Thumbs up: Removing truly invasive, non-native plants (japanse honeysuckle for instance.) Thumbs up: Using plants that (once established) can get by (most years) on whatever rain falls. Thumbs up: Plants that provide food and shelter for birds--and realizing that snakes and hawks gotta eat too. (One of my neighbors asked me if I'd figured out a way to keep the resident hawk from eating the birds who came to my feeders (I've never seen this happen.) Same neighbor was horrified when she learned that Fred the Black Snake had gotten the second round of cardinal nestlings that were in my Rose bush. Nature at it's finest! Thumbs down: Rubber mulch (except in a playground situation)and synthetic pinestraw. Thumbs down: Neighbors who ask me to design THEIR gardens...just becasue mine "looks so good." I could be flattered, but-- 1) I garden by "feel"--my designs are the product of trial, error, plant obsession, plantwalking, and some great guidance from THIS group. 2) I actually TAKE CARE of my garden. Neighbors in question will not. 3) My garden is built around serious hardscape--it provides the structure for what I plunk in place. The yards in question have little-to-no hardscape. melanie

I'm completely on fence. My deck is a main feature of house. After 10 years of mostly deferred maintenance, it's been pressure washed and sanded lightly and wow it is gorgeous. Muted grey, tan, blonde boards. I think is has an elegance. I have flipped a few board and tried sampling some stains - from Red Mahogany, to clear and even the clear really darkens it and it seem to lose the elegance. I would hate to get a mosaic of colors that aren't blending in the zone. Too bold would not fit with my 96 year old bungalow. Patina rules. Sure wish I could find a finish that would add mildew and uv protection without changing the patina color. Clear twp is just as dark as Penofin, ipe Brazilian oil stain or the rMesmers red mahogany. I don't get it. I think the scratch marks will be more visible if you have a stain because it will drag below the very surficial stain. Not much really penetrates deeply so you'd have lighter wood revealed in the scratch..

I bought a bamboo towel at Tuesday Morning a year ago (just to try out) and it's wonderful. Of course I can't find any more to match. They wash and dry beautifully--no pilling. You ought to try BBB MicroCotton towels. I bought Smoke, which looked like a charcoal grey but ended up having a little bit of blue in it. They're also nice--just not quite as soft. I sure wish Tuesday Morning would get some more in.

Do you happen to have pictures? Is your rental indefinite/long term? I think it's personal preference as to whether you keep your bedroom accent color purple or switch to blue. I think purple might look better with the grey and it would save you some money. If I were to do grey and blue, I would personally use navy. As for the floor, black will look okay with grey walls, but you will see every speck of dust and hair and fabric fiber. Probably not a big deal if it's temporary. Are you sure you want to keep the bright blue? While I love blue and use it everywhere at my house, I think I would get tired of bright Caribbean blue in my main living area. I'm not terribly talented at this stuff, but wanted to chime in and bump your post up to the top so someone else may be able to help.