Well...actually 950 is NOT a huge amount. Really can't say for sure how many we used, but if I remember correctly we originally bought several pallets, then went back numerous times for 300 at a time.... I'd say we have close to 1500+ brick in our gardens. But we did also edge the beds around the house also.(see below) We purchased the brick locally from a building that was torn down. It is a fairly soft brick. If you go back and look at the beginning, you will see that the brick did not look as aged as it does now, but yes they are not all whole, some have nicks and chips, etc. Over time they have aged more, especially as we have winter here. Therefore freeze/thraw cycles. Also moss has grown on them in the shaded areas. DH has talked about "cleaning" up the brick, replacing some and putting in new screenings between, But...I said no, that I liked the way it looked now, old. :-) Good luck on your search for brick! Please ask if you have any other questions. kathi, I will check my email. These are old pictures, mostly from 2004, but you can see how we edged around the entire house.(its all flower beds too)I have more recent photos, but the plants have grown a great deal since then and the brick are not as noticeable.

I'll take a stab at it, but remember my zone is quite a bit different than yours. As far as pruning, I prune here mostly because of winter die back. But this summer I learned that some of my roses get too big if left unpruned in spring. They have been in the ground 5 years and have probably reached maturity. Next spring they will be cut back in spring, whether they need it or not. This past winter was a cold one, but with all the snow cover most of my roses had little to no winter die back. Hence little pruning in spring. Lesson learned. I would suggest a light pruning in spring if no winter die back, then see how big the bush gets. It will be trial and error for a few years until you get to know your bush, in your climate, in your yard. As far as north side and ice during the winter...do you do any winter protecting? How cold do you get? One concern would be ice breaking down the canes. But as it is shaded in the winter, at least you would not have the freeze/thaw cycle nearly as much as if it got sun for part of the day. What I suspect will happen is that the plants/roses planted in the winter shade area will just be later waking up than those planted in sun/shade areas. The ground will not warm up as quickly as that in a sun area. If the ice has not affected other roses in that area, and if this rose is rated for the same zone as the other roses, I suspect it will do just fine. Lots of variables. Sorry. Keep in mind.....I'm no expert. :-) Just someone who has/is learning by trial and error! Also someone who likes to push the zone occasionally! Anyone else want to chime in??

Hi Tinker~ Thanks very much! Our cabinets have a single bead on the recessed part. The top drawers are all slab inset and I like that look, as well. What helped me was to go to Crown Point's website (my cabs are local custom) and look at the inset slab doors (also look at Erikanh's kitchen for this) and the beaded inset (look at JBrodie's kitchen for this). The pics of their door styles are large and clear & helpful. The hood is ModernAire PS26 or PS29 with polished bands, rivets & a pot rail. My contact person there was Pat Hartman. Hope this helps! Katie

Celticmoon, I am following your instructions at the moment to stain my ugly orange oak cabinets. Your instructions are great! Thank you for sharing them! My question to you is: I have seen the pictures of your finished kitchen and I really like the color of you kitchen walls. May I ask the brand and color that you used? Thanks again!