Very nice flower. I'm glad you're not going to leave it gray. I'd find a pipe that your flower stem will just fit into. Bury the pipe in the ground so the top is somewhat higher than the soil level (ideally the top would be hidden by other plants). Tamp the soil, wet the area around the pipe, then let it dry thoroughly. Then simply insert the flower stem. I've no idea how long the pipe should be; I imagine it would be dictated by the type of soil you have and the weight of the ornament. And if you eventually need to remove the pipe, I don't know how you would do it. If the flower tends to lean, you could dig a larger hole and pour concrete around the pipe (being sure not to insert the stem until the concrete is cured). The above is entirely theoretical: I've never done it. But I've read about similar methods of securing seasonal structures like veggie trellises. Sometimes a pipe fits over a re-bar anchored in the soil; sometimes a smaller pipe fits into a larger pipe set into the soil. If you don't get a better answer here, you might cross-post on the Garden Junk forum.

Patty, those are beautiful roses! And I'm glad to hear so many good things about icebergs because I've now got three! The area is a long way from being done, but I'm very excited about the results. And Renee, I have to thank you again for your original response. The minute I read your comment about pulling the hawthorne from the wall and putting them in a grouping, the lightbulb went on over my head. I've been stuck in a "plants in a row" rut, which was why I just couldn't figure out how to pull the area together. This plan is exactly the effect I'd been going for. I just needed someone to point out the obvious to me. I've got more plants to bring in, namely some purples and some smaller perennials, but I've got the bones in with the addition of the roses and pink hydrangeas back in my shadier spot. I will probably refrain from planting too much more this year, as I'd like to wait to see how this all fills in first. Maybe annuals just for fun. And now I have a fun project to make a birdbath for the area. I've set the base where it will go, but I still need to construct a top. I really never expected this project to turn out so well, and I really owe it to all the great advice and suggestions here. You guys are awesome!!! Here is a link that might be useful: loribees garden blog

