Thanks for the suggestions, Flora. I love the dark yew, as well as the japanese maple to the left of it. I am afraid that the vacant lot will be developed and these trees will be chopped down. The tree stumps are right on the property line, the aucubas just inside my garden. So I'm looking for tall shrubs. The exochorda may be too small, but the camellias are a great idea. I've always thought that it was too cold here for camellias, but I am seeing lots of varieties that should do well. I wonder if they will tolerate dryness?

Laura- I'm hoping to put a greenhouse on my remodel, too. It's been called an 'orangery' on another post, but it's just a fancy greenhouse. There will be one door from the mudroom and one window, from the pantry. This part of the home is the only place we're adding on...so we could use brick or some other material for the greenhouse wall, if that would help. I think sinking the greenhouse will be even more trouble, when the snow melts. You'd probably have to do french drains and other things to try to take the water around the greenhouse. I think your temperature could be more easily regulated (and more affordable) with some heavy shades for night and maybe even a little heat from the house...or a baseboard heat. I believe plants will still be fine at about 55 degrees (maybe even a little cooler). Good luck with your research and please let us know what you find. I'm still getting ideas and working out a few details, too :) Oh, and my greenhouse is just for plants...not a breakfast room or family room, which is often a concern on the forums.

Here's how I was taught to do it at the GREAT classes I've had at my LQS. One joins the border to the main panel w/ zig zag stitch (including an extra edged sashing abt a finished 1/2" wide). After doing the zig zag, turn this sashing down (the same way one does a binding) & hand tack it down to other side of the zig zag to conceal it (the joining seam). More detail: Assemble the border section (its front, batting & backing) as one normally would & do whatever quilting that has (let's pretened it's cables, going down the side borders), leaving at least an extra 1/2-3/4" all around the border component. Take the main part of quilt & position the border section butted up against the main part's edge of the appropriate border (I do the sides first, then top & bottom). So you've got the rights sides up of both, the main panel & the side border, raw edges next to each other. Next, attach a sashing you've made that's roughly 1.5" folded in half so you've got a 2-ply 3/4" sashing to the sew to the main panel, raw sides together, include this in position when you do the zig zag & it does both at once (attaches sashing to main panel & zig zag also joins border to main panel). There now -- clear as mud??

Shall we assume you mean epoxy? Or are you referring to the "general" category of "resin" flooring options which include epoxy, polyurethane and MMA? Do you have a preference? Do you have wear characteristics that you MUST have? Do you have COLOUR options or life-span requirements that your floor MUST achieve? Concrete finishes can be cost effective, but for the TOUGHEST floors they will be in the higher range. The "fast and easy" options will have the most amount of maintenance and the highest level of "complaints" regarding look and longevity. We will need to know so much more about your project before adding a "pros" and "cons" section.