Awesome updates everyone. So fun to see. Like several posters mentioned, my tomato plants (and basil!) survived this winter just fine and are producing quite nicely again. Leaf lettuce is just making an amazing crop so I can have several salads a week (the earliest sowings from October have started bolting/flowering so I'm ripping those out and replacing with new youngsters). What a mild winter this has been! Jon, does your Senecio usually survive the winter or do you re-start it from cuttings? I grew it at my last Scottsdale garden and always took cuttings as insurance, but after selling that place I have no idea if it got torched in a freeze or what. I love your beds, Mary, especially the neat trellis on the last pic--so neat! I've got aloe blooms, and lemon fruit coming out my eyeballs, lol. Here's a quick pic of my covered patio yesterday, just for fun (Wilson the tennis ball discreetly placed to show relative size, hah). Agave parryi and Euphorbia rigida in the front garden this morning: A fun "mutt" "mongrel" or "hybrid" (depending on who you ask and what their mood is, LOL) aloe, which clearly has mostly Aloe striata in its ancestry, blooming away (tennis ball to show size). Happy gardening everyone, enjoy this fabulous weather! Grant Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my garden, Feb 2014

That's an interesting dilemma! The effectiveness of radiators does depend on air circulation, and the heat may very well have an effect on the wood over time. The first and third choice seem to be the best, with some sort of custom tabled counters that would maybe accent the "old home" decor. But that's a matter of personal opinion. For it you'd need to find an imaginative artisan. Have some of these folks give you some more detailed ideas. Whatever you do, the insulation in the garage ceiling beneath your kitchen is a must, and will definitley make a difference relative to that chilly feeling.

Mesh, never an issue with algae. See previous posts... Here is a link that might be useful: Anchor Defender Mesh

I totally would agree with hanging artwork on it. Use it as a "gallery wall"! It should be easy to change things out on it for a rotation of kids art or things you curate from travels. To blend it into your furnishings, I would add little pops of black metal in your accessories. Think of it a wearing "that little black dress" , paired with the right accessories to make it perfect! p.s. Every room needs a pop or two of black in it to ground it and make it feel polished.