Thanks, guys !!! I was hoping this was the case. They serve no purpose as selling points and I always felt bad that I underestimated the amount of sun they would get. They do bloom, but the bushes are hideous for albas, all naked legs and diseased foliage. I read on this forum about how great these bushes are and mine are big, but just not that pretty. Melissa, MP is definitely tough. Despite only getting a couple hours sun and our bad drought, she is at least six feet tall. When her long canes finally fall over, she blocks the porch. FP seems to be seeking sun because she is putting out foliage in one direction and leaning over.

I don't have what you mentioned, but I do have August Lily--it's a type of hosta, but blooms later--August!!--with very fragrant white blossoms. Does great in the same conditions as other hostas. Let me know if you're interested so I can get a list going. I'm going to be more organized this time! Susan

Willie- I like how you have your microwave not above the stove. To tell you the truth I wouldn't have even thought of that. We have decided to just leave it as is and just have them fix the tile mess up they did. I really only use the microwave for popcorn most of the time anyway! LOL! Pat tea - Thank you! I will post it over there, thanks for the idea. DH liked the idea of trimming out the other windows so we are tossing that around. I had a friend come over this evening and she loved the mantel (sigh) and thought the white around the door looked nice! I could line up 10 people and get 10 different thoughts :-) The color in the laundry and bath rooms is Svelt Sage from Sherwin Williams and the tan color is Nomadic Dessert from Sherwin Williams. The colors look beautiful in person and the camera does not do it justice. Esp. the Svelt Sage. I LOVE it in the bathrooms :-) Thank you again for the sweet comments! Kel

Not sure where you are located (might have a bearing) but the common horsetail grown for containers, Equisetum hymale, is typically considered fully evergreen and is not cut back. In fact, it is the very vertical structure that gives this plant its winter container appeal. And they do not spread readily in containers....most sources suggest selecting a container to fit the plant as it is in its nursery container OR purchasing enough to fully fill your planter or container. btw, horsetail is NOT a grass - it is an ancient plant most closely related to ferns - and if being grown intentionally, it should ONLY be planted in a container due to its garden invasive nature.