My Mom grew the double almost black ones and the double reds. In both cases she just scattered seeds about now and they came up. Don't think she covered them all that deep, just dusted with a thin covering of soil. She always said they shouldn't dry out or they might not come up. Sorry, that's all I can remember.

Hi rsslp, I would be really frustrated and a little mad about the end panels. Bells and Whistles are end panels IMHO. This issue is more than just the end panels. No one likes unexpected expenses. Do you believe it was an honest mistake? Or is your gut telling you that he is taking advantage of you? If this were me, I would really think about it. When I get upset it is always a sign that someone might be taking advantage of me. Your anger may be a warning sign. The fact you posted about this means there may be something not right. You can confront him and see how he responds. Does he take some ownership of this or pass it on. Trust is a big thing with me. If someone is working for me they have to earn my trust and can loose it quickly if they take advantage of me. A kitchen is a long journey. You want to be sure this KD is the one who is going to be fair, honest, hardworking and trustworthy not just about future endpanels but everything. And there will be bigger issues. A kitchen friend, ~Boxerpups

THanks for your input to my post. DH has not told SD's we are married because he is basically afraid of them. Of the two SD's, the older one is very much like her Mom and once when he came to younger SDs basketball game, (to which he had been invited), the older one wanted to have him ARRESTED, just like her mommy did. SD said he had "no right to be there", and started screaming and yelling in public, so we just quietly left. These kids are so messed up, and we both tell them very very little about our lives because of how alienated they are. I made it sound like it was just HIS fault that they don't know that we are married, but it is also my doing. We didnt invite them to the wedding for many reasons (they are both not well, being number 1!!) and BM used to threaten us all the time that if and when she found out where and when we would be getting married, she wanted to come to the wedding...can you imagine her at our wedding, I am personally afraid of her because she is not well. THe thing that does get to me, and as you guys pointed out, is that I am NOT his messenger girl. At first, because BM had him arrested twice (Once we were in the attorney's office, preparing paperwork for him to pay ADDITIONAL child support without her asking, because she had the kids full time because the kids did not want to be with him part-time, which he and I understood, because they are teen girls and their "home base" was with Mom, and BM called him on his cell phone, the lawyer and me and DH and secretary of lawyer were all there, and she says to him (she didnt know where he was and that he was preparing to pay her extra child support even though she had not asked for it), anyways, she says "the cops are coming to get you, because I feel like stirring up crap, so get ready". She did this because it was labour day weekend and she KNEW that if he got picked up, that he would spend THREE days in the clink, for NO reason. Just did it because she could...He did get picked up but thank goodness the lawyer vouched for him and they let him out in an hour, after listening to his lawyer swear that DH had been right there with all of us!! Anyways, at first, that was why I would call the kids for DH or pick them up to bring them to visit us, etc..because BM is just vindictive and not well mentally and is angry and crazy-acting. BM tells us now that she thinks she is bipolar. I don't think she is bipolar, she is a narcissist for sure though. Anyways, I just wanted to sort of further explain what is going on but I do agree with you 100% that he needs to look after "his little darlings", as you put it. I guess that I don't want to spend time with SD's anymore and I need some help validating that. I feel gulity to a certain degree and DH said to me "well I tolerate a lot from our kids . To me that is just him laying guilt on me. I can't stand to see them "use" us and be mean to him. DH does not want to spend time with SD's without me, because as Silversword put it, I am the "buffer". How do I get out of this role that I have gotten myself into, I like the "I'm busy" message, any other ideas as well...how do I explain to DH how they make me FEEL....? I think they make DH feel the same way, because he said to me "they don't like me either you know" but I can't accept the way they act, I can't "fake" it anymore, he wants me to go out with them and act all happy and hahalalala for a few hours and then we don't have to see them again for a month or so. Am I being difficult, I guess that's what I am trying to figure out. SD's are just so not NICE. I did tell DH that for Father's Day, HE should take them camping . DH just about had a heart attack and said "I am NOT doing that!" Every time we take them somewhere, one of them gets aggressive and nasty and fights and gets mad at DH, one time we were 3 hours away and he wanted to get in the car and drive them home they were so bad!! And dumbdumb me says "oh no, they'll be ok, give them a chance!!" No wonder he wants me along!! sheesh...!!

..just to say that I really like your kitchen and its colors. The cabintets seem so alive..the color and texture remind me some animal's fur. And the counter is not non-descriptive to me, at all. I look at your kitchen-and I see something I'd like to pet. It's warm and has character. It's like forest in the fall. I didn't want to write all these silly things, but I've been looking at your kitchen all day. And today when I woke up-I started looking at it again. So here goes. It's pleasant to look at.. Of course it's not about me liking your kitchen, but you' liking your kitchen. But you said you liked it, or at least do not dislike it, you just want it to feel newer. So change of hardware is a a good thing then, and of course you can decide to change counters, add backsplash, etc. If so you wish. Appliances, in some foreseaable future.. But the easiest thing would be to change your perception of it, and since it's a kitchen open to other space(living? family?), even if you change something there, your perception of your kitchen will be diffrent. Say you decide you want to put curtains on windows (have no idea whether you want to-just an example). As you'll see them from the kitchen-the overall perception of space will change. And will feel newer, (it can be light fixture, new art added, many things). You can also put some crock you really like, in the kitchen, or any accessory like that that will be both functional but will uplift your mood. I agree you don't need anything on the top of your cabinets. Unless you are, say, an avid collector of teapots, and ran out of space, and ..along these lines:) But no, they look good empty. They don't really need anything, these cabinets. Sorry for the typos..my laptop is misbehaving more than usual today.