Anyone who follows the Container Gardening board here knows that much of the discussion about pine bark fines is regarding where to find the damn stuff. Obviously it is not easy to find for most people, and it is not available in most big box stores. The pine bark mulch sold in most big box stores is not fines. Most the discussion on the Container gardening forum stems from the fact that most people don't even know what they are looking for, even know what bark fines are despite all the info available about them on the web. And yes I know that the bags of pine mulch sold in the big box stores is not the same thing. Pine bark fines are not sold outside in the mulches section. They are sold inside the section devoted to starting seeds and growing plants. In the Lowe's here, just there yesterday, they are inside on the shelves next to the exotic plants section where the big containers, container plants, cactus mix, the violet mix, the perlite, vermiculite, decorative container gravel etc. is located. At Home Depot, in both of them here, they are just outside the door into the gardening section (not with the bags of mulches), the section on the shelves next to the super sized containers and the similar exotic soils and mixes. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Pine bark fines pics compared to pine bark mulch

-Renee, yep! An heirloom columbine and Geranium macrorrhizum ;-) -Mary Lu, that is indeed rhubarb. I have already made a few crisps from it this spring. Yum! -Susan, correct! That is 'Fireball' Geum, one of the bigger cultivars. It is only one plant- looks like more since the stems on this fellow have a habit of leaning, lol. -serenae, would love to see pics of the arbor you built sometime!! -mandolls and Lynne, thank you! I was thinking the other day how much more personality this one has than the one at the store. Plus it seems to 'fit' better with the look of the garden. CMK

Followup question: In my quest to lighten up the LR I've long planned on inserting a panel of lightly aged mirror over the fpl. But the GC and the glass guys were very very slow to get around to quoting it. They finally have. In the interim, the surround is almost done (need grout, and also darkening the marble a tad with coffee). I have begun to feel that if I have it light below, and a light above, it will leave the woodwork in relief, and look like a big brown "H": KWIM? I think I shouldn't bother with the mirror at all. Note; painting is for somewhere else. Also note: bought an "off the rack" rug from Pottery Barn, chenille jute style. Happy with it at a 10th the price of a custom one. PS found an old before PPS I traded out the too wimpy lamp for one with more weight, and I really like it. Sorry my only photo is from a distance.

Yes, choux, our Liebherr fridges are the the most energy-efficient fridges on the American market. :) They're also manufactured without mercury, ostensbly. On the yellow Energy Star certificate that came with mine, it's rated so far to the left of 'comparable models' that it's off on its own chart. I made my own countertops with highly-repurposable copper and low-formaldehyde recycled MDF; re-customized someone's cast-off cabinets from the Restore, ditto on the low VOC paints (Benjamin Moore's AURA) and low VOC (Waterlox) refinished original fir floors. Vintage 1949 gas stove. Low-energy, low-water non-gerberator Bosch dishwasher. Wood molding, enamel sink and doors from a local recycled building materials alliance. Light fixtures are vintage ones from eBay. Old appliances donated to Habitat for Humanity. What kills me are the hideous cheap white vinyl windows the previous owner put in, thinking to save energy no doubt. But I'd die to have the original wooden casements to restore, and new wooden ones are far too pricy for me at this stage. Ah well.