@Smivies I think alliums - or at least the non-miniature varieties - do benefit from deadheading. Year to year I routinely cut some Allium "Purple Sensation" flowerheads off after they are declining, while allowing others to go to seed and then scatter the seeds. I do leave the entire stem, just cutting off the head. I've noticed that the ones that I deadheaded return with larger globes the following year. Digging up bulbs that were deadheaded also reveals they are much larger. Lastly, the ones that are cut back are more likely to "double" and turn into two mature plants after 2-3 years. However, whether deadheaded or not, they do return and bloom, the only difference being the flower size. So if you want a truly naturalized garden, neglecting to deadhead is fine. It makes sense there would be some energy loss when alliums go to seed, because the leaves are dormant by the time the seeds are developing so the only source of energy is stores in the bulb. I don't know if that would remain the case for varieties that keep their leaves longer or even stay green all spring and summer. @Highlander I'd be pretty optimistic your bulbs will perform well, but I do think they should be kept cool to begin rooting. Bulbs begin rooting quickly in fall as temperatures drop but don't plummet. So a cool - but not frozen - garage will probably be better than a room-temperature basement or closet. As for your problem with finding sunlight - is your yard covered by deciduous trees, or is it conifers? One of the best things about spring bulbs is that they do most of their growth before deciduous trees leaf out. Since that means they still get sun, many gardeners use the opportunity to put "full sun" plants in what would otherwise be shade under a tree. I'm in an especially sunny climate here in Colorado - Denver has very low average % cloud cover in addition to more solar intensity because of the altitude - so in general we get to push sun plants farther into the shade than is possible in other regions. But I've found that bulbs planted under trees actually perform better, by leaps and bounds, than those planted in full sun. I've also found that bulbs planted under trees keep their leaves around much longer into the summer, whereas those scorched by sun go dormant sooner, which results in weakened performance the next year. So in the cool spring months, they get full sun which is truly unfiltered, in the summer as the weather warms they get gradually-increasing shade to protect them. But there are other reasons spring-blooming plants can adapt to shade in May/June: the total solar energy increases drastically in summer because both the day length and the sun's intensity do, and both those factors are compounded. I am not sure of the exact figures, but I remember from a college class discussing solar energy that there energy availability is something like five times stronger on June 21 compared to Dec. 21. So for a narrow period in late May/early June, many "sun-loving" plants will do OK in shade - and in fact the average 24/hr brightness in a shady area is close to the average 24/hr brightness of a sunny area at other times of the year. I'd try planting a few bulbs in areas with dappled shade or under late-emerging trees, and see if they perform; I suspect they can.

Sharon, Just did the exact same thing myself! My new Maytag Bravos was just delivered today and the first load of wash is running now. Our Whirlpool Duet front loaders were 8 years old and we were looking at replacing the pump in the washer. They were actually on the pedestals as I had back surgery a few years ago and could not bend down that low to lift heavy wet clothes. The pedestals did help with that a lot. The problem is that when they are on the pedestals they shook the house. Our laundry room is on the second floor and I thought it was going to shake the floor boards loose. We adjusted it to a level position several times but couldn't control the shaking and moving inches across the floor. Anyway, I did a lot of research, read all the great advice on this forum and decided to go with the Bravos, after looking at the Cabrio, Oasis, GE Harmony, now known as the Profile and Fisher Paykel. I went He instead of a traditional top loader for several reasons. 1) the water and energy savings and 2)not having the agitator, which I had liked with the front loader. It was a tough decision. I went with the Bravos as Consumer Reports rated it #1 and I learned that Maytag, who was just bought by Whirlpool, still uses more stainless steel and less plastic in their machine for now. I do know the Oasis has a brand new model out that is supposed to try and correct all the trouble they were having, but I was afraid to try it. I preferred the control panel of the Bravos over the new control panel on the GE Profile/Harmony that just came out. And the FP did not have the same large capacity. Anyway, we'll see how it goes and I'll post later on and let you know how the laundry came out!

Keep in mind that a traditional TL uses something like 20,000 gallons per year. In relation to that, the 1,000 gallons are not really a big difference. Besides, the energy star charts are assuming that you do about 7 loads a week on the "normal" cycle. It doesn't necessarily mean that one washer uses more energy and water on all possible cycles. Engaging the heater will require more energy, but can also lead to much cleaner clothes. Both of the washers you consider are very energy and water efficient. I would base the decision on the other differences between these two washers. Also make sure that there is service available in your area.

I was just reading this thread, and noted someone suggested an electric fence rather than a chain. I'd like to agree with the electric fence... but sometimes even if they've been trained to stay inside, some times something will call them to go out. My sister in law lost her dog that way. He'd been let out to do his business, but something must have attracted him enough to bounce past that fence. He went missing. My brother found him a day later, hit by the train that runs nearby. That dog was an amazing dog - also a pit bull mix. I'm wondering if a run would be a good solution, give the dog a chance to move around more without getting into a situation like the wonderful one I just wrote about. (That dog had been indoors about 95% of the time.)