I wouldn't recommend putting the tree outdoors at this time as if it is in a weakened state it will die. If this is a common Chinese Elm (Ulmus Parvifolia) it can be kept as a "indoor Bonsai" during the winter and takes on a more evergreen state. I agree with organic_mrbest that Neem is the best, it not only works for killing many insects and some fungus but is a great deterrent. Best of all it 100% organic which means you don't have to worry about it harming the plant you or any pets. That what I've been using for some time now as a stand alone insect repellent. In the future though I would recommend not misting the plant with water while infected, spider mite actually like the moisture. Also if using a soap water mixture it is imperative to be sure that the soapy water does not get into the soil is this will make the problem worse. As far as what to do now I would keep the Bonsai out of direct light, placing it in a lightly shaded area until new growth starts to appear. I would also recommend putting the tree in a humidity tray (If not already) to help since its in an indoor setting. Depending on its size you could use a simple plate or go to a craft store etc.. and buy a serving tray to use. Buy some middle sized gravel (around the size of your pinky nail) to place in the tray, fill it with water and place the tree on it. Make sure the water does NOT touch the bottom of the pot though. DO NOT USE fertilizer when a tree is stressed. I usually also give the tree Trace Elements (which is different than fertilizer) when they are down, but not always necessary. You can find in some online bonsai store or possibly eBay or if you would like I have a friend who has his own buisness that sells it. Also make sure the soil dries sufficiently when you water and if possible try to keep the tree on a slightly dryer side. Hope your tree comes through and good luck. -Mike

Nothing to be nervous about. There's really no way to do it wrong. Just look at The Earth. Plants grow from the arctic to the equator and from sea level (actually below) up to the tree line (and actually above). They grow in river delta enriched soil, in sand and in the cracks between rocks. You'll grow all the seeds and weeds you want in Florida. Of course, you'll also kill some plants and have some eaten by every type of bug you can imagine. Your lawn service will whack a few out of existance and the sun will dry some up. The heavy rain will wash out a few - some years it will wash out all of them - but they'll either grow back or you'll plant more. Every plant that dies leaves a space for the others to get bigger or for that new variety that just caught your eye. Then you'll have to find new places for the plants you get at swaps. One day you'll be thinking that you will never have room for all the plants you want and then two weeks later you'll wish you had kept it to one small bed because you can't find time to weed everything you have. You do have time to start some seeds and it's as easy as throwing some potting soil in little cups and dropping in the seeds. Or buy one of those trays at Walmart with the plugs in it and a package of seeds. Problem solved in less than 30 minutes! But don't stress because if you don't get it done, you can always pick up seedlings at any nursery or big box store about the time you want to put them in the garden. Although you might not think that's as much fun, they often carry the varieties that do well in this area and you don't really need the 25 tomato plants (unless you are Tony!) that you'll get from seeds anyway. 3 or 4 plants will feed your family and your friends. For every option in the garden that slips away, there will be several to take it's place. Take it slow your first year and you'll have more fun with it. Add more garden space each year if you want to but don't try to do it all right away. Never forget we do this because it's fun. If it turns out to be too stressful, then plant a couple shrubs where the veggies were going to go and find a different hobby. "Experts" say that most people go through 3 major career changes in their lifetime so picking at least 3 major hobbies seems OK too. You'll be fine and so will your garden. You'll discover parts of it you like and parts you don't. I learned to garden from women (Mother, Grandmother, Aunts, GreatAunts, and Crazy Garden Friends) who were committed to veggies as well as flowers. But I discovered that growing my own food was no fun for me. I believe that's why God made Publix. So I tossed the tomato plants and put in more cat's whiskers and coleus. I'm happy. Publix is happy. It's your garden and there is no right and wrong other than what's dictacted by the sun and the weather. You haven't screwed up and everything will be OK. Keep us informed and don't forget to ENJOY! Kate (PS - we really...

It's important to note that a mixture of lighting options allows us to select which ones we're going to use at any time, which in turn helps cut the BTUs and the bill. It's a mistake to wire a room to be very bright in all corners at all times when all that's necessary sometimes is one or two bulbs for reading the paper at the island. One of DH and my goals was to make selectable lighting. Our house tends to be quite dark in the interior even when the exterior walls are lighted by windows, so we tried to work this out. A couple new or improved doorway openings will help. We have planned a lot of new lighting--perhaps too much. But we will be able to leave much of the room dark-ish if we want it so. We like the term "task lighting" and have employed it. We spent a lot of time asking ourselves "what lighting will we want when we ____" and we tried out a lot of scenarios: walking through the space and returning again quickly; working for hours at the peninsula; eating at peninsula; eating at table; washing dishes; etc. We tried to avoid overkill by choosing a range of lighting types and sites. Example: a single 2-bulb ceiling light over the main corridor section alongside the kitchen, the "walk through and leave" light, which will also serve for "go get the salt in the kitchen" trips. But our decisions also required a lot of wall switches, esp. because we can enter the space through 5 different doorways. My wallet is glad DH was the electrician.

I'm so sorry you are feeling so stressed. I understand that feeling of nothing to do then all of a sudden it seems that decisions had to be made yesterday. Even with trying to plan so much out ahead of time, some things just can't or don't get taken care of ahead of time. I was kind of in that quandry regarding lighting. It was one of those things I put off hoping that I would see the "Perfect" light. I finally had to start looking seriously and still had trouble picking out what I liked. So many things were "nice". Finally found a style I liked that would work and ordered them. I wanted to use a lighting designer because I knew I needed a little help figuring out how much light was enough. It was my previous experience with general contractor and electrician that made me aware that they aren't necessarily helpful in that respect. Even though it sounds like you have your lighting already, I would still try to talk to a designer about your concerns. Some lighting stores may do that for free, even if you don't purchase from them. Can lights put out a fair amount of light but when centered over walkways the majority is going to end up being behind you when you stand at the counter. I went with under cabinet lighting to help with that. My island is 50" by 72" and I am planning 3 pendants with 100 watt bulbs each. The lighting designer suggested placing them a few inches closer to the seating area side than the other prep side. That will put them in a line just off of center. I'm not sure if it really matters but I thought maybe it would be more aesthetically pleasing if they weren't dead on center. Regarding trim, we have a similar situation in that our existing trim is 22 year old oak, natural which has yellowed over the years. The new cabinets are lyptus stained quite dark, almost a chocolate cherry look. The cabinets will have molding at the ceiling to match. The big dining room window is framed by cabinets and so I think we have to match the window trim to the cabinets there. Do we match the trim at the sink window with the cabinets or leave it match the rest of the house? The baseboard trim is also a concern. We decided to go natural with the new red oak floors to try to match existing oak trim but I would have preferred a stain to make the floor a little darker. That, however, would mean a third wood color and still wouldn't match the rest of the house. Who really thinks about all these little details before you pick your cabinet colors? You just figure it will all work out and then you are stuck thinking, how will I make this all work together. Yikes. Sorry, I ramble. I would avoid painting the trim white. As someone else said, it really wouldn't look right, being the only white thing. I could see maybe painting it to match the green cabinets but think staining would be best. Especially with the style/look you are going for. Definitely find out exactly how much more it is going to cost. I'm not sure if regular oak or quartersawn oak trim will make much difference in cost or look, but I would look into both options so you know if there is much difference. Good luck, soon it will be over and you will be loving it!