A whole lot of years ago when I first began propagating cuttings heavily, I would grow them on in one gallon cans. To prevent them from drying out or frying, I would group them together under one of the trees in the front yard, surround them with large rocks and fill inbetween them with horse manure, even inside the cans so I could easily water them, keep them fed, cool and moist. I never lost one, they all developed beautifully and none of the cans reared their ugly sides. I know you can't do that with five gallon and larger ones, but similar methods can be used if you don't want added expense and products you're going to either have to give or throw away after you're finished with them. The mulch idea should work well as it would keep down the weeds, improve your soil and keep the cans from overheating and prematurely drying out. Kim

On line you can check out the cost of various fuels per million btu. Cut wood is one of the least expensive ways to heat a home. Growing up we never paid for wood, always sought out free junk wood and I just cleaned the chimney a few times a season. Now that I have a child with asthma and a home that is only served by electricity I have had to rely on heat pumps and a pellet stove. (Puffs of smoke from wood stove when opening the door to feed wood are a problem for asthma.) Cold days when the heat pumps start cutting in electric resistance heat we run the pellet stove. It was the largest I could find (E----o Maxx) and holds three bags of pellets. The fan is LOUD - similar to a window AC unit on high (moved the TV to another room). Having used a wood stove for many year (before child) I can give first hand benefits of a large pellet stove. 1. No smoke or dust in the house. 2. We leave it unattended all of the time, it can even be wired to a thermostat. 3. Simple operation - don't have to adjust or babysit the fire. 4. This year I bought 2 tons of pellets for about $360 stored in the garage. I am fine with spending the money for the convenience.

It's probably the metal expanding and nothing to worry about much but there's a chance that some of the sounds are from falling creosote particles from the lower flue temperature. By Heritage, I am assuming you mean a Hearthstone Heritage, nice stove, but 325 is pretty low for your flue temperature if you're using a magnetic type thermometer. I used to have a Hearthstone Phoenix and cruising temperature on that was between 400 and 500 for most of the burn. How far up the pipe is your thermometer from the stove flue collar? It might read lower if more than 2 feet above.

Is this a new purchase or have you been living there for awhile? The reason I ask is that I wonder whether the small windows are deliberate, because of a need for privacy (e.g. bathroom) or because they are constrained by something like a kitchen counter height. It looks as if the house has lots of windows facing a beautiful view, and maybe there is a busy road on the other side that would be more annoying if there were big windows facing it. Around here, most lakeside homes with a beautiful view are deliberately closed off on the opposite side, for these reasons. Are the awnings for light control? I would live in the house for a year before removing them. The color is not good with the brick, but I do like a shelter over a door. It gives the house some dimension, protects against rain when standing there, and gives a nice sheltered feeling. If cost is an issue, you could try painting the awning over the door and removing the others if they don't add value. I would not paint this house. It's a significant expense, one time and ongoing, and I don't think it would look any better painted. There is nothing wrong with the color - it's a classic brick building. The air conditioners are an eyesore. Planting shrubs would help, but I wouldn't want to wait years for shrubs to mature. Google "hide an air conditioner" and you'll find many options to build, to give you immediate relief. Your photo is taken at a bit of an odd angle. There is obviously an attached garage to the left, that should be taken into account. We can't see your front door from where you're standing, but it looks like it is easily seen as you walk up the pathway. More pictures would really help. By painting the garage door you may be able to balance the house better. The large areas of brick can be balanced by landscaping. For example, a small tree between the 2 lower windows would give you instant relief from the expanse of plain brick, and would hide the discrepancy in window size. Choose one that doesn't get too large. Extending the porch and moving the steps wouldn't add much value here, and would add considerable expense since you'd need to move the walkway as well. If I were you, first step would be to get a consultation about landscaping. That will be your biggest bang for your buck. Here's a rough idea of what I mean. I'd reduce the size of the shrub in front of the porch, unless it is there for privacy. Also plant a tall narrow evergreen in front of the left side downspout. I added a wood surround around your air conditioner, and planted a small tree/large shrub between the windows. I'd also put a large pot with tall grasses, against the house on the walkway between the window and the door, again to break up that expanse of brick. Just putting in somewhat larger windows will not accomplish this.