CI, TZ, SdlM all growing nicely now. I think this will be a good fragrance bed. I put Lion's rose in the back to add beauty and a good leafy background even though it isn't much on scent. I think if the base gets shaded by the others, it won't get disease. There's room to the right of Abe Darby for one more big rose. I think it's going to be Evelyn. Hopefully, it will work some magic for me. This is a good morning sun spot and gets shade in the hottest times of the day. My summer is a little hotter than Hoovb's but maybe it's close enough. I'm going to hope for the best. The only downside to this location is that it will take the full force of the Santa Ana wind from across the street. We are along the Santa Ana river channel and the wind blows strongly through the gap. It seems to be shifting later than Halloween now. I used to call it the Halloween Wind.

suzatwork: i have to say your floors have very much the same grain and variation in tone as my highly-coveted black walnut. they're stunning! i'm wondering how they take stain, since i'd like darker floors? my plan is to go with the walnut but i'll have to get some samples and check the amendoim out. i'll have to look it up, but also assuming this species would be harder than walnut... hmmm... GREAT! more for me to think about! thanks for posting your gorgeous floors.

Jagamaha, I like the look of natural maple and we even strongly considered them for our kitchen. Being a bit of a woodworker, one thing I want to warn you about is how different natural maple can look under different clear finishes. I would say that most of the cabinets sold in the US are clear coated with a pre or post catalyzed solvent based varnish. These products have a slight amber tint to them and tend to look really good over darker woods. Over a wood like un-stained maple the look has a yellow hue to it that many don't care for. I certainly don't. This tends to get worse with age. While shopping for cabinets we pressed a lot of suppliers and custom builders on this issue and all indicated they considered natural maple a "risky" choice when used under their finishes. The other basic group of clear finishes are the waterborne finishes. On most woods these tend to have a cold look but over maple and pine they look much better. The only risk here is that some of the waterborne finishes have the slightest blue tint to them. The upshot of all this is that once you pick a builder or a supplier I would order one of their doors and leave it in your kitchen for as long as possible. Near a window if possible. Even maple under the clearest of waterborne finishes can develop a slight yellowness to them which I just don't like. Or you can just find a lighter stain in the honey/cinnamon spectrum. Then it really does not matter so much as these neutralize the natural yellowness with age look of maple.

Yes It had to stop just below the crown for a reason but it has been so many years I can not remember why now. I think it was a venting out issue of where they could take it up and then bend to go out and up but I am not sure that was it . Did not look to odd though it was right up to the crown but a bit away from it not flush with the wall . Like the picture in Bellsmoms it is dropped below too and does not go all the way up to the ceiling. Either way would be right though I believe.