Hello, I work in delray and would love to come see what you have. Please let me know if you still have stuff available and when a good time would be.

Developing a "color scheme" in the garden is very subjective - there are very few (if any) design 'rules' about color and what appeals to one gardener may not be favored by another. The short answer is do what you want and what you think looks good together :-) Searching through the archives of the Landscape Design forum might turn up some previous, lengthy discussions on the subject, however, they might just add to your confusion! Transplanting hardy plants - like the roses, hydrangea, many perennials, etc., should be done as early in the season as you can manage and as soon as the soil becomes workable, ideally when the plants are still dormant. Waiting until too late causes unnecessary stress and can lead to transplant shock. This can also be done in fall as well. Adding to your garden for season long color is also a very broad topic. Visit nurseries and as many public gardens as you can in your area and at various times and see what they offer or have planted together. Again, plant choices (aside from any hardiness issues) are extremely subjective, depending on the look you wish to foster - a cottage style garden, a more refined, formal look, low maintenance, etc. Just select plants that share the same growing conditions as those you wish to plant with them - for roses, that would be plants that like full sun, rich soil, frequent watering and fertilizing. Hardy geraniums and lilies are good choices. You might want to scout out any free seminars offered by area nurseries that deal with garden design or locate a garden club active in your area that can mentor you. If you are in to self-study, there are many excellent books on garden design available that will walk you through the basic principles to help you get a proper feel for creating your new space. And books or mags with lots of "real" garden photos will help as well, much like the garden visits. It's a long term process and few get it right the first time - be prepared to dig and relocate each season -) Good luck and have fun - that's the most important part!

Okay...I just need to vent a bit. I'm so ready for this to be over with... We were supposed to receive loan committment this past Friday (4/13). Well, our agent talked to their mortgage company and found out she isn't going to be able to get everything ready until maybe this Wednesday (4/18). We did find out that there are no FHA predications...but haven't seen that in writing just yet. They are still supposed to close on the house they are selling on Friday 4/20. I wonder if our closing will really happen a week from today. Our agent told theirs that we're not agreeing to anything else or doing anything else until we get loan committment. So we still have the one minor thing on the list (relocate the exhaust fan in the basement bathroom) that we verbally agreed to exchange for letting them move in the garage. If we don't receive loan committment until Wed, they could get ticked at us for not letting them move into house and decide they want the fan relocated afterall. Relocating the fan isn't a huge problem...just time consuming and we just don't want to deal with it. They even said it wasn't a big deal to them. I don't want it to cause any problems though. I think we should just go ahead and relo it now and be done with it and forget the whole verbal agreement. Something about it just doesn't sit right with me. Thanks for letting me vent :o)

Oh, contraire!! I used my kitchen for weeks before my hardware was installed. The drilling for holes and install didn't make that much mess. For the most part, I just moved a couple of things in the drawer and wiped. It only took a few minutes, but was worth being able to put all my junk away. Course, I had working plumbing, range hood, and MW though so the kitchen was completely usable otherwise. After plumbing, I think I'd do hardware next then range hood. Fridge water line, trim work, and open shelving can wait. I'm sorry the end is dragging on so slowly for you! How frustrating!