I'm not obsessed with matching, per se, but strive instead for compatibility, thinking it generally offers some more interesting possibilities. So I wouldn't necessarily hunt for the same brick as the house. A stronger color might add more zip to the overall picture. But I don't want to give the impression that matching is "evil." Sometimes it works great. Get samples--a few of each color that appeals--and see what they look like in real life. I can state with certainty that a crape myrtle that close to the house ... directly in front of a window--at least partially blocking it--is not how you would best display one of the important architectural features of your house. In my book it's verboten. But it's one of the most popular things people shouldn't do. Can't imagine why someone would have their heart so set on a mistake...? And the "dwarfer" it is, the worse. Avoid foliage in front of the window as if you're trying to hide it. Are you wanting this thinking it will increase its appeal from the inside view? It won't ... anymore than having a 4-year-old show you a picture of something that's 3" from your eyes. You'd get a better view of a small tree if it were some distance from the window. The fussy aspect of the English formal garden that you're trying to re-create does not appeal to me personally, If you did it very well, I guess it would be nice, though, wouldn't it? Doing well mean all the right plants. Short Monkey grass ... what plant is that? Liriope or Ophiopogon? I've never seen Liriope that stays as short over the long haul as what you're implying. While Boxwood can be clipped to keep small, I've always found it to be a troublesome (disease prone) plant and because I'm oriented toward low maintenance, it seems too big to clip that small. But go after your vision (except for the crape in that spot!) and research what plants might work best for you.

Hi Sounds like what is usually called a "river tank" Have never done this type but you can divide the tank into sections using plexi from front to back . Different pumps would make different flow rates as well varying heights would make waterfalls . Have seen several tanks done as you descibe with the 30. One problem have never found a good solution to is keeping the water in the "streams" somehow they always run dry . Main reason i like the false bottom . I keep 12 inches of water in the entire bottom of the tank. Never a danger of the pump running dry..Gravity ALWAYS works lol. My 150 is 18x72x 26 and is located in the shadehouse just ecently converted it frrom an aquarium. So far have not done much landscaping to it but used a false bottom with a goal of 4 inches of water . Used X foam to create a rock wall using PVC pipe to feed the waterfall. So far the only thing I have growing in it is various cuttings just to see what works. have tried "dwarfed trees" but found they required too much maintenenceto to keep within bounds. They are all now grown in the shadehouse using various methods but not within terrariums. Sounds like an interesting setup you have going there. About all you can do is experiment Every now and then some ideas actually work !!! gary

Ladyvixen, we were in our 30's in 1985 when we bought our 1898 house. Looking back, we were very young. Neither my husband nor I had any skills or knowledge at all about how to work on houses. All we knew was that our house was nearly intact, was very inexpensive, and that we loved it. I had always wanted an old house, and had been buying things such as light fixtures, hardware, etc., for years before we bought the house. We bought the house "as is". Fortunately we were both employed and had no children. We had to hire almost everything done, and it needed a lot of work. We did not take a vacation for years. Then came a time of around a year or two that my husband was either unemployed or underemployed. During that time, the house just didn't get worked on. We didn't care that we lived in an unfinished house; in fact, I thought it was beautiful from day one. We have a corner in the dining room where all the little balls the cats play with end up, but you don't notice the slope otherwise. It has taken us over 25 years, and we are almost finished, but still have some work to do. We should have it finished by now, but are in our 60's now and do like to take a vacation now and then. Also we sometimes didn't have work done even when we had the money, because we were tired of the mess of having things torn up. We lived with a practically non-existent kitchen until about 2004. I said all along that this house was my dream house. People would look at me funny, but it was and still is my dream house. Don't let others talk you out of your dream. Make the decision based on what you want and what you think you can handle. If you think you can live with an unfinished house for years, go for it. If you have to have everything finished and perfect, you shouldn't buy an old house. I have the ablility to not even see the unfinished stuff until we get ready to do something about it. I meant this to be an encouragement to you, but reading back on it, maybe this will scare you because it has taken us so long. Don't let that scare you--you can do it faster than we did! I will try to attach some pictures if I can.

*lacunosa - attractive, small leaves, fragrant flowers (floral fragrance), compact, hanging *variegated kentiana - attractive, variegated leaves, compact, hanging, never seen flower, but assume it smells like regular old kentiana...caramel scented *deykeae - beautiful, elongated heart shaped leaves. Splashes on leaves, and nice veining. Pretty flowers with a nice fragrance (hint of citrus). Trellised (easily on 18 inch trellis)or wrapped around and up hanging pot. *mindorensis - plain jane leaves, but flowers are amazing balls of fuzzy and come in a rainbow of colors. Trellised (easily on 18-24 inch trellis) or wrapped around and up hanging pot. *balansae - pretty little leaves, pretty little flowers, easily grown hanging, twined around and up hanging pot. *incrassata - attractive foliage, which can come in an array of styles, from variegated to plain. Needs a bit of space, but could easily be maintained around a 3 foot trellis. *clemensiorum, finlaysonii, callistophylla - all similar, yet different in their leaf looks. Boldy, high contast veins with beautiful leaves, ranging from dark to light green, many with splash patterns on them. Small, pretty flowers with a light citus fragrance. Easily grown wrapped around and up a hanging basket or on a 18-24 inch trellis. *australis - can get big, but easily maintained with cuttings (don't cut areas with peduncles, or you won't get blooms on the mother plant, unless she has some still, or she grows more..this goes for all hoyas). Can be grown hanging or on a 24 inch to 3 foot trellis. Beautiful, fragrant flowers. *pachyclada - EARLY to put on peduuncles and bloom (in my experience), pretty yellow cream flowers, likes it slightly drier (water once every 8-10 days). Thick, succulent leaves with beautiful color and aesthetically pleasing. *elliptica - gorgeous turtle shell leaves, compact, can be grown wrapped up and around hanging pot or easily on 18-24 inch trellis. Beautiful porcelain flowers with red or golden coronas. Subtle fragrance. *many of the pottsii varieties - beautiful leaves that get a red tinge grown in high light, pretty, fragrant flowers *scortechinii or sp. UT-001 - pretty leaves that get gorgeous veining in high light (leaf size is generally not big, but I have had a couple of ones that got a bit exhuberant with their growth). Pretty flowers! Most hoyas only want to be watered weekly (there are some that are less thirsty and some that like it a bit damper). Feed them when you water (1/4-1/2 strength water soluble fertilizer).