Welcome to the world of roses. Good for you for doing your research! Planting the graft just below the surface helps the rose survive cold winters and also helps prevent suckering from the rootstock. The soil should not have fallen apart when you took the rose out of the pot. It means that the rose was not rooted, that it was still a new bareroot rose that the garden center has probably just potted up in the last few weeks. The growth on the rose is from stored energy and heavy fertilizing and has not been drawn from the roots--sort of like living off your own fat supplemented with candy bars. However, as Jeffcat says, Heritage is tough and it should recover. Keep the soil moist but not wet, about like a well-wrung washcloth. If your soil is descent, don't add fertilizer. Roses prefer about 6 hours a day of full sun. If your older, existing rose has simple red flowers and blooms only once a year, it is Dr. Huey, a rootstock, and is probably left over from another rose that has long since died. Feel free to dig it out. Get as many of those suckers as you can. Dr. Huey can live forever. Finally, try to buy your roses from rose dealers, not garden centers. Roses Unlimited in SC, Chamblee's in TX, and of course, Vintage Gardens in CA all have good selections of Austins and are quality dealers.

Do any of you have a silgranite sink with another type of sink in the same room? I'm thinking of trading out my dbl bowl for a single, and a Super Single, of course, looks like the best use of the space...But my prep sink on the island is white porc over cast iron (Kohler). Will they look bad together? (Both would be drop in, not undermount.) Would I want to stick with white (I have light gray counters), or will that emphasize the difference in the sink materials? Of course, this all depends on my talking DH into taking out my nearly new sink when he's still working to finish the rest of the house... Sorry to hijack, Fairytalebaby. Based on the previous threads on Silgranite sinks I read today, I bet you'll be thrilled with your choice.

Update! It went well and BM did not show up, excellent!! The hour flew by and when skids came out SD12 asked us straight away if it was possible to go longer, like maybe 2 hours per session! SD10 was surprised they only talked, she thought the lady was going to question her. The counselor took FDH aside and told him SD12 had requested to have BM take them from now on (in our time!!). FDH said HE is the one that has made the effort to organise this and he is paying for it as well. And since the counseling is therefore in OUR time we don't want to deviate from the court order, so no. FDH said he suspected this to be a control issue for BM. Counselor insisted it is SD12's request. We were pretty annoyed to be honest, thinking that once again a counselor is NOT getting it. Aarrgghhh. So anyway, we came home and when the skids went to bed FDH had a chat to SD12 to explain why we want to take them ourselves. He also said he was confused about her request because SD12 has always said she only wants to go when she is with us, not with her mom (pressure of questioning after). And guess what; we got it totally wrong.. SD12 wants her mom to take them so she can be there and get some help herself. SD12 wants her mom to join in with the sessions. Isn't she a SWEATHEART??? So no alterior motives by BM this time, just a 12yr-old sweetie. FDH explained that after a couple of sessions the counselor will ask their mom to join in, but we will still bring them ourselves. Everybody happy :-)

fairytalebaby, I'm so excited for you. I remember your beautiful setting when you posted over on Building a Home. When we picked out paint colors before we had furniture we also stuck to neutral. It's hard enough to choose paint when you have actual materials you are trying to match but without the furniture, neutrals are your friend. As for the ceiling. There is no rule, only personal preference. I was formally a white ceiling kinda gal but the more I looked at new homes and some beautiful shots here on Garden Web, the more I really wanted to try some color. I love it now and can't even imagine going back to white ceilings. I'm a total convert. Some like a 50% cut of their wall color. Some like light gray (like Ellen Kennon's Gustavian Gray) Some like cream. It's totally up to you! Good Luck and can't wait to see what you're picking out for your interior! Beautiful Home! Lindy