I just checked my baggie clematis - I had 2 from last year, 2 from this year. My last year's ones are alive and starting to put out - they are in 1 gallon pots. I am planning on leaving them there another year - am quite sure they have not filled the pot with roots but they are growing well. These little baggie things are in peat pots filled with roots so are quite tiny. The ones I just planted - HF Young is really looking nice with some very green leaves coming on - Henryi's shoots are not as far along but are alive and well. The difference is I had HF Young in the greenhouse, just put it out when we had warmer weather and sun. Henryi was in a different place and not put in the greenhouse. Tonite we will have colder weather - am going to put both in the greenhouse and give them the benefit of warmth and will take them out again when it is sunny and warm. I just ordered 7 from Brushwood's sale. I had ordered quite a few last year from Brushwood, Silver Star Vinery and Garden Crossings. All were fine looking older plants. I potted them in 3 gallon pots. I was checking them today - all but one made it. They are very healthy and will be ready to plant in the ground when I figure out where they will go. I think, even with older plants, that this year they spent in the 3 gallon pots really helped them - now they will be ready to take off. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Older plants will grow out quicker - the baggie ones are fun for me to grow and I enjoy that - but I think a year of pampering in a pot will reap benefits for later on. Have fun with them! Judith

Sounds like a great time. I am inclined to think that I would have everything except the canned items frozen and ready to defrost and add the cans when ready to heat. The only thing that occurs to me is that you may have a rather large mass to defrost. Actually if you leave the house with the mix frozen and in a cooler, it should safely defrost in a few days. But, if you do mix it all at home, I would not worry about mushy beans. I like the casserole types bean dishes to be cooked down to a thick paste. The flavor is great. I will try your recipe soon, as we love lima beans. Do take the pans or disposable (please recycle) pans to prevent surprises. Have a great time. DP

In general, don't buy ahead. Buying something like an aga, which is a major, central decision, for layout, design and tone, is one thing. Most people aren't deciding between an aga kitchen or a sleek induction cooktop at the last minute, right? But there are many reasons to hold off buying most everything else. Even though you SWEAR you love it and have loved it for ages and won't change your mind. Projects get delayed. This is fact. Warehouses can lose things, or have forklifts back into them. Yes, they may pay up in the end, but do you really need the hassle? Can't you just wait until the sale you KNOW they're going to have 3 months later? Measurements change and you may need a different amount (for something like tile, or an extra lighting fixture). There are all kinds of reasons you might suddenly need more that are not within your control. Things get lost, damaged or stolen. Or the pieces that go with them do, and you can't prove they were never sent, because the stuff arrived a year ago. They can go out of warranty while they sit waiting to be installed. Or become discontinued, or the company doesn't support that line any more and you can't return it, or ask questions or get the trim kit etc. And, believe it or not, your tastes can change. Or a company can bring out something that is just better. Or better AND cheaper. Or you need to move, or you have a baby or something else happens. A few things -- fine. If you find a really unbeatable deal on something you know you're going to need, you might spring. But don't fill the basement. People say "Craigslist" but you only get a small portion of what you paid. I used a lot of antique lighting, which you don't just go out in a day and buy, so I bought some stuff ahead. But I was very, very glad that I did not buy some things I was tempted to. Even though my tastes didn't change, things I couldn't have predicted changed things enough that I would have not ordered right. A good contractor should keep you well informed so you can order things at the right times. Tell him if you're looking at something, like custom tile or cabinets, that take an unusually long time to order and must be made in a single lot. Good luck!

"Do you have a design for your Kitchen? Has it been vetted here (the Kitchens Forum)" Oh pleeeze! You act like doing it the Kitchens Forum way is the only way to get something the person will like (eye roll). No one NEEDS a kitchen designer, but they do make things a lot easier and save a lot of headaches (I am very pleased with the work of mine, but I've also known a few people who've not been as happy). No one NEEDS to get approval from anyone here, and sometimes what a Houzz poster gets is nothing but egotistical ridicule with comments that seem totally unrelated to the poster's position. Not everyone needs a "gold standard" design in order to be happy with their kitchen and use it well for decades to come. My kitchen plan was mocked and belittled when I posted it, even though I had never even asked for opinions or advice from Houzz posters on the plan (like this poster). But, on the flip side, I've gotten a lot of good advice and interesting ideas on many other subjects --- but I would never recommend anyone post layout or design device here. Answers virtually always ignore a poster's preferences and lifestyle. I certainly wouldn't ever suggest that without letting us in on their plan that they must be up a creek without a paddle.