Hiya, Looks like you really have your work cut out for you. It might be really helpful to visit some established gardens in Vegas to learn more about what really works down there. I visited the Gardens at the Springs Preserve when I was at a Landscape Confrence 4 years ago, and have remained on their mailing list. I can't belive the scope of classes, tours and demonstartions they offer, it's absolutely wild! It is under 4 acres and is very walkable, and everything is well i.d'd Looks like it has been established at least 10-12 years, so you can see some nice, fairly mature specimens. I believe it is sponsored by the SNWA(S. Nevada Water Authority.) Reno needs to catch up I'm afraid; we have a botanical garden at Rancho San Rafael park, but its pretty feeble by comparison. Larger than its Vegas sibling, but less info is disseminated.Maybe things will change w/ the new director Bill Carlos who recently came aboard. Here is a link to the Gardens at the Springs Preserve: http://www.springspreserve.org/html/gardens_visitor_information.html I don't know what the topography + architecture is like at your parents new house (probably a stucco ranch, flat as a pancake?) but you might want to introduce some mounding with some rocks/boulders. Quite a few interesting gropundcover and perennial plants will enjoy growing in this type of situation, plus it makes it easier for your folks in that they don't have to bend + kneel so much. Also investigate container gardening (on a separate drip zone). I saw some really cool planters in Vegas, that thrived in a patio setting. Some were very elaborate and had ornamnetal grasses combined with different annuals that trailed out of the pots.Very luscious! Good luck in your gardening adventures down south! Here is a link that might be useful: Gradens @ Springs Preserve

There is no doubt you could ID these plants and I'm sure you are a very good school teacher Floral. However, my point is, how could anyone make the determination that the student's assignment was to key out the plants and therefore withhold information -- particularly as this forum is well known as a resource and not as a sanctioning body of any type? The student may merely be using them to illustrate some aspect of the plants and requires a name to supplement his documentation. I'm sure he/she could have just as easily omitted to say it was in relation to an assignment and received an answer. In any case, I don't wish to make mountains out of molehills so I trust no-one has taken my comments too personally.

Here's a recipe for Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake that I used to make at a restaurant in San Francisco. I got the recipe from the Orowheat Bakery cookbook: Batter: 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 eggs 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup sour cream Filling and Topping: 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 2/3 cup cereal, such as granola, oatmeal, or Müslix 1/2 cup chopped walnuts For the batter, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. For filling and topping: Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Turn half the batter into a buttered 9 inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Cover with remaining batter and sprinkle with the rest of the sugar mixture. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. Yield: 9 servings You might be able to adapt this for cupcakes.

We're having this issue in a number of situations. @A Fox, we're going back and forth with some Top Knob handles that are heavy metal handles packed with very thin foam envelopes and the mounting screws keep denting and gouging the metal and finish during shipping. We're on our third attempt to replace. And, we had some lights sent to us and the square glass enclosure was broken on one. Replacement came in a much larger box, but the glass was completely shattered. Second replacement came in again in a larger box, also shattered. But, one shard was intact enough to realize it was way too tall to be the glass for our light. Looked up the sku and they had been sending us replacement glass for their 25" light and we had ordered the 14" -- clearly noted on our order and the replacement orders. Third one finally arrived, correct and intact.