Paul, I love to have you paint the view. I'd love to see a picture of your finished work. The mountain to the right in the picture is Bastion and the lake is Shuswap if you're interested. As far as being in zone three as opposed to 4/5, I'm not sure if it makes a difference. Frozen is frozen - right? I think the problem come in with spring freeze/ thaw cycles. We don't normally have these in my experience but 2007 was the exception. I lost about 10 large, mature plants that were in pots. Up to then, I'd been just tipping them on their sides and that has always worked. I don't know what I did wrong, didn't tip them up early enough? Anyway, last year I made much more of an effort to get nearly all potted plants (75+) into an unheated garage. I had always taken the smaller, expensive, newer plants in there but I no longer felt safe leaving any outside. They all came back just fine in spite of the fact that we had snow in the spring after leaves were all up. The trick becomes when to take them out of the garage. Some people have said to wait until late May to be absolutely sure. I have no patience for that so I ended up throwing sheets over them. Maybe you should try with any duplicates you have first. Keep the precious ones protected longer and watch your weather reports. I've been trying to get more and more in the ground but it's a loosing battle I'm afraid. McT

I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one who feels like that sometimes! We all work so hard on our gardens and have dreams of what it could be and then when nature throws hail and bad weather at us - it is just a little hard to accept.... If it were not for my newest front bed around the pin oak tree next to my driveway (which still looks great), I don't know what I would do! I did lose a bunch of heuchera, but most of the hosta in this bed look great - as opposed to the horrible way the hosta in the back yard look. The ones that look the best are Francee, Blue Mammoth, June, Guacamole, Christmas Tree, Pizazz, Paul's Glory, Abiqua Drinking Gourd, Dream Queen, & Krossa Regal. All of my potted babies from the White Oak sale look great and with the cool weather we had on Sunday, they all got planted (YAY!) Everything Ken says about gardening around maples has proved true for me... I just moved a few sad-looking backyard hosta and their rootballs were full of fine, maple roots and their leaves are crispy and ugly. Maybe I will switch to SEDUM there instead!!! BettyLu

Toolbar wasn't locked. Whats a vertical drag bar? And how would I drag open the address bar if I don't have or see one? Sorry, I'm obviously very inexperienced and confused. I do remember moving a "separator" to inactive because I couldn't see it or know what it did. So I've put it back but still dont see anything there. (By the way, because I didn't see it I added it again and the word separator went in again.But still don't see anything.) Please don't laugh. I'm really trying.Thanks, Sandy

I don't care for any of the paint samples on the walls. They only highlight the pink tones in the paneling by being so gold or brown/gold. I also wouldn't do burgundy, as you have so much of it already in the room. I would first consider finding a color that is the same as the background color in the paneling - a soft creamy ivory tone, and just use that. The entry area feels kind of dark and closed, so a light color there would work. I would then take the same paint and paint all the ceilings, both in the entry and the living room. The white ceiling only works to make the walls look even more pinky-peach in contrast. By painting out the ceiling in the paneling background color, you will lessen that considerably. I would get a larger area rug for the entry, something with a creamy field and burgundy accents, which again will tie into the LR but keep the entry lighter in feel. I believe I see a cabinet of some kind in the entry area where the coats are? Be sure you have a lamp there for some warm lighting for the entry. I would take the four small flower pix on the paneled wall in the LR and hang them in the entry in a grouping. I would change out the mats to a neutral, to show off the flowers themselves - you don't even see them in the burgundy matting. The frames are fine. By bringing some of the burgundy onto that entry wall, you will introduce the burgundy color in the entry that will then lead the eye into the LR. I would take the larger piece in burgundy matting and use that over the fireplace - having two pieces of art on that fireplace wall that are matted in green kind of makes it feel like you were trying to match the art, but they are not hanging together so it feels disconnected. I would take all those balls out of the tall vases on the fireplace and puit them in a bowl somewhere - they are lost in those vases. Then find some tall, fountain-like grasses and greens to put in the vases for softness. It seems like you have so many great family photos. I would have them all framed in complimentary frames and use the large paneled sections behind the couch to hang them in a striking grouping. By using those instead of the burgundy matted collection, you will stop highlighting the color of the paneling, and instead will have a varied grouping of photos that will become the focal point. I would also move the photo screen and tuck it in a corner or near something so it doesn't feel like it is just floating in the room by itself. I love the little chest you have by the entry, but I don't like it there. It is heavy and dark, and feels like a barricade to the front door area. I would remove that and leave that entry open. Maybe you could move it over to the other side to where the little green bench is now? Try to get some pillows for the couches that are creamier in their background color, to lighten the feel of those pieces. They could still have a print or a stripe, but should have a lighter overall background that brings in the wall color. Something like this, tho this particular pillow may not be right, but the idea of a lighter background is the key. crewel pillows I don't see much ambient lighting in the room - at least in the views we have, only one lamp on an end table, and that is too small. Put that lamp on the little chest that I had you move over to the other side of the room. Get a bigger lamp for that table, perhaps another lamp to sit on the sewing machine (I think) that is behind the couch acting as a console table. More lighting located lower and that is warmer will also affect how the paneling is perceived, and will keep the eye more focused into the center of the room and away from the walls. I think your room has lots of wonderful things going for it. Settling the entry will help, and then tweaking the LR space and its accessories will make it all feel finished and cohesive.