BKay, the screen is 10 feet tall. It is not along a property line, so there is no city code to say NO to it. It runs north and south. On top there is a simple structure which could carry the weight of annual vines. I'm not planning to cover it with star jasmine which is evergreen here and can become massive and dense. I want in winter to have vines die back or lose leaves, so I plan on some fragrant vines annuals like morning glories and moonflowers--which bloom at night too. Trying to kick things toward night bloomers to attract more night pollinators. The posts are 4 feet apart. The panels are 8 feet tall x 4 feet wide, opening is 4 inches square. Willard, the great installer of the screen, placed those posts perfectly so that each panel sits on half of each post, and then the lath strips cover the seams between panels. I decided on the large squares because of hurricane winds, which could take down a tall structure with small holes, just rip it apart. In my design it is a straight line. It would look attractive I think in a zigzag shape (for added strength) if the space was open and standing alone. Then in the zigs and zags, tall columnar cypress or pencil holly or conifers would look nice. The zigs/zags could create a bit of shade too, if you did not have a north/south orientation precisely. Because my screen runs almost north and south, blocking western sun. When I was talking with Bruce Banyai about creating shade, he said he taught a course at Hosta College on the subject. Of course there is always the instant solution of shade cloth where immediate results are required. He also recommended buying the large cheap trees from Lowes etc and keeping them in containers to provide shade. Quick growing trees that can take your climate, but can be removed before they get so big they are a problem. I lost my potted palms last winter, also the ficus benjamina that was 8 feet tall and had done shade duty so nicely. Now I think a couple of the cheap reduced-price trees are a good idea. I am watching Lowes for some good choices. And, Phil, yes, bananas are a nice shade solution in my climate. They grow quickly, can be very dramatic, and they sometimes are dormant for the winter. There are varieties which survive in colder climates, but need the stems wrapped and roots kept insulated. I'm about to try one in a big pot on wheels so I can move it inside my Teahouse for colder weather. And Spanish moss, I know it is on the Georgia coast and in Savannah, but do not know how much further north it thrives. Perhaps not in the mountains where you are? It is a great insulating material on top of pots, and it provides nesting material for cardinals. I see them picking at it like a plate of gray spaghetti. The moss is a member of the tillandsia family of air plants, not attaching itself to the plant/tree nor taking nourishment from it. It even has blooms, which are sort of brownish lip colored the way native sweet shrubs look. It particularly likes live oaks which give it permanent shade and some moisture because those oaks have a way of "weeping" . Thank you for complimenting the design. I love the way it comes together. Not being a formal person, I like to bring different elements together in unexpected ways that are personally satisfying. And, BKay, I am very relieved, and pleased, to hear that Squash Casserole is doing a good job for you. I had hoped that would happen. After months of looking good, it is still pretty here too, and so is the NEW one I got this spring. AND, all of her sports are looking good too. I'll try to feature them in a new thread later on. Right now, I have potting to do. And splitting a green sport off of Stargate before that streaker turns all green on me. I sometimes think streakers are a big pain, so demanding of attention. Nothing like SCasserole, which only demands light and lots of WATER.

Those are very nice chairs, ML. I agree that they could go in the living room as easily as the dining room. I like the wavy "x" legs, especially. It gives them a little something extra. I have studied your diagrams and read your descriptions, finally. Ran around all day yesterday - went and got a Holter Monitor at the cardiologist's and then hit Salvation Army, where I got a sweet little bakers rack - solid metal, welded seams - for $35! Just needs a little 3M Rust Reformer. I think you have shown us the kitchen design before. I remember the sink across from the Bertazzoni, the big garden window, the baking area. I am not sure if you had the nice indentation there for the cook to have a safe zone, though. I do remember the sitting area outside the bedroom, though. It is neat to see the diagram of your home after all these years of seeing photos of little parts of it and imagining how it all fits together. The nosy neighbor, is he on the side with the clawfoot tub and your clothes closet? Is the new vestibule in the front new this time? I don't think I remember seeing that. I am also a bit surprised that you gave up on the storage/pantry units on either side of the window seats. I like your idea of base and wall cabinets with your favorite solid surface counter there, though. Does the table that you use in that space have extensions that you can use to fill the dining room if you have a large group? I am now struggling with an idea I have for my family room. We now have a nice (but huge) 1990s TV unit with the doors that slide out to shut the TV behind. Which I never do. The thing is 5 ft high, which is too high to place my gnome garden upon. I have my air plant garden up there, but it can hardly be seen. I want to ditch the furniture, get a larger wall-hung TV (old eyes can't see small print) and have a furniture piece that I can set things on and under. Craigslist had an beautiful console table for $230 that was under 2' deep at its smallest configuration that looked like a sofa table. It could be pulled out to 8' long! Yet it was only about 8" deep! I could set things on the floor underneath it, as well as on top. It did need a little restoration (it was from the 1930s), and I would not feel really comfortable putting a garden on it, as drips could happen. But since I made the entire kitchen into an island, I have no place for a table-height table, and thought I might want that option if I could ever talk DH into getting rid of the hunk o'oak that I once thought that I just had to have! I'd love to give it to someone to make into a nice play kitchen set like MamaGoose made! We could bring up dining chairs from the basement and have a sit-down meal if we wanted to. Currently, we eat at the island or sitting on family room furniture. I have a tea cart DH and I have used as a dining table, though. So I am imagining that you have the extending table that I wish I had! I hope that you are well by now, and that Marti is over her cold, too. I hear that both flu and colds are going around in Michigan, with Norovirus and RSV also hitting hard. We have been lucky, so far.

You had a mourning dove. They build very skimpy nests. They mate for life so the male and female take turns sitting on the eggs. I had a pair who had 3 broods this summer/early fall. I think its their offspring plus the original parents (I have about 4-5 pairs of them who come every day to my fire escape to eat raw sunflower seeds and suet cakes that I feed them). I also attract plenty of house sparrows and a few pigeons. Susan is right---if the nest is too hot they won't build there. Enjoy as they may come back again next year. Their nesting season is late Spring through early Fall which gives the babies enough time to grow in time for the winter.

miles, in my climate zone I can keep them in pots for a long time. The red one had been in a pot for more than 5 years and I could have left it there even longer. But I had this empty space in the front garden and it filled it up nicely with the years. When they are tiny I take them inside and keep them in a cold room and give them a little water from time to time. nicholsworth, I would also like them to stay tiny, they are so cute! My poor Fire Island had a bad year. It got a late frost when a lot of leaves were already out and had brown spots after that and to top this a slug found it's way into the pot and had a feast on the new leaves :-( Is yours in a shady bed? It is quite dark... Golden Tiara is one of the hosta I have started with and it is such a good grower that I have divided it often and gave big chunks to friends. I bought Grand Tiara, Emerald and Platinum Tiara this year and have Royal Tiara on next year's list :-) I hope they grow as well as Golden Tiara... Grand Tiara Emerald Tiara Emerald Tiara