Lol - up in the middle of the night fretting over fertilizers? Please tell me something else had you up at that hour. ;-) Here's how I fertilize in the winter: I water/fertilize (fertigate) every time I water with a low dose of fertilizer. Not everyone CAN fertigate that way - it depends on your soil choice and watering habits, so don't emulate unless you understand the ramifications. After I'm done fertigating, I fill 5 - 1 gallon milk jugs with tap water and add just under 1/4 tsp of 9-3-6 to each, and let them rest for the 4 day interval between fertigating, so they come to room temperature. I've asked a LOT of degreed hort people if plants suffer adversity from being watered with cold water, and not one has ever offered anything conclusive that says it's either good or bad, other than potential damage to foliage on some plants, like AVs. Most bonsai books suggest that a cool drink during the midday time period is very helpful because it quickly cools roots down, so apparently the 'shock' thing is a perpetuated myth. Still, it's no extra effort to allow the water to come to room temp, so that's what I do. When I fertigate, I use a watering can with a long spout that allows me to reach plants in the center of my 4x8 growing areas. The spout has a fine nozzle that sends out a 1/8" stream of water, so it take on average about 20-30 seconds to water a plant. This allows me to wet the entire surface of the plant, so gravity moves the solution down through the entire soil mass. When I see water flowing into the collection saucer, I water for a few more seconds, then stop. My plants are set on pieces of plastic u-channel above the effluent, so I don't need to empty the saucers. The evaporating water means my humidifiers run less. When it's time to water, I pour 2 qts of fertigation solution from the gallon jug into the watering can. I then add 3 drops of ProTeKt while the water is still turbulent, so it mixes well. I don't mix it in until the last minute because mixing the fertilizer and ProTeKt ahead of time causes some of the elements to precipitate from (fall out of) the solution. You asked if the ProTeKt is necessary. I think it's good to remember that in many cases, we approach growing with only our own perspective in mind. Much disagreement arises between someone who thinks their way is good enough for everyone because they are happy with it, and the grower who has found a way superior to that particular way and wants to share it. People very often get defensive when someone suggests that what someone says or does isn't the best way. "Well, it works for me!" really isn't very conclusive when it comes to deciding what might or might not be best for the plant. In addition to that, some growers place a high premium on 'less maintenance is better (for me)', while the next grower is trying to make the point that MORE maintenance is better (for the plant). I tend to always speak from the perspective of how to get to what's best for the plant, and then let the grower decide if they want to go to any extra effort or expense that might be entailed in getting there. So, the ProTeKt isn't necessary if your goal is to raise a healthy plant. I had healthy plants for many years before I started using it, but after I started using it, I noticed a lower incidence of insect and disease issues, and I noticed that my plants seemed more resistant to temperature extremes. I noticed these things even before I read a few of the many studies that quantify the effects of aqueous Si on plants, so if I was dreaming, I was at least dreaming in accord with the conclusions of others who made the actual effort to nail down the Si's effects on plants. I can't really tell you it's necessary, but I can say with a fair degree of certainty that if you do use it regularly, it's going to be helpful. Al

Thank you Urlee. It looks`like there is a paint program in it. And it surely looks like a great photo editor. I also checked out Corel Painter Essentials 4. The brushes are more extensive. It is totally about painting and looks like a tablet and pen would be useful. Now this is a tough call. They both have advantages. sheshe

If you have a Rite Aid locally (and your RA sales ads run Sun-Sat) and if you'll be spending money at pretty much any home improvement store, read on... Rite Aid has an offer this week that you can buy a $50 "home improvement" gift card and earn a $10 Rite Aid "Up" reward (basically $10 to spend at Rite Aid). The offer is limit 2. So, buy 2 gift cards for $50 each = $100 and earn 2 x $10 Up rewards to spend at Rite Aid. I needed to pick up something at Lowe's so I stopped at RA first, bought 2 GC for $100 and then earned $20 to spend at RA (the Up reward prints on your receipt). Then I went to Lowe's and bought what I needed, swiped my new GC. The GC can be used at pretty much any home improvement stores including Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace, Restoration Hardware, Menards, some paint stores and more (I think Sears also?). Link to RA offer: http://www.riteaid.com/savenow/weekly_ad/detail_item.jsf?tnumber=T107587&circularId=2780&page=4îion=west For more info on the GC themselves & where they can be used: https://www.homeimprovementgiftcard.com/home.html There are no activation feels and no exp. date on the GC. Here is a link that might be useful: Info about the Home Imp. GC - List of Participating Stores

