Around here at least, mums are notorious for their late start so I think it might be a bit early to say if they're dead or not. They could be, but even a small sprout can grow into something worthwhile if you give it a chance. Some of mine are up a bit, but others look totally dead until you gently scratch around the base of the plant. Look carefully for even the smallest sign of life. With that said, I think it was a bad winter for mums. Or maybe I should said it was a bad fall for mums with the drought and all that. I should have watered more, but I didn't and that really can affect a plants ability to make it through the winter. Kevin

Yes and yes. Don't overwater it - only when it appears thirsty and the weather is warm (if still outside).

I ordered shaker style doors for another cabinet area I'm building. They're so inexpensive, I couldn't NOT buy from them. I've purchased drawer boxes from them before and couldn't be more pleased. Their door style selection, though, I found to be limited. Granted, I guess they do fewer things well, rather than a bunch of half-assed stuff. :) Their videos and instructions are very clear. As I mentioned, I also plan to buy from the Door Stop. Their selection is great and prices not so bad. Butt doors do meet in the middle, but I hesitate to say yes, chop that center thing out. Depending upon the width of the cabinet, it might be an important support. Imagine wide shelves, for example. There's usually a support on the inside of that thing. (What ARE the vertical things called? Rails or stiles?) My plan is to just get the butt doors and leave the middle thing. At 30" wide, it still leaves me some wide access. If it were a 24? Chop that puppy out. What's the name of your grain filler? I am going to go at the face frames of these other cabinets with something like that, and probably purchase maple or some other smoother wood for the doors. Cool! OH - and I also have mixed woods. Painted oak kitchen and painted maple credenza on another wall. I have chocolate hard wood floors (I can't remember what they're made of), and a teak dining table. The oak cabinets whose doors I want to buy from Door Stop I might even stain after really treating the face frames. Haven't decided. In my bedroom, where I've built the 16' 10" Tansu, with doors from Barker, I'll paint the maple. The en suite has espresso maple vanities, but from DirectBuy's ordering errors, I have 3 unfinished cabs in the window area, visible from the MBR. I'll probably paint those to match the Tansu on the opposite wall. Matchy-matchy in woods is unimaginative, to me. Like buying a showroom living room with all the furniture upholstered the same. Where's the character! :) C.

There is a good chance that the peas will branch & recover (especially the sugar snaps) barring a strong heat wave. Of course, you would need to protect them somehow to prevent the deer from coming back for seconds.