Anyone still willing to adopt a zone 5 newbie? Just signed up a few days ago. This is my first post. Here's my story. I'm a single mom of 2 hyperactive, possibly autistic spectrum 4yo's. They are so hyper that they can't sleep and wake me 5-6 times per night. They are literally my miracle babies and the joy of my life, however, how I manage to function and keep a job is sometimes beyond me and totally a matter of faith. Their therapies and special therapy equipment are expensive & insurance keeps cutting coverage. I've struggled to find a daycare that will accept them and provide the individualized care that their disabilities require. I've fought the school district to get adequate early intervention services...it's a daily battle. My nearest family member is 1500 miles away so nobody I can count on for regular assistance...even to watch the kids while I go to the grocery store where I can't take the kids anymore because it triggers more hyperactivity. Gardening is one of my "keep your sanity" tools. In the summer I wake at the crack of dawn before the kids so that I can go out to quietly dig for just a few minutes. In the winter I dream through gardening books while the kids are watching their favorite video for the 1000th time. I've lived in my present house for 12 years, much of it trying to learn how to adapt my gardening from Western WA climate to Northern CO climate- experimenting to learn what plants survive here and so on. The house was an old farm house with nothing but prairie grass and 4 mature trees. I had to install a sprinkler system if I ever had a chance of buying a plant and it surviving in this dry climate. I had an old well on the property which is OK to use for irrigation. 4 yrs ago I finally had a landscape plan drawn up but when I priced landscape installation (mind you I just needed someone to do the heavy work or "set the bones" of the garden) the cost was astronomical. I'm talking $10k just for soil prep! $40k for the landscape w/o fencing or plants! So, I hiring a friend to work a few hours/week after his day job. He is trying to support a family of 7 on My next sticker shock...I went to the nursery looking for plants and shrubs....Holy Cow! I'm in the wrong business! Ever since I've been looking for cuttings, seeds, seedlings that have weeded themselves under shrubs, and anyone who needs help dividing perennials. I have a few things to trade...see my lists. I would joyfully welcome being adopted by a zone 5 gardener with lots of perennials that need thinning. And thanks emmaelice for being so thoughtful to start this thread! Blessings, Debra

1. Unsanded grout is not prone to cracking if the grout joints aren't too big, generally 1/4" is too big for unsanded grout. There is no reason with marble tile the grout joints couldn't be 1/8" but using sanded grout at 1/8" could be an issue. Marble tiles are cut very precise but even at that a grout joint less than 1/8" could be tricky because the tiles precise as they are may not be all the same size exactly. A bigger issue with the sanded grout and the 1/4" joints is "scratching the tile surface". Sanded grout can easily scrath polished marble. This is one of the main reason marble is typically installed at 1/8" (or less) so that unsanded grout can be used. 2. If the size of the medallion is not an exact multiple (in both directions) of the field tiles being used then you can't have it both ways unless you trim the medallion. One other possibility however is to border the medallion with a tile that lends itself to allowing cuts in the tile field. Any natural stone will allow such field cuts. This way you can "force" the overall size of the medallion (including the border) to equal the dimensions necessary to match the field tiles.

I‘m pretty sure it is from this mural. It is a decal and you select the area and size you want printed. The company is located in Spain. https://www.muraldecal.com/en/wall-murals/product/textures-309/marble-texture-29350 or available through Amazon Germany (they may or may not ship internationally) https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Jukunlun-Adhesive-Wallpaper-Painting-Background/dp/B07XKMDFJ1?th=1

Cilantro, California Poppy, and #3? Can you show #3 again when a flower opens.