debsz5, the RBG garden show is a MUCH smaller event than Canada Blooms. It has several display gardens, but mostly it has vendors of plants, garden tools, pots, as well as landscape companies. It has nurseries from around southern ontario, so I have found it a good place to get some unusual plants from nurseries in niagara, etc which I wouldn't usually travel to (from Hamilton). Some nurseries sell their plants at the same price as at the nursery and others put on a 10-20% discount for the show. It was at this show that I first saw a live cornus controversa variegata -- a beautiful 6' specimen in bloom but with a hefty $400 price tag! It stimulated me to go out and find a source for a much smaller one (for $60).

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for your patience everyone (particularly Lisa). You've actually timed me pretty well and it's time to put everyone out of their misery with...the ANSWERS. The bouquet I would have picked and the one the primary woman being honored picked was the single overlap (knew she was a woman after my own heart)... Neon Lights of Broadway. I really thought I gave that one away in my descriptions since I mentioned neon at least three times in describing the various bouquets, but since there's lots of neon everywhere there were a lot of choices. When Cori Ann nailed my choice immediately I figured that would be that, but fortunately everyone had their own perceptions and that made it more fun. For the rest of her family members, as soon as I said they could all take a bouquet (or all of them) home, one of the other ladies made a beeline for Oddballs and kept a death grip on it for the next half hour daring anyone to challenge her for that one. Go for it! The other two chose Pastel Princess and Apricot Galore, which showed agreement with many of you. As we were setting up the bouquets, one of our male computer experts that was helping mentioned casually, "These are nice but I really like THAT one". Somehow I didn't even have to turn around to know he meant Prairie Harvest. When I asked if that was indeed the one, he said yes and added that they were "guy flowers" (his words, not mine). I heard the same comment from multiple guys at the party, including a male member of the family as they were gathering up bouquets. When he was reminded that he could take that one home, he looked at us like we were crazy and shook his head with a "what would I do with flowers" look on his face. When I scrolled these photos past my twins and asked what they would pick, my son immediately responded, "The purple one". Hmm. Since everything had purple spiky things in it, I told him I needed some help here. He had me scroll past the bouquets and singled out "The Pit of Despair". My daughter immediately chimed in "me too". The surprising orphan in all these selections was Seasons in the Sun, which I'd unofficially say was the majority favorite among you chiming in. Perhaps the gentle harmony of this one didn't draw the eye as much as the brighter bouquets in person, where you who have more time to contemplate things liked it more. I'd have to say among the rose bouquets it's the one I would least pick (granted, I like them all) because I like pizazz and this one is, well peaceful. It's like my yard - most people like the shade bed best because it has harmony and gentle colors that tie everything together, but I like any other bed that has something vivid in it even if it is spotty overall. Just my taste, but I can appreciate and even create things with harmony when I try. The selections left me with my second favorite - Ow My Eyes Hurt. The bouquet lasted a surprising eight days on my desk, only pulling out a few stragglers here and there. Maybe there's something in the caffeine of the Mountain Dew (smile). I'll see if I can find the picture I took after a week or so. I would stare over at Milestone and sigh happily into its neon depths (not a rose that usually blooms that neon for me, BTW). I also discovered that something in that bouquet had a scent but I have to say I didn't find it overwhelmingly positive (smelled musty to me). Everyone that came in my office commented on how nice it smelled though, so it's just my odd nose. Prairie Harvest went out into a table in our office bloc since a friend in that area had donated it, and the computer tech that liked it is also in our bloc. My secretary picked The PIt of Despair for her desk. Our clinic managers picked Seasons in the Sun, and Big Bertha sat proudly in a corner of the clinic for the week. So every bouquet got appreciated, and for those of you who liked that bouquet someone appreciated it sincerely. Thanks for playing everyone and I appreciate each and every one of your comments. Cynthia

Option 1 is a beautiful cabinet and I also find the contrast of the two finishes interesting rather than bothersome. Matchy matchy is out these days, but beyond that I just feel the two go together very well. My only worry would be the handles, and whether they're the kind where you snag everything on the sharp corners.