Yes, it is witch hazel, Hammamelis virginiana. I took this picture in October of last year. At a time when other trees have lost their leaves or putting on a brilliant autumn show of color, this tree is blooming. It is a native tree here and can be found in the understory of the local hardwood forests. It, like so many native plants, was/is used medicinally by the Native Americans of this area. The following image is from the information portion of the witch hazel plaque on an ethnobotanical trail at Ganondagan State Historic Site. It includes the Seneca (one of the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois peoples) name for the plant as well as how it has been used by the Seneca people. I took the above picture in the "Creator's Garden," which is a medicine wheel garden, at the Ganondagan Site. I hope you enjoy! FataMorgana Here is a link that might be useful: Witch Hazel

I have the book "The Collector's Guide to Hall China" by Margaret & Kenn Whitmyer page 115 top row right it is pictured in the blue color. It is a Westinghouse covered roaster in the "Plain" pattern,color is delphinium blue strangely it is listed under "refrigerator ware & there is no price listed. Guess they were having a bad day LOL ,book written in 1985, may be newer issues but at least you know now what it is. Rest of stuff on page is from 1939 or 40. Jan

You should definitely list your "wants" and "don't wants" out -- including reasons why you think you want them that way. Everything in the "Welcome to the forum" posting is just as useful for a designer as it is for this board. You could show him the ideas so far, but make sure that you both agree as to what are the good/bad points so that he doesn't just copy the 'hated' parts. You've already gotten several layouts or tweaks from this community, I wouldn't worry about gathering any more for the moment. You should ask for: References, references, references. Scope of work. If you are planning on getting multiple bids for the cabinets, then does that mean you only want a layout and are not using the designer to pick materials? Talk about the scope of work, what you are hiring out and what you want to do yourself. A good designer will be knowledgeable on different price levels of materials, and can recommend installers as well. How much running around do you want to do? After a while, I loved having the designer pull a limited number of colors and materials to choose from, it made decision making less overwhelming. It did take some time before I trusted her, but after that I didn't feel the need to re-research every little thing. Get a sample contract, but don't sign it until you have had time to look it over and check references. Make sure you have a clear understanding of costs/billing. (If he's billing at XX per hour, ask if that includes the time to drive out to your place in the country. Ask if that includes phone calls, emails, etc.) An experienced designer probably comes with a list of things they usually cover at a first meeting, so you can start there then add items from above as needed.

Don't sweat the exact ratios too much. 5-1-1 is a catchall that MOST plants will do well in. I go by how it looks/feels, and have several 5-1-1 mixes modified for particular plants water preferences. I grow 'Black and Blue' salvia for the hummingbirds and added 2 peat, skip the pearlite and added NAPA 8822 because 'B&B' likes more water. I use Miracle Grow straight from the bag with the pot sitting in a deep saucer kept full of water for my Cardinal Lobelia because it flowers better in boggy soil. Cuphea, and most others like 5-1-1 by the book. It helps to have extra ingredients, so you can modify if need be. I found a soil conditioner (pine fines and "forest products") that was perfect...well it was last year. This year the same brand was a bit peaty, so I had to add additional pine bark mulch to compensate. I would suggest making small batches and experiment until you get the hang of the look/feel of 5-1-1 and your particular plants. and I don't sift for 5-1-1...too much work!