How about Chelone 'Hot Lips' ? It provides a nice shot of hot pink color in the 2-3 ft range, full sun, in FALL ! Looks very nice paired with the Aconitum (monkshood) mentioned above, as both are fall bloomers. I will also strongly recommend lilies. I have just added about 20 lilies of different types to my pastel beds this year, so i am eagerly awaiting that show for the first time ! Plus, you don't have to dig and lift each year, they are quite hardy and will multiply, and the forms, scents, colors and variety of heights means there is one or more that can fill any "holes" you have in the June/July garden.

Kay, how are you? I haven't been around for a while, I had to take a break and get myself together. To everyone I want to tell you that I am so sorry for your loss and sadness, it is the worst pain anyone can have BUT it does get better, I promise. My heart and soul mate died 14 months ago and I wanted to die with him, I was in so much pain and so scared of what was going to happen to me without him; life must go on. I was told that it doesn't get better but it gets different and they were right. I still weep and some days are bad but I have more good days as time goes on. Life won't seem so alien after a while, I just felt like I didn't belong here any more, not in my home, my job or this world but I did finally settle with my feet back on the ground. It's not easy but you have to push youself to live and it eventually gets easier. Please take care of yourselves, get help if you need it and work hard at being strong, we will never forget and we will always love them and happier days are ahead. God Bless all, Mav.

Yes it is a bad situation for sure. My friend that just bought a house in the okc area sent me pictures of the deep piles of snow in her yard. She had to venture out this morning to stock up on stuff including candles and batteries. Hers are all still packed in one of the many boxes. Friends in Dallas are just devastated by the broken trees and devastation all the ice has caused. Nasty stuff. The area is just not prepared for those kinds of winter conditions. Sure am glad we are safe home in Houston area and not still in Oklahoma!. Stay safe everyone,

Here is another idea. Oven landing would be on the countertop to the left and also on top of the cooktop. Where you had the wall ovens near the basement door did not have a close landing and you would be crossing through a busy isle with hot stuff. That could be dangerous. The two cabinets flanking the cooktop would adjust to whatever size in order to fit the wall oven on the end. I did not want it too close to the corner for safety reasons as well. I was imagining a grandkid running from the bedroom hall and turning into the kitchen when the oven door was open. Fridge is close to the dining. DW and dish drawer side by side makes for easy unloading. They are in close proximity to the table for setting and clearing the dishes. I wanted to also have the microwave drawer close to the fridge, but if that walkway with the dining chairs is too tight, maybe it could go to the right of the fridge? I would reslly try for a MW drawer because it is the best for aging in place. I hope you can talk hubby into it. Clean up zone is out of the main prep zone and away from the cook zone. The cabinets on the left end of the island could be combined into a bigger drawer if needed, but of course it would open towards the pantry isle. Bar seating between the two end cabinets I think would be ~ 6’? That is nice and spacious for two seats, but three could probably fit tightly if you wanted to. You could also skip the end cabinet on that left side and add a fourth bar seat instead. The little countertop area next to the basement stairs I thought could be for a house phone/mail drop zone/command center/charging station drawer. I know you really wanted to have the sink and the cooktop on the same run of cabinets. I do agree it is more convenient for aging in place because you can just slide your prep stuff over to the stove. But I was just not loving any of the layouts I tried, nor the ones posted so far. I think the sink on the island and CT on the back wall makes the most sense. Also because I would never ever put the cooktop on the island with out a mega powerful overhead vent hood. A downdraft vent is not powerful enough to suck cooking fumes backwards, especially not from the front burners. Even if you have induction and don’t fry, grill, or sear all that much, you still need a hood that works well. With the downdraft, almost all of the cooking fumes and odors created will float up and around the room and then sticking to your ceiling, cabinets, and furniture. You’ll notice I also made the hood 6” wider then the cooktop beacuse the fumes also extend out a little as they rise. A 3” overlap on each side is recommended for the best capture. Well, you definitely have a lot of things to ponder. We have to make compromises sometimes and only you can decide which you are most willing to accept. You seem like you have deeply thought things through, so I am sure you will create a wonderful kitchen you will enjoy for many more years to come! 🥰