Ilene, Cabbage is one of the most cold-tolerant crucifers and can handle more cold than most other cold-season crops. However, I think that only you can decide if the timing is right in your area to set out your baby cabbages. I can tell you what factors I would use to arrive at that decision: SOIL TEMPERATURE: If you were starting from seed (and I know you're not) instead of transplants, you'd want to wait until your 3-day average soil temperature at 5cm was at least 50 degrees. Cabbage seed sprouts slowly and erratically at soil temps less than 50 degrees. I doubt your soil's 3-day-ave soil temp is at 50 yet....I am not even sure ours is that warm here yet. But, you're starting with transplants, so...... ARE THE TRANSPLANTS HARDENED OFF? If your transplants have been exposed to very cool temperatures (in the lower 20s) as they have hardened off, they should be conditioned to the cold and should be fine. Cabbage transplants that have been hardened off in pretty cool temperatures can handle occasional nighttime lows in the lower 20s with little, if any, damage. However, transplants that have hardened off in a very warm location like a sunny, concrete slab or a cold frame may lack that cold-conditioning and are likely to suffer damage if nighttime lows dip into the low 20s. So, their hardening off is one thing I'd consider. WILL YOUR PLANTS BE EXPOSED TO PROLONGED TEMPERATURES 40 DEGREES OR LOWER? Because cabbage is a biennial, it tends to bolt and go dormant if exposed to temperatures at or below 40 degrees for about 10-14 days, and they don't necessarily have to be consecutive days. So, one long wicked week of cold weather could push the plants very close to dormancy and then a repeated period of a few cold days could send them into dormancy. That happened here at our house in 2007 but not last year when the temps see-sawed up and down. If they are forced into dormancy by a cold spell, they'll tend to bolt and set seed once warmer temperatures resume. HOW LARGE ARE THE PLANTS WHEN THE TEMPS HIT THE 40'S? Look at the stems on your cabbage plants. As long as they are smaller than the diameter of a pencil, they are less likely to bolt. Once the stems are larger than a pencil, the cabbage is large enough that it can bolt pretty easily. I think that the ideal cabbage transplant would be about 4-5 weeks old, would have about 4 to 6 true leaves, and would have a main stem less than the diameter of a pencil. If your plants are significantly younger and smaller than that, I'd keep hardening them off and wait a bit longer before transplanting them. If they are already that size and the nights look good for the next 10 days, I'd plant them ASAP. WHAT ARE THE DAYS-TO-MATURITY OF YOUR PLANTS? If you have planted a type of cabbage with a fairly short DTM, use the calendar to help you figure out when optimal growth will occur and then time your plants accordingly. Cabbage will make the best growth and form the best heads when the air temperatures are staying in the 60-65 degree range. So, you want to plant your transplants early enough that they are maturing in those air temps. CONSIDER THE "TRADITIONAL" PLANTING DATE RECOMMENDATIONS: In general, it is most often recommended that cabbage transplants be set out about 2 to 3 weeks before the date of your "average" last freeze. So, for me, if I was planting based on "average last freeze date", with an average last freze date of March 27th here, I'd set out cabbage transplants between about March 5th and March 12th. I have, however, set out plants as early as mid-Feb. and had them do well--it just depends on what the weather is doing and how much risk you want to take. Since I am in a very low-lying microclimate in the river valley, I tend to plant cool-season cruciferous vegetables a couple of weeks later than the so-called "ideal" date based on OSU recommendations or last-average-freeze data. It is not uncommon for our low temps here at our house to drop as much as 10 degrees lower than the forecast overnight low for our area, so I've learned to be a little more cautious. So, consider your microclimate and let that help you make your decision. Once your plants are in the ground, just watch the weather and do your best to protect them in the temperatures are going too low. If I were you, would I plant them now? That's a tough call, but I take a lot of risks, so I probably would. For the first week or so that they are in the ground, be sure to keep them well-watered and mulched because that will help ease any possible transplant shock. Newly transplanted plants, even if they have been hardened off, are very sensitive to weather fluctuations their first 7-10 days in the ground. Listen to what your cabbage plants tell you. Once they are in the ground, if you see yellowing of the foliage, the plants are stressed for some reason. It could be the soil is slightly cold, the nighttime temps are cold, the plants are too dry or the plants need to be fed. It even could mean that they are getting too much wind--a common problem in March in OK. Doing whatever you can do to protect them from stress their first week or two in the ground will help them adjust to the outdoor conditions and will give you stronger, healthier plants. Remember, too, that the earliest plants set out in a garden-type setting are very, very attractive to pests, including sow bugs and pill bugs and little field mice or voles or rabbits, and often to flea beetles as well. So, you may want to cover them with a row cover/sheer curtain for the first couple of weeks to help protect them from the pests. If rabbits are a problem for you (and I am starting to see them in my yard pretty much all night every night looking for young plants to eat), dried blood or blood meal is a pretty good deterrent. If you just run a light band all around the row/group of cabbages, it often will keep the rabbits away from the plants. It never hurts to plant a few "test" plants. I like to set out 3 to 5 transplants and then watch for a few days--maybe 3 to 5 days--to see if the wild varmints and insects attack them. I'd rather have the rabbits chew up a small handful of plants than have them get 100% of them. If I do a "test planting" and the rabbits/other varmints haven't found them and devoured them within 3 to 5 days, then the rabbits probably aren't going to find a way under or through the fence and my plantings probably are going to be safe. If you have snail/slug problems, the early test planting will tell you if they are out and about this early in the season too. You can prevent them from getting your plants by scattering an iron-phosphate snail/slug bait like Slug-Go as soon as your plants are in the ground. The iron-phosphate based snail/slug products also kill sow bugs and pill bugs. I never plant in the spring without iron phosphate because I have huge populations of sow and pill bugs in my raised beds. Let us know what you decide. I haven't even put my cabbage in the ground yet, but I'll probably do it sometime in the next 10 days or so if the nights look like they'll stay warm enough. Dawn

On the opposite side of that wall is the closet in the 2nd bedroom. I could easily cut the wall and drop in an access panel. That is more plumbing work than I feel comfortable doing myself. I like to experiment and learn to do things on my own. But since when I shut off the water supply, I shut off eight units in total, I don't want this to be a learning experience that inconveniences my neighbors for a long time. If I do that, it can wait until I do a complete remodel in my master bath and have a plumber here. I've got that planned for another year or two. Thanks for the tip though writersblock!!! And trtsmb, I do agree with doing a linen closet or hutch with a smaller vanity. But I need suggestions or pics for ideas. I'm not sure exactly what.