There are a few shrubs that have a long bloom, but the bloom is never spectacular. Roses are the exception, but they take constant fussing with, heavy fertilization, and vigilance against the many predators they have. The Shrubs forum is probably a better place to ask about specific shrubs. Personally, I'd go for something with a once-a-year spectacular bloom, before the roses start blooming, which also has nice, bright green foliage that forms a lush backdrop for the roses the rest of the year. Don't get something that will compete too much with the roses. Plant annuals and a few tall perennials around the shrub and roses for a long bloom.

It is only the berries of the nandina that are considered toxic and berries only come from flowers. If the plant seldom produces flowers - as is the case with 'Gulf Stream' - or the flowers are removed, no berries can be produced and therefore no issues with possible toxic ingestion. Removing flowers is a good way to curb any potential issues that may arise from berrying plants that may have toxic properties. Bees are a bit different - if it flowers, chances are very good bees will be drawn to it but some flowering plants are much worse in attracting bees than others. Boxwood tends to rate very highly with them :-) It is important to understand that the vast majority of common garden ornamentals are toxic to some degree or another. If you avoided including any plant that was potentially toxic, you'd have a very empty and boring garden :-) Additionally, a good many common veggies are toxic in some fashion - like the leaves of tomatoes or potatoes. Since all poisonous (to some extent) plants are nearly impossible to avoid, supervising small children in the garden is always a smart plan. Most of us have kids (and pets) and garden without incident - it's just a matter of training them not to put anything in their mouth that mommy or daddy has not approved first. And avoiding those plants that have very serious toxicity issues.

I bet you can guess where the first recipe came from by the capitalized ingredients! I imagine any kind of bay leaf would do. Slow Cooker Turkey  1 turkey breast (6-7 lbs.)  1 Cup apple cider  2 TURKISH BAY LEAVES  1 TB. SMOKED SPANISH PAPRIKA or  HUNGARIAN SWEET PAPRIKA  1 TB. POULTRY SEASONING  11/2 tsp. CRACKED BLACK PEPPER  2 tsp. KOSHER FLAKE SALT Wash and dry the turkey breast and place in a slow cooker. Pour the apple cider in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the BAY LEAVES. Combine the SPICES and rub over the top of the turkey breast. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low until the turkey breast is done, usually 4-5 hours. The resulting spicy juices are a great low-fat gravy to serve over mashed potatoes. Prep. time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 4-5 hours Serves: 10 Nutritional Information: Servings 10; Serving Size 8 oz. turkey, 2 TB. gravy (240g); Calories 310; Calories from fat 15; Total fat 1.5g; Cholesterol 180mg; Sodium 340mg; Carbohydrate 4g; Dietary Fiber 0g. This Carol Mighton Haddix recipe was in the Columbus Dispatch years ago, reprinted from the Chicago Tribune. I did try it, and it was just okay, so jazz it up a bit. I omitted the cilantro (feh). TURKEY AND OLIVE PAELLA Makes 6 servings This is not a real paella, but it is similar. I love to use the Spanish smoked paprika (pimeton, available in specialty or spice shops) for dishes such as this. But Hungarian or regular paprika works well, too. Look for already-chopped onions and peppers in the supermarket's produce aisle. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 carton (7 ounces) chopped onions and bell peppers 1 1/2 cups short-grain rice 1 teaspoon smoked, hot or sweet paprika 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (optional) Freshly ground pepper 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes 2 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken 1 jar (7 1/2 ounces) pitted Spanish green olives, coarsely chopped 1 cup leftover peas, chopped green beans or other vegetable (optional) 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers. Cook, stirring, until lightly colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice and paprika. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken broth, salt, saffron and ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Spoon rice mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Stir in tomatoes, turkey, olives and peas. Bake until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle each portion with cilantro.

I've commandeered a spare bedroom for my sewing/craft room. It's a relatively small space, so I've had to be super organized to store (and be able to find--LOL!) my supplies. Here's how I've made my space work for me: a couple of bookcases to house my large collection of children's books (contemporary story books, antique storybooks, cooking and craft books) and games. I've got my craft supplies in labelled plastic bins in the closet. My best find, however, if a European Computer cabinet. It looks like a tallish armoire. When you open the doors, there is a large space at the bottom (perfect for bolts of fabric and quilt batting. Then there are 2 pull-out shelves--great for storing thread, bobbins, buttons, etc. Above that are 2 more shelves on which I have my fabric folded so it exactly fits the space, arranged by color. On top of the cabinet, I've got a big basket of my small scraps--rolled so they are easy to see and grab as needed. It's amazing how much that one cabinet holds. I also have some hooks within reach of the sewing machine that hold my: scissors, tape measure, rotary cutter, etc. With my intense use of the storage space available, there's plenty of room for my sewing table and ironing board. I'll probably even manage to squeek in an extra arm chair we have, once we buy new furniture for the living room. Whether you have a bit or small space, I think organization is the key. Those plastic shoe boxes are great for storing things like: pipe cleaners, beads, small spools of ribbon, other little 'gizmos' you happen to have. Larger bins are good for storing leftover skeins of yarn and so forth. I make sure each is labeled on the exposed side--makes finding things so much easier. I'd also recommend not using open shelves for storing fabric so it doesn't get dusty or faded before you get around to using it. Of course, it's nice to have some 'entertainment' available--a TV or radio, or maybe a little DVD player. I'd higly recommend thinking about the arrangement of your equipment. I've got my sewing machine at right angles to my ironing board. Since I use an office chair with wheels, it's easy to swing from one to the other, when I'm working on something that needs frequent pressing (when doing that, I have the ironing board set up so it's low enough to use when seated--otherwise I prefer to press clothes standing up. I also keep a decorative crock in my sewing room--it's large enough to hold a couple of 'fills' worth of water for the iron, so I don't have to constantly be running down the hall to get more. Another thing I like to keep in the sewing room, is a small dorm-style fridge so I can keep a supply of drinks (and sometimes even lunch) handy so I can work with minimal breaks. I also love that my sewing room has a lovely view out the windows. If yours doesn't, because it's a basement room? There are some amazing photo panels you can put under the lights of a dropped ceiling--pictures of clouds, or hot air balloons, or branches of flowers--they make an interior room feel a little less closed in. Carpet--for a sewing craft room, I like something with very little nap so it's easy to find dropped pins, beads and other tiny bits. If your carpet is thicker, you might get an area rug to put under your work area. Have fun designing and using your space--it's so nice to have a well-organized space to do your hobbies. One where you can leave everything sitting out and no one will care. Enjoy!!!!