The thing is that there may not be a perfect way to do what you want to do. Several of your points seem contradictory. Maybe they are, maybe not? So I went through your original post looking for what appear to be must-have priorities and things that raised questions. "Most importantly, we need some kind of path to the driveway so we're not walking through wet grass." If this is "most important", then figure out what floats your boat to make this access path from garage to home work for you. It's probably a trip you take multiple times a day. You probably don't want a material that'll track inside. You sound like you'd prefer a material that minimizes weeds. Focus on what this path needs to be. You've already floated your own thought of more extensive hardscape. Concrete is one of the better weed barriers (smile), but xeroscape plants for your zone do exist, so a paved path through ground covers could work. Think lantana, buffalo grass, liriope. "We don't want to build any structures as it'll block the view of our city's Tower of the Americas (and our main fireworks viewing site)." No structures? And, I suppose, no shade trees since they'd block the view, too? But you want shade. I know Texas. Grew up in OK. Grad school plus internship in Austin, then Houston. Yep ... I know the Texas sun. So, I KNOW you want shade. It comes in two forms outside: Something alive makes it or something manufactured makes it. If you go fancy, as in a pergola, you combine both. But decent shade comes from a structure or a tree. If I had 60 days of temps in excess of 100 deg., I'd stay inside. So, I'm thinking that you are speaking of your milder 90 and 80 degree days, as well as "winter". Still, I'd be wantin' shade. So, how many days in the year is shade of interest? How many days are you watching fireworks? Or, do you watch the show from the comfort of the AC inside? What about a screened gazebo as a viewing platform? Or retractable awnings? Or, and these are kinda wimpy in the face of TX sun, a pool-side table with umbrella? "Permanent structures: garage, 4 trees, driveway. Everything else *could* move." Apparently not. My guess is that you have already thought through your options and if someone, like Isabel above, comes along and says combine herb, vegie garden, and compost area, you will have reasons that only you know at this point for not making the change. We could suggest, but I'm betting that a few more things in the picture are not moveable. Just a few cogitations. 2 cents worth, but might be worth less ...

Good thread. Roses are the queens of my garden, of course, but queens need courts and the courts ideally are brilliant. I do most sincerely believe that a garden of just roses is sterile and dull, no matter how wonderful the roses may be. I also have fairly frequent infatuations. I can't remember ever having actually fallen out of love with a longed-for plant, but some just don't work out for me, and I either forget them or I set them aside with a sigh and ongoing regret. Acidophile plants don't grow here. I can forego azaleas, though the deciduous fragrant kinds that are close to the species are beautiful. Camellias are harder to let go: I currently have a small one in a pot, and others may join it. I honestly regret blueberries. Rhododendrons are an example of a vast and beautiful class of plants that I can perfectly well live without--though, if I lived in a country where rhododendrons were what prospered, I would grow rhododendrons. I still have a bee in my bonnet about ginger lilies, and if I can get roots (tubers, whatever they're called) without spending a fortune, I'll try them again in pots. I have unsatisfied longings for varieties of box and of daphne: plants can be had, but they cost too much. I lust for lilacs, and intend to get them one day, but it will take time and the lilacs will be a life project. I love aromatic plants, which are reasonably priced, available, grow well for me, and are easy to propagate. I've loved lavender for years, and fortunately it loves my garden; and I've just discovered sages in all their magnificent variety. Rosemary, phlomis, artemisia, perovskia. Thyme is fussy and dies out, unfortunately because I greatly adore thyme. Each successive wave of desire settles down, and if the desired plants work for my conditions I add them to my growing harem, knowing them and loving them in all their beauty and variety. Costs are a limiting factor: I can't go into the collection of peonies in a big way, not because they're not wonderful but because they're simply expensive for my pocketbook. The other limit is time: I don't have enough of it to keep track of all my loved plants, recording names and keeping them labeled; hundreds of roses are work enough for my collector's instincts. Other passions, satisfied and not: clematis, naturally; osmanthus; irises, which are a prime flower here; evergreen shrubs in general; magnolias, which are a killer longing, as they're hard to site here, but not so hard I can renounce them with a light heart, and they're among the most meltingly beautiful of flowers. So far I've been strangely immune to daylily lust. I could very easily fall over the precipice and fall madly in love with tender cyclamen. I appreciate hellebores more every year, but they're hard to site in my garden--I may have more room for them in a few years. Anything that smells wonderful is a candidate. I wish I could find a nursery that offered a decent collection of honeysuckle. Barberries are exciting. Oh, and I forgot: Sansevierias, of which I have a modest collection: the polar opposite to roses, in terms of what they have to offer in plant beauty. I love them, and I want more, who knows why. Also I'm fond of succulents for their grand sculptural qualities, and I particularly love agaves. Melissa P.S. I know those beetles. They love fritillarias too, I'm afraid.

Thanks Mike, I do understand the seeds won't be true, I don't mind. I figure, more chance of a small tree with seeds from one than with seeds from a known-larger variety however. H2O2's benefits for germination of seeds (not just plumeria) has been documented very well, both in this forum and in many other places including academic research - just Google. Certainly it's not a requirement, but I like to increase my chances when it's easy to do so. The boat method I'm less sure about, but I've read enough people using it that I figured I'd try - after all, this is fun for me, I'm not farming plumeria for any other reason. Kind of like the whole "bury an egg" method of rooting a cutting, which sounds really strange to me but so many people swear by it and have great looking trees to show. I have a few more of these seeds and may try potting some in media as well. Yeah, my timing is bad for getting seeds just now, I'm aware. I do appreciate your insights though, and look forward to spring! Daniel

I agree with all of you: they're definitely Hollywood Regency. And I should recharacterize my own style, which is probably better said to be "*in* transition" rather than transitional. (: I do like clean-lined pieces, and our DR set is very Mission; the adjacent LR combines Mission and Art Deco; and our bedroom, where these chairs would go, is your basic Recovering Graduate Student/Random Wedding Present room. So funky/eclectic would fit in just fine there. And there's just something about these chairs... The room is a long rectangle. The half without windows is for the bed (not a bed per se, but rather mattresses on a metal frame) and the dressers, which are mismatched yard sale finds. On the other side of the room, I'd like to create a sitting/reading area next to the windows, with a gorgeous view of the mountains (by far the nicest thing about the room!). We got a red and tan handloomed Peruvian folk-art rug for our wedding, and that's what we'll use to set off the seating area. Also on that side of the room, framing one window, are some slender dark walnut modern-styled bookcases. And then the part I'd like to replace: a heinously ugly loveseat that a friend gave us, also on that side of the room. I'd much rather find some reading chairs and an ottoman than a loveseat anyway; the room's not that big, and the loveseat makes it a pain to open and close the curtains and shades. I agree these chairs don't look too comfortable, so they're probably not my ideal reading chairs. But they'd be good for draping the bathrobe or pulling into the LR for extra seating. I love the idea of velvet, and maybe even the box-pleated skirt -- hadn't thought of that, cool idea, thank you! I agree that they're great in a pattern, but I don't want lots of patterns clashing in my bedroom, I don't think. What would you think of a tan velvet on the back and the bottom of the seat, and then the top, round seat cushion in something like this: Here is a link that might be useful: I'd use this pillow cover to reupholster the seat...