These are all good plants, although I am not familiar with Paradise Expectations. I looked at it at the Hosta Library and it looks like Great Arrival, a reverse of Great Expectations. To me that means it will look a lot like Olive Bailey Langdon, perhaps with a creamier colored edge. I would place these two apart from each other, in a symmetrical way like opposite ends, or something else in the middle with these two flanking it. So you are missing a solid green (suggest Bridegroom, Tracy's Emerald Cup, Hoosier Dome, Devon Green), and a solid yellow (Aspen Gold, Birchwood Parky's Gold, Stardust, Golden Prayers, Midas Touch). Guardian Angel is really cool. I like Alex Summers a lot too, but you already have dark centers with light margins in your collection. Dave

I'm glad that LindaKathy brought up the "sounds like she died" comment because that was my first inclination when I read it but I didn't want to be morbid and post that. What about if it said - She is moving on to a well-deserved new phase of her life with her soul-mate Bob. We hope she has an absolutely wonderful time now that she doesn't have to report somewhere every morning at 9 a.m. (Or something like that) Suzan J

Do you sew at all? I ask because I have been searching on line for pillows to show you, and haven't had much luck finding things that I think would work well with your rug that have some pattern. And if your furniture is a solid cream, I don't think I would use solid color pillows, at least not by themselves. What I would do is take the pix of the rug with you to the fabric store, and look for some patterned fabric that picks up the colors and the general feel that you are trying to create - formal, informal, modern, etc. Tho with that rug I am thinking a bit on the traditional side. Anyway, I would find one fabric (perhaps a multi stripe, or pattern with the blue as a background) and use that for a set of pillows and also for a panel to hang in the doorway. Then consider adding a second set of pillows, perhaps in a different shape, in front of the patterned ones on the couch, that pull out one of the colors in the pattern that is NOT a blue. Add a pretty throw in another accent color (perhaps the sage, depending on your wall color). Pull more color into the space with the lamps/lampshades and the art you choose. If you have an IKEA near you, you can find some very pretty lamps and shades that would work with your color scheme, I think. Most of all, have fun with it.

Yea, sc77...I'm a brain-dead noob to boot! Full sun mostly, a bit part sun, a bit of shade. Preferably evergreen, color other than boring monotone green, something different...I saw a real sparsely branched 5'-6' specimen that was really neat looking, I was going to drive by and ask what it was, but I forgot where I saw it. (D'OH!) I was traditionally in zone 6b but they bumped us up it to 7a, due to global warming...er...change. I ain't buying the zone change shpiel, as I lost MANY perennials due to VERY long Very cold spells... but don't get me started on that..., irregardless, I do have a nice microclimate against the house that faces South. Thanks CanyonSpring, I shall see if I can track one down locally!