Saltcedar, thank you for the quick response. Esh, thank you for the confirmation. Prunum serotina and Morella (Myric) cerifera are certainly plants I'd like to leave in place for the birds, if possible. The middle plant looks like a shrub to me. Something about the way it grows reminds me of a rose bush (no thorns on these). There are 4 or 5 of them growing close togeter in a clump. Some only have 1 stem at this point. They're small, the tallest one is less than 2 feet high. They were almost covered with Chinese honeysuckle and greenbriar vines when I noticed them. That said, it must be a pretty tough plant. Anyway, I did get better pictures. I think they're pretty little plants...hope it's not a weed. There's one thing for sure, I'm never shy about posting pictures. LOL Thanks again! Bon

Hi If it's Epi radicans they are incredibly easy to grow .Mix is not important unless it hols too much water..As long as the humidity holds they will grow epi.. they flower best in full sun My best are growing in a trough with a gritty mix in full sun. they flower for over 6 months there. Those that are attached to trees are more sporadic both in quantity and quality. One major problem with them is the habit,they grow straight up with the spike at the end which elongates making them susceptible to wind damage. Now if you have various hybrids or arundina (bamboo orchid) ignore the above lol. My guess would be epidendrum as Arundina tends to have very thin moveable leaves , thinnner stems and gets MUCH taller . First rule of growing orchids is know what you have there are a gazillion kinds ?? I have no experience with indoor culture but would think them a bad choice as they require a lot of light?? gary

I sent in the "Santorini of Greece" tomato to the swap. After flooding, extremely high humidity, heat, etc. last summer, the Santorini was one of a handful of plants (out of 40+ varieties) that never showed a hint of disease and when everything else stopped producing during the worst of the heat, it continued to pump out tons of fruit. It definitely was the workhorse in my garden and will certainly be considered for another spot in the garden this season. The fruit is ribbed, probably around 4-6 oz. and was meaty like a paste but much more flavorful than most paste tomatoes I've tasted.

Can you increase the length of the wall between the kitchen and the nook? Would it be possible to put the range or the refrig on that wall? Better still, if the sink went on an expanded wall on the nook side with a dishwasher to the left of it, you could use a moveable or permanent cart in the center, which is extremely flexible for multiple cooks/multiple simultaneous meals. You would need to work up another option for stool sitting, though, if that's a priority. Otherwise, look at other peoples' configurations for harvest tables, etc that sub for an island. We need a lot more info... How fixed are your plumbing and venting stations? How far can the kitchen extend into the living room? How much integration between the living room and kitchen do you foresee? How much stool sitting? Where do you assume most meals will be eaten? How much formal dining? How will nook be used? What are the major walk paths of the house--could you draw them in so we know more about the usage of the space? Also tell us about windows and views you want uninterrupted? At the very least, could you put the dishwasher on the outside of the island so that it doesn't cramp the channel area? This kitchen has the "feel" of a lot of the demo spaces I see at Ikea and I think there are a number of similar ones on the Finished Kitchen Blog which might help show you your options.