So I really got some of you, huh? chortle, chortle, chortle I do love a good April Fool's joke, and I hope it didn't cause any serious distress for you dear cottagers. Last year's went well, so I couldn't resist doing it again. I'm probably incorrigible. :-) 'Til next year, I remain a dickens and a stinker. ThinMan

Theresa- I thought that was a walkmaker path. I got the brick walkmaker stamps for the areas between my raised beds in my veggie garden. I'll probably get the stone one this year as I really like the look of a bed (esp. a cottage garden) that spills out onto the path. That hardscape element seems to give a sense of order to otherwise wonderfully chaotic cottage gardens. I haven't finished my project yet but I have a couple tips for anyone wanting to do something like this. First, put down weed barrier fabric between the ground surface and the rock substrate. Secondly, don't buy the concrete colorant they sell for it at the big box stores. If you look up concrete suppliers in your phone book, you'll find a few places where you can buy the integral color as well as a release agent in a different color so it gives it more depth and realism. It is also less expensive to buy it in bulk than the colorant from Home Depot and comes in many, many more choices.

Thanks Minnie. I liked the photo coasters and also the magnetic clips. I think it would be fun to print out a full length photo of each person in the family on card stock, cut out and use these as the image to glue to the clothes pins. Place on fridge for individual messages.

Thank you for this post even if I never see it in person. I wish I had known this Summer that Papa Meilland was such a desired rose with great fragrance. They had beautiful large 2gals. at Walmart for cheap. I thought if they had it, it must not be desirable. Isn't that stupid? Maybe they'll have have next year. It seems one never knows where good roses will appear. Romogen, DB is a wonderful rose for me thus far, but if my NOID is TdU, it's also well worth having. They both seem to WANT to bloom, much like Sugar Moon, even in less than ideal situations. That Malvern Hills looks gorgeous judging by Malorena's pic in another thread from today. She loves it, but she's in England. Maybe you can find some Austins like I did at Lowe's next year.