input. Please remember that the above pictures were of the house when we walked through looking to buy it. The kitchen has since been remodeled, although in the same footprint (and we added an 11' island).

Well, Mel's Mix is designed for pots and containers, not garden beds. A raised bed should have compost-amended soil in it, i.e. some content of mineral soil not just organic matter. And once you do that, you've incorporated plenty of trace minerals so there's little need for mineral amendments. Water under the bridge now. But to answer your question, as long as you haven't planted, you can spread it evenly on top and either turn it over with a shovel or rake it around with a garden rake to mix it into at least the first few inches. With a mix that light, it's going to settle downward with rain anyway. Once your all-organic soil sinks down you might consider amending with some soil next season, which will get you towards a good garden soil plus it won't break down and shrink as much every year.

It’s a long hall and I would attempt to pull it all together vs just adding something in one spot. By front door you could add a mirror, then use a runner where hall straightens out and a console, art and lamp on wall #1. It will have a nice flow and be welcoming.