Many thanks everybody, for the suggestions and the link! Yes, the plants do have tubers, and I think you're right that they are sinningia types. The lighter colored one looks quite a bit like sinningia eumorpha photos I found at the Gesneriad Web link, and the purple one appears similar to several of the sinningia speciosa types shown. So at least I can label them as something more specific than "unknown gesneriad!"

Hi Pat. Thanks for the kind words in the other posting. Here are my thoughts on bird feeding. You can’t wrong with straight black oil sunflower seed. For years I only fed BOSS and suet (and suet nuggets), and I attracted a lot of birds with those two things. Both options are affordable and easy to find. For anyone new to bird feeding, I would tell them to skip mixes and buy straight BOSS. In my early days of feeding, I did buy the mixes, but I had a lot of waste under the feeders because the birds sifted through the “filler” and mostly went for the BOSS. So I like to buy straight BOSS now. It wasn’t until the last couple months that I really started adding a lot of new feed options (and this is because I started reading books and learned how much more the birds will eat). I started feeding Nyjer/thistle, safflower, peanuts, almonds, pecans, hulled sunflower chips/hearts (just means no shell), cracked corn, mealworms, millet, and treats (like nut & seed logs, specialty suet blocks, etc). I even bought some blackberries the other day on sale and have the in the freezer now. I’ll get them out later when food is really scarce. If you buy store bought mixes, avoid the ones that say “milo” especially if milo is listed as the first or second ingredient… Those are usually the cheaper brands with lots of “filler” aka “milo”… And be sure to read what the mixes include, it’s important to know that whatever is listed first means the bag contains the most of that particular item. Millet is fine to feed. I just bought a bag of millet at my local feed store. I buy in bulk and wait for sales. My local feed store sells everything I need, but sometimes I order mixes and peanuts online because it’s cheaper. My favorite online stores are DrsFoster&Smith and FleetFarm.com Here’s what I’m currently using in my feeders- Tube feeders contain 90% BOSS with 10% premium nut mix Thistle tube feeder - 100% thistle (birds go crazy at this feeder) Hopper style feeder – one contains only safflower (I wanted to know if they would eat it, and they are). Another hopper contains 90% BOSS with cracked corn and nuts mixed in. (My fav feeder) – Droll Yankees - Dorothy’s Cardinal Bird Feeder – http://drollyankees.com/product/dorothys-cardinal-bird-feeder/ (Found it on sale at Walmart for $25) it’s an open/fly thru style feeder – and every morning I put out my premium mix in this. I have two suet feeders.. I have a seed log feeder and I just put out a treat called “nutsie” http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/pine-tree-farms-nutsie-classic-seed-log-40-oz-/0000000214011 I also have a mini open feeder that contains 100% thistle I have a couple ground feeders too with stuff for the doves and ground feeders. My husband says I've gone nuts with the birds... hahaha But I remind him, he was the one who told me years ago that "once you start feeding them, you can't stop" hahaha so I tell him I can't stop since he told me that :)

One looks like Tall fescue, and the other Dallis grass. The Dallis grass( and other weeds in the picture) can be killed with 'Bayer advanced all in one'. The Tall fescue has to be sprayed with 'Round up' the resulting dead spot re-seeded a couple weeks later.

I think a plain cream panel with a hefty fabric will look nice. You already have cream accents in your space and they will look nice with the green walls. If you can get the colors right, a green print would look nice as well and retro/modern. This graphic has good curtain advice. High, full and wide is best but don't cram them against the ceiling. Remember that you have to work with stock curtain lengths. You can add a bit of length to curtains if you hang them with rings.