Thanks for your replies and info. So far I've removed the dead leaf bases and the algae/lichen from the surface and dried it out a little. Richard...so the leaves are the right colour, I truly thought they were lacking in something as they seem to be very pale, almost transluscent green, and so very different from my other orchids. The majority of the roots appear firm on a second inspection. Claire..they love moisture, thats good as my mum has certainly given it a lot. Though I will tell her not to let it stand in the water constantly. The likeyhood of our temps getting above 80f are a bit scarce but thanks for the tip. If I can get it to re-bloom for her, I'll be back with a pic. Bruce...I'll also take your advice about a new pot, this one only had 6 small holes. Quinnfyre...so you like our view, yes, so do we! Thats the tiled windowcill behind my kitchen sink. Had to use flash to get a good pic, but it was bright and sunny outside, it looks dull from the pic though. It appears that my forgetful mum is doing well with this orchid so I will have to apologise to her! Thanks again, Gill.

That's not the mulch I have in mind. Although they may retain water and fertilizer, it will consume nitrogen that is needed by the plant badly when they start decomposing. You could use that as top dressing but what I want you to use are compost that are already decomposted meaning already rutted. The color of this things are black. Even black soil is good to mix with your sandy soil because they were decomposted organic matters. That's what you want organic matters in your soil. You can buy this in store just buy garden soil or peat or what you can find. It will be impossible to have root rut if you have a very well draining oil. And I am not the one who told you you'll have root rut. The mulch that you put will not help your plant to improve pH. I'll give you a hint: It is black in color. You seem to see already by just adding that top dressing. What more if you add what I am telling about. Up to the drip line mind you. On the drip line is where you will find the most of the roots that are helpful. Even you can add, steer manure for fertilizer. And they are so cheap. %.99 a bag. put 2 or 3 bags around your plant up to the drip line. If you do what I tell you you'll se it will triple the buds and the leaves of your plant and most of all the leaves will be dark green. And don't be surprised that they will have flowers with them. then fruit.

I want to reiterate Marie's and Ken's praise for the width of your path as well as the depth of your front beds, both of which are in proportion to the house, though if it were mine, I would add depth along the back deck to make it deep enough to have perhaps three layers of plants (and knowing me, also along the octagonal porch as well.) In southern ME you will have acid soil like I do here in central NH, so there are a bunch of nice shrubs that will work for you, both evergreen and deciduous to give you the "bones" as GardenHoe suggested. Evergreen: Rhododendron spring flowers Mountain Laurel (Kalmia) spring flowers Bird's nest spruce dwarf forms of blue spruce smaller to medium forms of arborvitae/white cedar/Thuja occidentalis (not green giant!) which the deer haven't eaten in my garden, though it's an issue elsewhere You can also ask on the conifer forum for evergreen suggestions. IME, GH's suggestion of dwarf Alberta spruce isn't happy for long here - too disease prone Deciduous: Fothergilla (spring blooms and stunning fall color) variegated red-twigged dogwood Azaleas (spring or summer bloom, fall color) Hydrangea paniculata as jacquierz suggested, though choose the variety carefully. My Pinky Winky at 6 years is a monster (8' tall x 12' wide) so you want some of the varieties with 'little' in the name - Little Lime, Little Quickfire (starts blooming 4 weeks earlier than others and continues until hard freeze), Little Lamb, which will all be about 5'-6' tall or a few others that will stay even smaller such as Bobo. They are all fine in full sun in this part of the country and have blooms when many plants don't and mine have been fine without additional water this summer even though there have been some long dry spells. I do use mulch to retain moisture. (It's H. arborescens and H. macrophylla that likes some shade, and 'Twist and Shout' is the only H. macrophylla I would recommend of the several I've tried if you have morning sun somewhere or any of the H arborescens that appeal to you in the same 1/2 day morning sun. My H arborescens Annabelle suckers, so if you use it take that into account) Many varieties of Viburnum would work, but choose a type that is resistent to Viburnum beetles since they are around. smaller lilacs Physocarpus/ninebark, especially one of the smaller ones like Tiny Wine IME two of the suggestions further up this thread, butterfly bush and anything but the hardiest selection of the native form of redbud won't survive more than a couple of years here before they succumb to our winters. For perennials, some of my favorites in your color range include Caryopteris divaricata 'Snow Fairy', with variegated green/white leaves Aster 'Lady in Black' along with many other hardy asters in various shades of purple/blue, dark pink, and white fall Clematis, particularly the summer blooming varieties, the type 3 (hard) pruners including 'Venosa Violacea', 'Arabella', 'Betty Corning', 'Little Bas', 'John Huxtable', and 'Juuli' as well as 'Piilu', a type 2 (light) prune after blooming many groundcover dianthus in shades of pink and/or white, including 'Brilliancy' and 'Greystone' spring or spring and summer Nepeta/catmint spring into summer Some of the easy care, hardy roses, including John Davis rose and others in the Canadian Explorer series. all season Baptisia spring with nice summer foliage Iris, particularly the Siberian and Japanese varieties spring, though there are also bearded iris in your color scheme, some of which rebloom in the fall perennial Geraniums including sanguineum var. lancastriense, Rozanne, Orkney Cherry, Cinereum Ballerina, all of which bloom much of the summer in my garden Allium 'Millenium' summer Amsonia hubrichtii - spring blooms, feathery foliage with bright yellow fall color Peonies spring Salvias Caradonna and Royal Candles Penstemon Sweet Joanne late spring into fall Pulmonaria Scabiosa 'butterfly blue' all summer Stokesia summer Campanula Birch Hybrid and Resholt Variety Ibiris/candytuft Bulbs: spring - plant all where emerging perennials will hide the dying foliage White daffodils Reticulated iris Hyacinths Hyacinthoides Tall alliums such as Mt. Everest or Globemaster crocus Siberian squill (Scilla) tulips in white, pink or purple (many behave as annuals and won't bloom in following years, so look for ones that are specified as perennial)

It's a funny thing about buying a new house. As soon as it's yours you want to change something major. It's like we have to put our mark on it to make it our own. But honestly, the outside of your house needs a good powerwash and some landscaping. The trim colours could be better but they aren't egregious. And the brick is just fine. My advice is to do small things that will have a big impact. Power-washing, landscape plan, begin to plant. Change the trim colours. And wait. Wait until you've lived in the house for a year or so. Wait until you find out that you actually want a hardwood flooring more than you want new siding (or whatever). Wait until you've seen your house in all lights and all seasons. Then you'll make decisions that fit your life as you will be living it rather than as you think you will be living it. The changes that you're talking about aren't cheap and you may regret them when you discover that sage brick and new vinyl don't give you near as much pleasure as a finished basement (or whatever) would.