Refrigerator...keep in mind some things. First, to open fully, the doors of your refrigerator must stick out past the surrounding walls/cabinets/counters. This means you can only recess your refrigerator so the carcass/box is even with adjacent walls/cabinets/counters on the hinge side(s). In this case, it's a counter...25.5". The depth of your refrigerator is approx 31". Unfortunately, KA doesn't give all the necessary dimensions, in this case, the depth of the carcass/box. You need this to know how deep you can recess it. Remember, you also need room behind the refrigerator for air clearance (1/2"), water lines for ice maker & water dispenser (probably an inch or two), plug, and, if used, the anti-tip device. The 31" does not include these items. (FYI...the doors on my refrigerator stick out 4" from the carcass/box. This does not include the handles.) If we assume your refrigerator is similar, then its carcass/box is probably 27" deep (31" - 4"). Add another inch for the water lines and you can probably only recess it into the wall 3" or so. (27" deep carcass + 1" = 28"; 28" - 25.5" = 2.5"; you can go up to another half-inch or so if the door hinges allow it...it depends on the hinges.) The handles extend out another 2.5". So, this means approx 6" of your refrigerator will extend out past the counters. This brings us to the second point...your aisle. According to your layout, the aisle b/w the counter and the island is 40". However, in front of the refrigerator, the aisle is only 34" (40" - 6")...rather narrow. That's bordering on too narrow to get the refrigerator in/out without removing the doors...and maybe still too narrow even then. It will also create a "pinch point" when the refrigerator is open...a minor annoyance in this case, I think, b/c it's not a path through the kitchen and a refrigerator isn't usually open for very long (and others could always go around the island.) The concern is the ability to move the refrigerator for cleaning, repairs, or replacement w/o damaging the refrigerator or your cabinets & counters. The cabinet above the fridge is usually installed so the front of the cabinet box is flush with the refrigerator's carcass/box. You might be able to install it so the cabinet + doors are flush with the refrigerator doors, but you run the risk of hitting your head on the cabinet since you're tall. I recommend sticking with the former. Dishwasher + Corner Sink...You really need more space b/w the sink and the DW. If you look at the pic with the "Sink specs from Thomasville", note that it recommends a base cabinet at least 15" wide b/w the corner sink base and the DW. You only have 9"...you really need at least 15"; 18" would be better. As to a corner sink, there are pros & cons. It's a great way to handle a corner and the less-than-optimum storage under a sink base. You combine the sink base and corner storage into one so you only have one place with inefficient storage. However, unless you have a large corner sink base (48" or more), only one person can use the sink at one time. OTOH, there's plenty of space behind the sink for your faucet, soap dispenser, etc. You also don't have to worry about how deep (front-to-back) the sink is b/c there should be plenty of room for everything. But, you do have to be careful how far back the sink is installed, have them install it as far forward as possible and don't let them put any more than a 3" piece of stone b/w the sink cutout and the edge of the counter. This is to prevent the need to lean too far forward to use the sink. (The taller you are, the more important this is.) Prep Zone...Your Prep Zone will most likely end up on the perimeter b/w the corner sink and the range. That's where your water source is as well as it's close to the range. While 39" is normally enough room for prepping with a "straight line", when you factor in a corner sink and the fact that some of the floor space in your Prep Zone will overlap with the corner sink's floor space, you may not really have enough. I would like to see you increase that 21" cabinet to 30" (and decrease the one on the other end by those 9" to 27"). It will make a big difference in functionality. I don't recommend putting the DW b/w the sink and range...you really don't want to work over/in