Charles, I'll be 69 this year and have citrus in heavy 22" clay pots. I also have figs in half whiskey barrels. Been rethinking that one. Anyway my husband and I move them with a 2 wheeled cart (dolly). I think that I could move the clay pots by myself if I had to - probably not the half whiskey barrels. The leverage is all wrong. If worst comes to worst, I'll top and root prune the plants to fit them in smaller pots, sort of bonsai them over time. I suppose when I get very old I may not be able to grow the plants that I like but I intend to fight it. Buylady, We move the citrus out in the Spring about mid-April and back in in the Fall about October 7th. The timing is based on frost dates here. Because the moves are only twice a year, it may be easier to coordinate it with your helper than this year. Cath

Time for the GC to man up and do some jackhammering. At his cost for everything. Inluding the repairs that may be needed from the abrasive concrete dust.

Couple of things......what is considered as "extremely acidic" soils by your extension service? Most of western NY has only moderately acidic soil (and there are even limestone pockets here and there with somewhat alkaline soil conditions). "Extremely" acidic would be less than 5.0. And maples are pretty tolerant of any soil pH as long as not extreme in either direction, although most species would prefer a slightly acidic pH, as do the vast majority of other plant types - I would not necessarily consider their presence as a sign of very acidic conditions. Do you see lilacs growing and blooming in any nearby gardens? That's typically a reasonable indication of the suitability of growing conditions without the need for a lot of amending. FWIW, lilacs thrive in my area of the PNW which has slightly to moderately acidic soil. They do not demand an alkaline soil condition. If you intend to transplant, I'd do it as soon as the leaves start to drop. And by all means, go easy on the lime if you apply any at all!! As far as your cement-like soil, I'd just layer on a good thick covering (4-6") of compost after transplanting the lilacs and let nature takes its course. Compost is an excellent remediation material for contaminated soils and will stimulate the soil biology to loosen up the hard surface. With any luck, the soil should be ready to accept new plantings in spring. But I might have a soil test done first to see exactly how out of whack the pH is in that area. The good news is that most soils have a buffering capacity that prevents any significant permanent change in pH so whatever damage the excess lime might have done will only be temporary.

This color is a nice neutral and I like the white trim that make the details of this room pop. Before deciding on the pieces, I would think more about the configuration of the room. I love that you are not putting a TV in here and will use it for reading instead. I suggest making a sitting area near the back windows because it lets in so much natural light. It will be a perfect place to read during the day without having to depend on lamps as much. And, it creates its own space that does not depend on the red or sea foam color influence. For a back of the room reading area, I would: 1. Define the space with a rug. I'd go for something neutral that blends more with the room instead of using the rugs you chose that are such an intense contrast. What about jute with a dark grey binding for texture, or a trellis pattern but not as contrasting as the navy and white you chose? 2. Get an upholstered cushion made for the built in bench under the window. Such a great reading nook, looks maybe big enough for two to snuggle and read! Nice soft window treatment, and maybe sconces or art hung on either side of the window. Toss your current sofa pillows over there to start to give you an idea of that as soft hang out space. 3. I like the idea of putting the sofa in front of the window with a coffee table in the middle and two grey Pottery Barn chairs across from it, facing the sofa. The only problem is that your sofa is pretty high in the back and I don't know how it would look to have it cutting off the bottom of the windows. It is free to move around furniture so give it a try! 4. Going with more neutral colors - tan, grey, beige, maybe a hint of navy and pops of rust means you should throw in some texture to the equation. That can come from a jute rug, fluffy blankets, and shiny objects. (Mercury glass objects?) Plus maybe a coffee table that has some texture of reflective quality. Here are some ideas for the back reading space: Rute rug, gray border Patterned rugs that have grey and other colors Examples of living room window seats: For the middle and front space, I have a few different ideas, but would like to hear more about what you need as a function of this room. Do you have any furniture you own and are looking for a different space to house it in? Do you need more storage for any particular kind of item? (Boots, purses, backpacks?) Do you have a home office or need space for that kind of work?