I can tell you that on the east coast in Brooklyn New York, Crepuscule is just about perfect. In fact, I just cut the hell out of it because it's growing into the neighboring garden. It took a few years to get going but once it did it just grows in all directions. It kind of mounds on itself - just about as wide as tall. As of now it's about eight feet or so in all directions. This winter we had more than usual dieback but I don't think it was from cold so much as snow load - we had a few really heavy snowfalls that broke a number of tree limbs and rose canes. I don't have any other noisettes because I was afraid they'd get too big. But another yellow, Isabella Sprunt, is going to rival Crepuscule for size this summer. It's not as mounding a plant, more of a twiggy thing, but much bigger than I ever imagined it would ever be. So there are 2 yellow / apricot roses that might work for you. We're pretty humid over here - we're at sea level after all, and we have wet winters that seem to be getting colder in spite of global warming. Nonetheless, while everything else blackspots or dies, these 2 roses are much hardier than given credit for.

Please don't panic but...... I live on the eastern side of the Rocky Mtns - in Alberta and the temps did plunge last nite - -30C (-22F) and I talked to my rose grower sister-in-law this morning who lives 100 miles northeast of me and she said the temperature dropped to -38C (-36F) overnite. These temperatures are not that unusual for this time of year but what has surprised me is the massiveness of the cold air over Canada. The closer you are to the geographic center of Canada, the colder it is with wind chills of -50C(-58F) plus. And the long term projections (for what they are worth) are more of the same - even Vancouver/Victoria are not getting above freezing. So gulp, there could be cool air heading south. I've experimented with various winterizing methods over the years and have the following conclusions: 1) Snow cover would probably be all you need, but it doesn't address spring cooling/thawing conditions which I have found to be more devastating than cold temperatures. 2) It's easy to protect roses using carpet (used) and foil insulation (3/8" thickness - this is not fiberglass). If you have snow, shovel that on top of your covers for extra insurance. 3) Don't be in a rush to remove the insulating materials - if there is a chance of cooler temperatures, just leave it on. 4) Roses planted against a basement wall benefit from an additional heat source. 5) I haven't had much success with plastic. To define how cold it actually got under my insulating covers, two winters ago I installed a wireless temperature transmitter in a protected outside rose bed. It gave me continuous temperature readings monitored from inside my house. To my surprise, on a -43C (-45F) winter day, the temperature in the protected rose bed was -3.8C (26F) - my roses thought they were on the west coast - Zone 8. Rose bushes away from the house, but also protected by this method (i.e.rosa officianalis, Cardinal Richelieu, Comte de Chambord,Common Moss, Tuscany Superb, Charles de Mils and Le Belle Sultane) have minimal cane tip die back. The natural ground warmth is reflected back down to the roses and the extreme cold ambient temperatures are reflected back to the atmosphere - using the foil insulation. So don't be overly threatened by cold temperatures - just be prepared. What I have described above works for me, in my growing Zone, and could easily be modified for more moderate growing Zones. Carpet is all that would be required in many areas. There would be a problem with plants that could not be "bent over" due to sturdy canes. I wish you good luck! Doug

I like the look of mountains. In fall we usually spend a few days in the Smokies, crunching leaves underfoot while roaming around the park and the mountains. Now that, I find breathtaking. When renting a house, my main criteria is a spectacular mountain view with a house attached to it! A couple of years ago we visited Wa and I thought it must be the prettiest place on earth. But our travels were limited to the Olympic Peninsula. Again, we gravitated to the mountains, rainforests, and west coast beaches. Vera's terrain in eastern Wa is totally different. I guess the only common denomonater is lush, beautiful flowers. But in think Vera could grow beautiful flowers in concrete. Most vacations we spend on ocean beaches- Caribbean in winter, Gulf beaches in summer. Why do I live in Ohio??? Karen

Our kitchen is an L with a peninsula so one end could be considered a dead-end galley. With 54" aisles, we have had 4 people working in the kitchen at the same time with few issues. The L does change things a bit and our fridge is not in the kitchen proper so that also opens up space so I realize my situation is a bit different. But I really see no reason why two people couldn't work in this kitchen if the aisles are 53". Any narrower, no. But 53" should give enough clearance for two to work comfortably, imho. When measuring aisle width, make sure you're measuring from countertop to countertop, not from the cabinet fronts. You lose several inches with the overhang. If you truly don't have 53" aisles, then I agree with Benjesbride in that it will be tight. Oh, it just dawned on me that with your range where it's at, you'll need to install a hood from the ceiling. Ensure that you have the ability to run your ductwork to the outside. I suppose it could go out either direction but I'm not a hood expert. I believe that the longer the ductwork, the stronger fan you'll need but double-check that. I didn't pay much attention to the shelving photo when I first responded. While I like that idea in a bigger space, I think it will make your smaller area feel too closed off. If you decide to move forward with it, I'd try it on just half that counter length, just surrounding the range/hood, and leave the rest open.