I think the sweet autumn clematis sounds like a good idea. I have it and it can get huge. Why not combine the SAC on the existing tree (Wow!, will that smell good in August, or what?), and plant the new trees in that area as well. You may have to supplement the shade with strategically placed shade cloth until the SAC and the new trees get big enough to do the job. You say you sew - wait until you see where you need shade. You could put an eye hook in the fence (lower to the ground than the photos of the other ideas, as you do not need to walk under it) to anchor there. Use a metal fence post (if you paint it with camouflage paint, it might blend in better) for the anchor on the other sides. You just hammer them into the soil and they are easy to remove when you no longer need them. The idea is to rig up a hook and eye system, so that you can remove the shade cloth when you have guests. You'll have to spend time at a good hardware store and figure out some combo of sewing, grommets, hooks (think about the hooks on dog leashes) that will shade your plants from the hot sun. (maybe the kite shape would work.) You'll have to mess with this for a while, until your trees get bigger. Also, the japanese maple will rot, so the SAC (I would plant another clematis or two for extra color) solution would not be forever. Depending on your budget and your talents, you can take all of the ideas and use a piece of each. I would definitely use black shade cloth, though. Also, if you get a windstorm, most likely it will not totally destroy your system. You may have to replace the cloth, but you can re-use most of the hardware. Shade cloth has holes in it, so it's not like hanging a tarp out there. It allows some air to flow through it. Good luck. bkay

I wrote in this forum seven years ago about the Frigidaire all-freezer and all-refrigerator combo. We installed them as past of a major condo remodel - and have been TOTALLY happy with our choice. They are cabinet depth with zero clearance - a big deal for us. We find the refrigerator space "adequate," though a hidden benefit of the less-deep shelves is that we have no biology experiments molding away undiscovered in the back! The freezer space is awesome! Not to mention the jaw-dropping looks we get when visitors first enter our kitchen! Again, it's seven years later, and we have not had one single issue with the pair. If we build a new house, the kitchen will be planned around this same Frigidaire combo. Not sure the Electrolux-branded pair are worth the extra $$$, as they also make the Frigidaire units

Hi there - I could have written this request!! Thanks for posting it...I joined Consumer Reports for the month because of all the purchases we'll be making, and I also was looking at the KitchenAid fridge. After looking at the reviews, I'm shying away from that choice. Now, we're looking at Samsung...and I'm also thinking of Bosch, though it has ice/water in the door which I don't really want. Another possibility is the GE Profile 23 cf, though it won't be available until August.

We just put in a 15" U-Line under counter fridge. Recently bought the house and it used to have an ice-maker in that spot. Ice maker had leaked so we removed it. We've had it for about 3 weeks and it is great beng able to remove all these drinks from the main fridge. I have so much more room in my main fridge! We keep the following in the 15" fridge: perrier bottles, water bottles, juice bottles and individual milk boxes. It does make a bit more noise than our large fridge, but I have very good/sensitive hearing. No one else in the house has commented about the noise level.