Hi Krashking - Happy Easter! Do a search on amazing "Sweet Autumn" climbing Clematis and ask if it will do for your shaded site. Last year I frantically searched for a fast growing climber to cover an arbor to protect a Nikko Hrydrangea (lost her dappled shade from a huge Locust tree that we had to cut down). Also, I pass by a garden, on my way to work, with an arbor completely covered with white blooms (in June and again in Aug) like a bride's veil and with a beautiful scent to die for! So needless to say, I hunted for one and planted on the East leg of the arbor (that was July '06) in a month's time it grew bushier and climbed the arbor, 2-3 feet up and covered herself with tiny white Jasmine-scented florettes. This Clematis is an agressive grower and will need some upkeep, but not a problem, I was told. If you go to Vines or climbers in the GardenWed threads, you'll see some photos posted by lovers of this charming Clematis. Good luck :-) !!!

Not to worry Mari. As others have said tilling is not necessarily needed. My tiller was never effective in this rocky, hard clay and usually just bounced all over creation so I stopped trying. I've been doing exactly what you did for the last two years with great results. I'm slowly reclaiming what I thought were impossible areas just by putting down a couple of layers of cardboard right overtop of thriving weeds and making sure it overlaps properly to prevent sunlight from penetrating. Then I cover that with a thick layer of mulch/dirt, etc... (heck, sometimes I don't even mulch if it's an area that isn't easily visible and won't be an eyesore. If there are already established plants in the area I just cardboard around them and pull whatever weeds may reach out around their bases. Otherwise I just wait until the weeds are dead before planting new things. Even if a few stray weeds or runners find a way through it's much easier to eliminate those few once all the rest are dead. I had an area that was completely taken over by wild blackberry vines taller than me. They spread 15 feet closer to the house in just one season! So I whacked everything to the ground and then blanketed with the cardboard in the summer and everything underneath is dead now(yay!) I have yet to find a chemical brush or weed killer that actually does what it's supposed to and kill the root of the annoying weed grasses, thorny vines, etc... This takes a little longer but will not waste your money or time like spraying. I also just borrowed a large rubber liner from a relative and I'm going to use that to try and retake my gravel driveway and parking area one section at a time. I have heard this "solarization" is not always recommended for areas where you intend to plant though because the heat will also kill the beneficial microbes & organisms that are in that soil. Weeds in gravel are an awful pain. I look forward to a day when we can afford to blacktop it. Sincerely, Danielle

I'll chime in. At the very least I'd pot it up with 1/2 good Miracle Grow potting soil (not the one with the moisture-control crystals), and 1/2 perlite, since perlite's easy to find. That much perlite should solve your drainage issues. Yes, I usually mix 1/2 potting soil, 1/4 perlite, 1/4 Aquatic Plant Soil (in pond supply area). All found at local Home Depot. Wish I could find pumice here. Place your plant in part sun for several weeks or until it really gets going. The tender stem can sunburn in full sun. This year I'm going to try potting up some of mine with the addition of 'Clay Buster' (or Breaker, or something like that) -- which consists of gypsum and pine bark fines, and is used as a soil additive to loosen up clay soils. It's cheap and will make the potting soil go a lot further. Anyone tried that? Yup, I'd use a one-gallon plastic pot and then pot up around late July/August if you see roots thru the drainage holes.

jessica, I agree with your idea about taking your cabinets all the way to the ceiling and not staggering them since you have 8' ceilings (mine are even lower -- only 7 1/2 feet). I also agree that stainless appliances can look great in a white kitchen and help to break up all the white. The second layout is much better than the first. It sounds to me that you'd be happy with all stained or a combo of stained and white. I originally planned on all stained, but over and over I was drawn to pictures of white kitchens. In the end I went with a mostly white kitchen with an island in a beautiful russet stain. Since you love both stained and painted, maybe you could do a stained perimeter with light colored laminate and a white island with Ikea butcher block? Are you getting a gas stove? Do you cook a lot? I agree with others who have recommended a real hood instead of a microwave hood, especially since this is your dream home. Unless you live in a flood zone and your budget will permit, I think you should go for the hardwood flooring. Good luck with your project ... I can't wait to see how it unfolds! Erika