This is a funny thread. Kudzukween and Kirk, you certainly were cute kids (and great looking adults too). Somewhere I have a doppelganger and her name is Mary. I have never met her but I seem to be often mistaken for her. Another problem I have is someone else has the same first and last name as I do here in the Milwaukee area. Her dad was a local eccentric character who legally changed his name to Crazy Jim. Before he died, I often had people ask if my dad was Crazy Jim to which I replied, "No, mine is Crazy Ralph." he-he I have an unusual last name so this is very strange. The two of us had the same doctor years ago. I had to make sure when I called for an appointment that they pulled my file and not hers.

Pardon me Engima, but seeing as how zoysia is considered a southern grass, what made you think it would do well in southern Pennsylvania. I am aware that your area might be considered a "transitional" zone....meaning areas across the country from the coast westward enclosing the states of W.Va, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee.....that area, can use a warm season and/or a cool season type grass, even combining them where thought viable. But, being a warm-season grass, what made you think zoysia would be the grass for you. The attributes of that grass aside, like how it is able to stand up to drought, that ability would only apply if your area of Pa did not receive adequate rainfall. I don't think that applies. So why zoysia. You quoted three varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass. Was this recommended by someone in the know. My own thinking on what makes a good grass (and a good lawn) is to plant for whatever nature throws at you in the area you reside. In northern zones thus, a combo of K.B., with added fescue and ryegrass is considered a good idea. Each gives its best when situations arrive. Fescue is good for shade, kentucky blue for sun, ryegrass for standing up to rough treatment such as heavy traffic. To depend on one type of grass has its own set of rules. If something that goes against the K.B.'s happens, then you are 'up the creek' sort of. Instead of believing tha Lowes or Home Depot does not stock good quality grasses, why not speak to a nurseryman about what grasses do well for a home's lawn in your vicinity. Then compare what they have and whether you can buy that particular blend (or not a blend) in the other stores. Usually, one person has a bad experience with what has been bought at the box store, and then makes a most definite opinion that the stores only stock poor grades of grasses. Stores don't usually go out of their way to sell to patrons that which will not invite them back again. Stores deal with suppliers....the same as how some nurseries do. Grass, for the most part, depends on how it is taken care of. There are, however, good quality seeds as well as poor ones. The quick grasses do not usually stand up well to heat of summer or drought that happens irregularly. The good quality grasses can take the heat of the kitchen and bounce back when conditions get better. The other stuff dies quickly. So whatever grass you do buy, buy the best you can afford. Grass can be encouraged to be lusher and thereby stand up to adversity when it happens. But grass will not grow if the soil does not welcome it. So enrich your soil, make the grass want to stick around. Every fall, put a 1/2" - 1" layer of compost or good topsoil over the lawn. Do an overseeding, whether you believe the lawn needs it or not. The more lush you make the lawn, the better it can put up with what can attack it...including grubs. But grubs pretty soon will be going south (deeper) for the winter. The time to take up with them is in the spring when the larvae from this season's population come up for air. In the spring, put a layer 1/2" - 1" of compost (or good topsoil) over the lawn and let it grow up through it. Do this early, as soon as the frost has left the ground. The fall/spring ritual of putting down this layer of topsoil should be considered one of the things to do EVERY YEAR. Winter takes a lot out a lawn..so whatever you can do to enrich the soil the better your lawn will grow. Fertilize regularly---but not too often. Fertilizer can feed the soil and what grows in it.....but do it too much and it will cause short stubby roots, over nitrogenize and otherwise cause poor growth instead of pushing it. It does appear you have a job to do to change over your zoysia to something else....and you may be not making a good choice of change. I'm curious what your neighbors have done --is everybody in your neighborhood growing zoysia and what is their thinking of it. Reading about it, it does appear it has a lot going for it....and a lot not going for it. Generally it is for more southern areas....not particularly suited for where the snow flies.

I like that bullnose type overhang detail on the front porch. A friend is a concrete contractor who now only does custom work such as staining, acid etching, custom inlay cuts,etc. It's nice to see concrete, like other aspects of building design, resorting to the details that was incorporated in the past.The seventies ,eighties, into the ninties things were pretty much subliminal as a whole. It's nice to see creative details making a comeback on builds.

oh, wow! This last picture really shows off the colors. Beautiful!!! Gorgeous choices. Did you say what your countertops will be? I can't scroll back up the thread while commenting. :) Anyway, I love the pale blue/gray cabinets! In the first picture I was not sure if the lighter cabs were in the white family or not. NOW I can see the beautiful combination. Well done!!!