Eddie I think MJ was partying yesterday. Did you miss your own party? lol I found out to late too that it was to celebrate the opening of your shop :-))) I asume. Lucy

Three things I learned to do first...because I ended up doing the beds over and over until I got it thru my thick skull "first things first"!!! If you do not define your beds and plant the 'bones' you won't ever get quite that...that....'look' you want. And by 'the look' I mean those beds that make your mouth drool with ENVY color="green"> First, mow grass short and then take a long garden hose or extension cord and lay it where you want your beds to be. Create curves and sweeping edges. Look at this bed from all sides and from prime viewing spots such as your patio. You like? Good! Now, spray paint along the hose or cord with black paint (doesnt have to be neon--just need to be able to see it. Try not to paint said hose/cord--lol) Ok, now remove the hose/cord and get an edger or weed-whacker and hit that painted line hard and wide so that you can really see it. Check for smooth curves, nothing harsh or too sharp--remember that you will have to mow along this line. Now, everything between those beautiful lines and the fence is PRIME FLOWER COUNTRY! Second, prepare beds. I use cardboard and lots of mulch. Follow advice as above. Third, but no less important....get some backbone lady!! ;o) You really need evergreen things. Especially in zone 6 where winter is a time for dreaming and flat empty beds are depressing. The green of your evergreens creates a nice foil for spring flowers and bulbs, since most grass will still be dormant. It also adds height and density to the bed. Its the matte of your picture...the frame for your flowers and roses. I had so many beds that lacked something...A neighbor pointed out that my yard was totally bare in winter and had no density in summer. I added bones and immediately got what was missing. I wish she had spoken sooner since some evergreens may take a while to reach a good height/size. Now, all 'bones' don't need to be evergreen, but IMHO no bed should be without a few evergreens--tall, medium or short. There are so many varieties to choose from. I have found that what makes some beds look scrumptious and some look just 'pretty good' is the texture one creates in a bed. This is done with a mix of things but each bed needs the density of evergreens with the various foliages of other plants. I have a friend who had no flowres in her beds (horrors!) Yet, I couldnt take my eyes off of her beds--the texture was incredible!! The foil she created was captivating to me (and I am a thru-and-thru flower and rose ho!!) I hope these comments have helped you--lord knows they would have saved me a fortune if I had known this from the start! Below is a link to a garden of amazing texture--she helped me get started (with advice via the internet) when I was a newbie. Keep us posted. Ronda BTW--cute little peeper in the sliding glass door!

This has been a fun process for me because I've decided to downsize considerably in order to justify having a few nicer things in the small space. I'll be going from an 1,800 sq ft home with separate garage/workshop to a 530 sq ft apartment above a 500 sq ft garage/workshop. This is an experiment for me both in simple living as well as in designing a living space that will cost as little as possible to heat or maintain. I'm also a bachelor, so it's a bit easier making a tiny space work. This structure is also being built on the edge of an heirloom fruit orchard of mine (16 acres), and much of my time is spent outdoors. The apartment is a comprised of a main living space divided into three areas: a well-equipped little kitchen, a dining area, and a home office. There's also a separate bedroom with a large closet as well as a full bath. The workshop/garage is large enough to hold a pick-up truck, tractor, a laundry area, a workbench, and three large chest freezers for storage. My challenge has been to take a serious look at what I truly need and I'm willing to give up in order to make this space work. I've learned a lot about myself in the process. In particular, a piano is more important to me than a sofa! When guests come to visit, our time indoors will have to be spent around the dining table. This is a concession I decided to make in order to have space for an upright piano. I also had to give up having a big, comfortable leather club chair and ottoman for reading and relaxing. Instead, I opted to have an over-sized bed (California King), really comfortable dining room chairs and an ergonomic chair for my desk (Aeron). Having sized down so drastically though, I will own my home outright (and all of its contents.) It's also been designed to be so well-insulated and airtight that I'll have a monthly utility bill of around $195/mo that will cover all space heating, air conditioning, hot water, electricity and propane, including a gas range and a top of the line steam shower. My Scrimps have turned out to be what I've simply given up: *No formal living room *No sofa *No space for a comfortable leather chair *No guest room My Splurges are: *Kohler Unwind Luxury Steam Shower (with six shower heads) *Sun Valley Bronze architectural hardware *Custom made Cedar garage and entry doors *Custom made Cherry kitchen cabinetry *Custom made Cherry rolltop office desk *Custom made Cherry Shaker Panel bed and nightstands with storage drawers beneath *6 Cherry dining chairs & table by Gary Weeks & Co. *BlueStar LP gas range *Yamaha Avant Grand N2 piano *Lie-Nielsen Roubo workbench (in garage) *BR-111 Tiete Rosewood floors and staircase *Sorpetaler Triple-Glazed European windows (from Germany) *Farrow & Ball paint *Caesarstone countertops *Rohl faucets and apron kitchen sink *Fisher & Paykel refrigerator/freezer *Bosch dishwasher *Motawi tile for bathroom and kitchen backsplash *Jaga...

Too early to tell but the one piece of advice I have clung to, I got it out of some kitchen magazine, is that less expensive materials can look much more expensive when they are installed well. I always remember this kitchen (see link) not for its' soapstone counters or beautiful lacquer\painted off-white cabinets which are lovely (and important to the overall effect of the room) but for that composite vinyl tile floor. The custom pattern, the great colours it's fantastic and I am sure many have spent more than 20 times as much on their floor to not achieve 1\2 the impact. What I take from that is while $$$ dictate that you may have to compromise on materials to stay on budget you don't have to lower your standards in terms of the quality of the design and workmanship that goes into the kitchen your working on. One of the reason I chose the box store I did is because the installer is excellent and he gets paid the same to install my stock "Instant Kitchen" as he does someone elses Kraftmaid semi-custom "Venicia" kitchen that cost 4 times as much. So I suppose you could say that I saved on the cabs and splurged on the labour. Time will tell if it was a smart trade off or not. Here is a link that might be useful: pics of mjsmama's kitchen