front of an open DW if someone is loading/unloading it or a running DW venting heat & steam on you! (If you're very, very disciplined about no one ever cleaning up while someone is prepping or cooking or there's never more than one person in the kitchen at a time, then a DW might be OK, but it's not ideal.) Besides, you should try for as little overlap of Zones as possible. Seating at the island...The National Kitchen & Bath Assoc (NKBA) recommends the overhang of counter-height seating be a minimum of 15". You have 12". I suspect you've put in 12" so you can fit an island. However, you should be aware that even if you skimp on overhang, people sitting at the island will take up the same amount of floor/aisle space...they'll just have to either sit farther away from the counter's edge or have to lean farther forward...neither of which is particularly comfortable for any length of time. Some people here swear that 9" or 12" is enough, but I suspect they have very short legs. You, OTOH, have stated you are tall (6'1")...so I doubt very much you have short legs. Our family ranges in height from 5'10" (me) to 6'6" and still growing (my DS). We have a 15" overhang and while my DD and I think it's OK, my DH & DS wish it was a few inches deeper (neither of them sit at the counter very often b/c of this). Honestly, I would have rather had 18" as well, but 15" works OK for me. One comment: You say everyone tells you they love an island even in a small kitchen. I wonder if they had a better designed kitchen if they would change their tune. Sometimes we don't know any better and think something is the best we can do. In the case of a kitchen, once you work in a well-designed kitchen, you're spoiled! What others think is fine, you know really isn't. People can adapt to anything...even a poor layout...and if they don't know any better they don't know how good it could be! Aisles...I'm concerned about the aisle b/w the back of the island and the porch door. At most, you have a 42.5" aisle (34" + 8.5"). It may actually be narrower when you start counting door trim, door knob, etc. When the door is open, you may have an issue with chair/door conflict (even an empty chair). Counter height...You were wondering about counter height. Have you calculated your "ideal" work height? It's not just a matter of height...upper arm length comes into play as well. To calculate your "ideal" work height (it takes two people): Stand up straight with your feet slightly apart and arms straight down at your sides. Now, bend your elbow 90 degrees. Keep your arm against your body. Have the second person measure the distance between your elbow and the floor. Subract 6" from the measurement. This is your "ideal" work height. Note that work height can be modified by raising the height of the cabinets, installing them on a platform, increasing the thickness of the counter, or by using large, thick cutting boards placed on top of a standard-height work surface (36" off the finished floor). Crown Molding...Most ceilings are not perfect and the floor-to-ceiling height can vary throughout the kitchen. To accommodate this and to make the differences "invisible", KDs usually either place a significant gap b/w the ceiling and top of the crown molding or use a 2 or 3 piece crown that includes a "filler" piece that is adjusted to accommodate the ceiling height discrepancies. The latter is, IMHO, better than the former. However, to do this successfully, the space for the crown does have to be tall enough so differences in filler piece heights are not noticeable. The shorter the filler piece, the more noticeable differences in height are. In our case, we have 6" of crown. We have a 3-piece crown molding with the filler (Stock-S) in the middle. The top and bottom pieces remain the same throughout the kitchen, it's only the filler piece that changes height. (We have approx a 1" height difference b/w the "tallest" and "shortest" floor-to-ceiling height in the kitchen.) Here's the design of our crown molding: Rev-A-Shelf Trash Pullout...I'm sure it will be less expensive to install it yourself after-market. Cabinet companies are notorious for marking up cabinet inserts tremendously. Since cost is a factor, I recommend ordering the cabinet you intend to use for your trash pullout as a full-height cabinet (i.e., no top drawer) with the door unattached. You can then purchase the pullout elsewhere (search the web, you can find it for much less than it is on the Rev-A-Shelf site) and install it yourself. In the end, this is your kitchen, so you have control over what you end up with. Please, really think about all the things I've mentioned b/f you decide on a final design. You will then be making an informed decision and whatever you decide you will know the pros & cons and know the compromises you have to make. Good luck!