I've had Cotinus 'Golden Spirit' for at least 6 years. It's a fairly narrow shrub and about 8 feet tall, in full sun. I don't remember it being slow growing. I have a Clematis 'Roguchi' growing into it, and the combo is spectacular. If you got it as a small twig, it would of course take about a season to kick in. And it it's grown 4 inches this early in the season, it should take off this year. Put it in the ground.

I've just repaired a badly installed metal roof. I didn't install it. It was on the house when I bought the house. Metal roofing installation is a specialty skill. You need a metal roofing specialist that does nothing else. Even that won't guarantee that you get a good installation. Do your due diligence. A good metal roofer will provide you lots of references. Be sure to go and look at some of their 10 or 20 year old roofs. A good metal roofing specialist will insist specifying and using proper materials. They will develop a very precise plan on how they will structure an installation. Make them explain it. They should want to educate you. There are a million ways to screw a roof up. I'm the victim of one of the crappy installers. It will be a 40-year nightmare that is going to require constant vigilance. You may want to get a referral from one of the trade associations. My roofer belonged to this one: https://www.metalroofing.com/ Due diligence. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There are lot a shysters out there, hire someone who has real experience, real references and a really good reputation.

Ok mkroopy, he told me that this morning and it worked! Chores were done and Momma was HAPPY! On a side note, I have fabulous news to report. I never said anything to hubby about this smoking thing. We went on vacation last weekend and he didn't smoke at all. My folks went with us and out of respect my Dh won't smoke around them, nor his parents. He went 5 days without a smoke. (he was a bit crabby day 1 and 2) When we got home, he immediately lit up. The next night when he came to bed he said 'I want to quit smoking' WHAT???? He said he felt so good over the weekend and then was feeling like crap again the first day back. He said he just doesn't have any energy but that he felt great over the weekend and then was back to feeling bad the next day back to work. So he set a quit date of yesterday. He slowed Down over the week an came to a complete stop some point on Thursday. We were so busy this week we weren't home for him to sit outside etc. Today we got sitters for the kids and we are spending time cleaning the house, 'fall cleaning our closets, kids rooms, getting ready for day one of school in a week. He is being a bit crabby but I'm taking into consideration the withdrawals he is going through and I am NOT nagging him. We talked about my feelings at that point and how he has not been helping around the house much lately and that I just feel completely overwhelmed with the house work and kids. So we set out a schedule that we want to get in to for the beginning of school and I'm really excited about it. I really hope he quits for good. Since it was his choice and had nothing at all to do with my nagging ( since I had not started yet) I think he will be successful. I'm so proud of him!

I am allergic to cigarette smoke and used to get bronchitis all the time from second hand smoke despite never smoking myself. At my last job (I left to be self-employed and it was not to make more money but for my health), my boss was a chain smoker and I would lose my voice each day and not function as well at work. I was tested and I am allergic to cigarette smoke as well as it being very bad for my lungs. A few jobs before this job, I was asked how many packs of cigarettes I smoked, and I said I never tried a cigarette. That is how bad my lungs had become from being around second hand smoke. Now that I have been self-employed for over 20 years with NO smoking allowed around me or in my home, I have clear lungs and do not get so sick anymore. I order rescue animal calendars each year from a talented person and love them each year. This year, I ordered a few for gifts and myself and they reeked of cigarette smoke! I had thought the new people at the post office were smoking around the mail but then I found out from her that she retired and started to smoke more. I had to air out the calendars for 2 months in my garage before being able to use them despite them being in envelopes since my nose would turn red and I would feel sick if I hung them up. I had to give other holiday gifts and late calendar gifts when they were aired out. I once hired a part-time worker who was so allergic to fragrance that if I spayed my hair with hair spray she would get flue like symptoms and feel like she was dying just like I get from being around cigarette smoke (as well as post nasal drip and coughing). I had to wash my hair again one day when I accidentally forgot she was coming over. That must be so difficult to have an allergy to fragrance but I know lately I am getting also sensitive to strong fragrance smells and I start to cough so I am finally understand what that is like. For those that smoke, I understand it is your home but I can't visit those that have homes that do not have a separate smoking room or I get sick. I can't drive with friends that have cars that smell like smoke or I get sick and must wash my hair the minute I get home. I wish there was some way that cigarettes would not smell. Sorry to offend but just my point of view. It was not fair to me to have to live around 2nd hand smoke when I could not breath and my dad would get mad at me for complaining and think I was trying to get attention when I was coughing from post nasal drip but when he got congestive heart failure and coughed all the time, I never picked on him. If I was a smoker with my bad allergies, I would have been dead like my smoking friend who died at age 50 from Emphysema. Some people can't handle the cigarette's poisons as well as other people can. We are all built differently.