Talk to him, I mean, write to him, Brandy - it would be good to know how long he can ship; they are in a very cold zone. They already had some very cold temps - I asked about Perrin'e pride and Jerome said it was hit by frost but still healthy. I must have that one, I MUST have that one. Dont' you dare to snatch it from me. LOL. Snow Queen is white with blue edges; it has been holding on to that bloom for days. Today Henryi also had a bloom opened but I couldn't find my camera before dark; typical of me. Ascotiensis also arrived with a fat bud - I heard so many good things about that clematis but all the photos I checked are different, so if it opens it will help me to find the best spot for that beauty.

Thanks for posting this info. I have two large plantings of this shrub that are normally loaded with blooms, and I was considering them for cuts just the other day. But since I have never tested them for longevity, I never did use them. For me they'd be in bloom the same time as peonies and I'll bet they'd be great together.

Hey weedyacres, thanks for responding so fast! Actually, when I posted my question, I didn't know for sure if ordering from them direct was an option. It's just that I couldn't see on their Web site a "Where to Buy" list of dealers, and I haven't yet found someone here that lists that brand. Oh lizbeth-gardener, thanks so much for your post! That is great advice about requesting samples--I'm not sure I would have thought of that if you hadn't mentioned it. How did you find a local dealer that carried Onyx? Maybe I'm going about it backwards. I saw Onyx mentioned here on GW, and thought I'd see a "Where to Buy" list on their Web site like Swanstone has, but I haven't spotted it after checking the likely places. Thanks again to both of you. You've been most helpful. - Lee

Sorry to sound a discordant note, but I personally don't like the French doors at all. I think an arch would be perfect. From the kitchen, the doors seem unnecessary, but more importantly, they would interfere with light unless you added the sidelights, which, as several folks have said, will look pretty busy IRL. But it's the view from the FR that really makes me dislike the doors. Sometimes it's easy to overlook the obvious, and here, the obvious is the fact that you'll have wall after wall after wall of French doors. Together they form an overwhelming block of glass and muntins and frames and grid shapes, with no easy way to soften them (these aren't windows and won't have soft, poofy window treatments). I think they could look even odder IRL. Either you'll have a shade or something on the patio door, and nothing on the others, or you'll leave all three doors nude, which will give you one black door at night and two others that have indoor light behind them. They will look similar, but wrong. Plus, in reality, I find that people actually keep interior french doors closed far less often than they think they will. I think the arch avoids some of these problems. It pierces that corner so that the FR won't feel so much like an isolated addition or a 3-season porch that's been tarted up--instead, it would be connected to the house. And having the curved arch lets you break up that infinite repetition of rectilinear grid, grid, grid without having to add anything. Finally, it will connect the FR and the kitchen with the rest of the house architecturally by repeating a motif you already have. Sorry to add confusion--just my $.02!