You have done a great job- hard work pays off. I just have a couple of thoughts - and I have to confess I haven't seen your other posts so I dont know how this evolved. Please forgive me if these issues have already been addressed. The first thing that jumps out at me is the amount of space between plants. Its perfectly fine to have space between plant if you are doing it intentionally, but if you are going for a full established look you probably have to add more plants. If you want each plant to stand on its own with mulch in between you are on the right track. Depending on what grass you are planting I think the size is still off on that - I would think most tall grasses would be 3 feet wide. The second basic concern i have is the proximity of the laceleaf japanese maple and whatever tree you plant. Thats a lot of competition of roots in a small area. The final thought I have to share is an overall idea about the design. It is not a symmetrical yard and not a symmetrical design; but in striving for balance in the design you are placing certain elements symmetrically, such as the dwarf gold cypress, the joe pye weed and the two large trees. I think those are going to be the focal points in this design and by setting them up symmetrically you are encouraging a viewer's eye to bounce around the yard. My approach would probably be a little different in that I would think about how I would like a visitor to experience the yard and move through the yard both visually and physically. To create that experience I would place these strong focal points in a way that makes movement and flow and less symmetry. By initially getting the placement of the focal points, the supporting plants will fall into place. It is hard to juggle all of the different aspects of plants in a design. You have to think all at one time about light and moisture needs, color, interaction between plants, parts of the design that already exist and cant be moved, other needs such as sharing the space with pets, views, sizes, etc. Its a lot to consider!

I would like to grow my plant on a couple of straight bamboo poles that are at least 6' tall. My plant seems to like to grow straight up very quickly and it's pretty much out of room to do that on it's current support. How do you grow your lambii, on bamboo hoops as well? Hopefully there is some new growth from this one in the spring. The new leaves are beautiful but so far I have only seen a couple on my plant. With all the flowers I have seen from this one so far I am more than willing to wait patiently for new leaves. :) Mike

LL, Great ideas as always ... thanks! I had to google "inglenook" ... guess I learned something today! :) Good point about carrying the exterior design theme to the interior. Other than furniture selection and placement we have not done a great deal of planning in that regard, but I will make sure to keep that in mind. BTW, I'm attaching an exterior pic of a local house that used this plan. Obviously, there would be some differences, but you can get an idea ... Moving the sink and dishwasher to the window seems like a no-brainer ... done! Now the question becomes do we leave the island a solid slab of granite or include a prep sink? I like the solid slab look, but think the prep sink might be very useful. Not sure what the additional plumbing costs would be. Obviously another sink, faucet, and garbage disposal would be required. Can you explain why you would move the other appliances in the kitchen? GF wanted the cooktop centered with the island for aesthetic purposes, and I tend to agree that would look best. If we did move the cooktop, where would you then put the oven/microwave? Part of my reasoning for putting the fridge where I did is that I am still (not so) secretly trying to find room for the Frigidaire all fridge/freezer combo, and they require a 66" wide opening. Re a window in bedroom 3, I'm still trying to figure out how that might work. If I swap the bedroom & bathroom I don't see how to avoid having to add hallway space or require walking through another bedroom/bathroom to get to bed #3. I love the breezeway/courtyard idea although space and budget limitations may not allow that. Not sure what the cost would be but we only have 3'9" to play with north-south although I suppose instead of moving the garage forward I could slide the bed/bath area back. There is space (probably 8' or 9') to slide that area back before it is even with the master bedroom ... hmmm. Thanks again!

It was not until my dog was 2 and a half that we figured out his breed. At first he had short hair like a pitt bulls hair, and he had a husky mask, so we knew he was part husky, even tho his neautiful fluffy tail did not come until until after 2 years old - his tail was like a pitt bulls also, we thought he was either boxer or shepherd, and it was not until he was full grown and standing right next to a bull mastiff did we figure that part out...he had us fooled for awhile. So I would say wait for maturity, because they change alot when they are little. Cute pup - looks like my friends cockapoos - also looks like aussie in there, if you had photos of her standing up next to sometihng that might help. How old is she? How big?