Amserelda: I'd like some hens and chicks, please, to add to my collection. I'm not picky -- anything will do! Serpent Moon and I appreciate the Crown of Thorns cuttings -- she has already requested it for us. Would you like a cutting of Euphorbia trigona? Skybird: We already have some sedums from you, from the fall swap. I'm not sure what Serpent Moon has requested, but I'm fine with you giving some of them to others who request them. ---------- The tomatoes I planted a few weeks ago are still sprouting. I take back whatever I said about the potentially low germination of the Costoluto Fiorentino tomato seeds. Even though I saved the seeds over a decade ago, they are still in good shape. I have 3-4 seedlings per pot, of the 3-4 seeds planted per pot. If you are careful, you might be able to separate out the seedlings and pot them up separately. I don't think any have their first set of true leaves yet. If anyone wants seeds for them, please let me know and I'll package up some for you. Ditto for the seeds from the cherry tomatoes I grew last year from Plant Swap plants -- Black Cherry, Sun Cherry, and Riesentraub. All seem to be germinating well this spring. Costoluto Fiorentino looks a lot like Costoluto Genovese, for those who are wondering. It's a medium to large sized tomato with lots of ribs, rather like an accordion. They're a booger to peel if you're making sauce. The flavor is quite reasonable, and they grew well in my Oregon garden (coolish dry summers, fairly short season). The original seed came from Sementi, a gift from a friend who had visited Italy. I'll go through the thread this evening to write down names of people who've requested specific things. I'll make coleus and geranium cuttings tomorrow, plus maybe a few Euphorbia trigona cuttings in case anyone wants a thorny but vigorous succulent as a houseplant. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone!

chris11895 -- that photo IS an inspiration. That space is gorgeous. I would consider a rack for the beauty of it between my cabinets, like you suggested. It does make the space look better in that photo. I don't think I have a need for anything functional in that room. We added the upper cabinets to store all the cleaning/sewing/ironing supplies we have. I still have a lot of extra space in those uppers. The ironing board is hidden behind a standing mirror in our closet (it's within reach of the laundry room when the adjoining door is open.) I do iron in the laundry room, but I don't have the patience to iron often (less than once a week, and even then it might be for 10 minutes!) To the two of you that mentioned TVs, did my husband pay you to say that? :) (I could actually iron in this room and see the TV in the great room from here.) To those of you who envision shelves in this space, would you put white shelves or stained shelves (or something else?) Also, would you put shelves that connect the cabinets or that are smaller width than the 39"W empty space?

From the photo, it appears that the roofing material is a low end composition. The folded over piece is evidence that the seal tabs didn't and the wind got under it. The deteriorated condition of the shingles usually doesn't occur for fifteen years or so. Should the roofer not satisfy you contact the mfg.

Hi, I don't think bifold doors is a great plan as you lose a lot of width in the doorway when they are folded against the wall. If you're coming in with groceries, you are going to have trouble getting through with your hands full into a 30" wide space that has at least 4-6 inches of bifold door folded. We have a similar issue at our basement stairs and we have two narrower "french doors" that latch in the middle. Here is an example. Depending on the hinges you use, you may be able to get them to fold back more than 90 degrees which would help with your traffic flow into the kitchen. Have a look at Richelieu Hardware for hinge options and other clever ideas.