thanks for the responses! ratherbesewing, i like the idea of roman shades, although the word "custom" makes me nervous--that sounds expensive!! would you leave the little windows with nothing over the shades? would that look funny/unbalanced if there are panels on the big window and door? sujafr, i wish i could see a photo of your DD's room with the shutters! i wonder if they'd be room darkening enough? also i wonder how they attach? there is no room to mount them inside. kristinekr, thank you for the bathroom compliments! we LOVE how it turned out! now we have the bug to do the rest of the house. :) I didn't think of the grommets without sheers, because I need *something* behind the curtains when i pull them aside so i don't see the neighbors house (or they don't see me). what would you suggest if not sheers? do you think it would look ok to have panels on the one window and not the others? i don't think i can do an inside mount because there's only 3/4-inch of space for the hardware. i'll have to look into it. THANKS. anne

Thanks for the advice. I have ordered some swatches from Pottery Barn of their Peyton linen look drape. Hopefully one of the colors will work. I also looked at Country Curtains but didn't see anything that had the linen look that i am seeking. Does anyone know of a good source for drapery panels with that are linen )or look like it?)

Brightstar, Thinking some more about your plans, I feel your best option might be to contact Heritage Roses in Australia Inc., who have groups all over Australia with a number of regional groups around NSW, including one in Sydney. Because this is such a challenging/borderline possible situation, I feel what you need is some very specialised advice from locals with both expertise in the sort of roses you want to grow, and the local climate/conditions. From there, you could discuss the microclimate of your particular location and those spots you're planning to put your roses. I would think they would be able to tell you more reliably than we can how they would be likely to do, and/or suggest more suitable alternatives. I'm not sure if there are any Antique Roses forum members here from NSW - is billyteabag from there maybe, and some others? There may also be a few in Victoria around, and we have Adam in WA, but they may not have detailed knowledge of your sub-tropical Sydney conditions. And a lot of people do 'lurk' without participating much. There may well be many in areas of the US whose conditions would be fairly similar to yours, but since you're planning on quite a large investment here, of time and effort as well as just financial, I think you need to be very sure before you plunge in. The website for Heritage Roses in Australia is: heritage.rose.org.au and I see there that the co-ordinator for the Sydney group is a lady called Glennis... can't remember her last name. Please do let us know how you get on, and don't hesitate to pick our brains again here or on the ARF. I hope you'll find some great solutions for your garden, and be able to post us some gorgeous pictures one day! Comtesse :¬)

Mycorrhizal fungi do not control other fungi, they form a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship with certain plants depending on the species of fungi. If your soil is good and healthy the plants that will develop that relationship with no outside help. If you soil is not good and healthy adding something someone sells you labeled "mycorrhizal fungi" will do nothing since the fungi will have nothing to live on (organic matter). http://www.blm.gov/nstc/soil/fungi/index.html kimmq is kimmsr