Are you aiming to do bedding or permanent plantings? If you want flowers all year round in such a small space you'll have to do bedding and change the plants several times a year. You wouldn't be able to have constant flowers using only bulbs/corms/rhizomes. If it is just colour you want all year you could do it with some permanent background plants plus bedding. At this time of year you can be putting in forget-me-nots, polyanthus, wallflowers, violas, grasses, double Bellis perennis etc. underplanted with bulbs. Any local garden centre will have stacks of choices for winter bedding. Regarding your begonia choices, bear in mind that all the flowers in those beds will be seen from above. The begonias you mention look better seen from the side, in a raised pot for example, as they tend to hang down slightly. Remember too that box edging is a haven for snails and slugs so you may need to protect your flowers. They adore bulb flowers and frequently eat my snowdrop, daffodil and hyacinth blossoms before they've even opened. But as kato_b says you will probably get more relevant suggestion locally where people are used to small gardens and the climate.

Well - I have 20 shrubs and a plum tree in containers - the oldest ones being containered for 11 years, along with dozens of perennials including woody vines like clematis (1), wisteria (1), honeysuckles (2). I am definitely one who doesn't have a problem with trees & shrubs, etc., in containers and have had to constantly battle people here on GW about the alleged impossibility of doing such. ;-). But I guess I do have a problem with trying to maintain perennials WITH the shrubs over a long haul, which this contest seems to be suggesting (or perhaps this contest doesn't care about long term). Ie., it almost suggests putting together an annual-like "combination planting", but using trees/shrubs, perennials, etc., as the combining plants. I have some crocuses in my plum container and as earlier noted, had some sedum crawling along the top of my clematis container, but I do know that there will come a time when you would need to divide a perennial. I have seen half-barrels with cannas in the center with daylilies planted around the edge. But it might be tricky to try to also jam some grasses or sedges and annuals in with that and a canna isn't even a shrub. LOL But then I guess that is why it is called a "challenge". ;-)

The perspective of a pro chef, for what it�s worth (long post): Induction vs. Gas SPEED: Advantage to INDUCTION: It heats up faster and doesn�t waste time on conduction to grates. RESPONSIVENESS: Slight advantage to INDUCTION. For mcst cooking, the two are basically a push. Both can be adjusted with near-instant responsiveness. However, induction burners can be set at lower settings, where gas flames would just die out. For example you can melt chocolate on induction without a bain marie. Also, gas cooking transfers heat to the grates, so there is a definite lag in responsiveness especially when lowering the heat (one reason why cooking "off the burner" is sometimes necessary). CONTROL: Basically a push. With gas, you can see the flame. With induction, you see the number. After learning the levels on induction, there�s no difference in this category. VERSATILITY: Advantage to GAS. Gas can be used for wok cooking, roasting peppers, flamb�ing. The induction equivalent requires a flat-bottomed wok, and a butane torch from the hardware store (not the dinky ones at kitchen stores). CLEANUP: Huge advantage to INDUCTION. Cleanup on induction is a breeze. Since the cooktop itself isn�t hot, there�s no cool-down time before wiping, and no caked on/burnt food & liquids. Or just cook on top of newspaper and throw it out afterwards. Cleanup for pots & pans is easier too - No more scorched exteriors to scrub. COOKWARE: Huge advantage to GAS. Gas being low-tech, you can use pots/pans of any material and size. With induction, you need ferrous pots/pans (cast iron or stainless). MAINTENANCE: Advantage to GAS. Gas stoves are generally low-tech, meaning fewer repairs and lower expected cost per repair. I would expect a quality gas range to outlast a quality induction cooktop. Also glass cooktops are at risk of cracking under abuse� There�s not really anything you can "break" with gas. PRICE: Advantage to GAS (assuming an existing gas line). Mid-range induction cooktops run about 50% more than their gas counterparts. ENERGY COST: Slight advantage to Induction. While induction in 90% efficient vs. 50% for gas (plus ambient cooling), natural gas is so cheap in North America right now that you won�t see a noticeable difference in your bills, if at all. Of course that could change down the road� And with the ambient cooling costs incurred with gas, induction still has a slight advantage in this category. SAFETY: Advantage to Induction. No risks associated with open flames, hot grates, or combustion fumes. SELECTION: Advantage to Gas. There�s just a huge selection of gas cooktops out there, in all sizes and ventilation options. There is no downdraft induction cooktop (not that downdraft is really effective anyway). There is currently no 36" induction range/oven combo (Viking makes a 30"). RESALE VALUE: Advantage to Gas. Most people in American are just not informed about induction. They will walk in and assume you have radiant electric, which could be a deal breaker. And even if induction is explained to them, they may still be wary. This forum is a prime example of the mentality out there. Some people are just staunch advocates of gas, and no amount of information can change that view. OVERVIEW: How you weigh these pros and cons will depend on the individual. For me, the clean-up with induction was a major factor, as I'm fed up with scrubbing caked on crud and grease from hot grates every day. Regarding the argument of what pros use... Yes, restaurants use gas. They are cheap, sturdy, easy to repair, and take a lot of abuse (banging & clanging). You can use crap pans, and no staff training is necessary. Most people (including my fellow chefs) have never cooked on induction, and feel no reason to explore it. There is NO TRUE PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE to gas. Decide what features are important to you and don't listen to all the nutjobs out there!

My passport had long expired, but when my daughter was anticipating doing a study abroad semester, I decided we should have a little mother/daughter lunch/passport celebration, even though my husband and I were not planning on going to see her at the time. Glad that I did it though, because we decided we just had to go meet the wonderful family hosting her, and oh, why not go to London and Paris on our way to Spain?? Plus, we get to think of our fun day together each time we look at those fabulous passport pics! elizabethzen - thanks for the reminder on the intl dl; we have whetted our appetite for more intl travel and may just get adventurous and try driving our next trip. And if anyone is going to Paris for lunch, can I come too?