I don't think it is good to have two different potting mediums in the same pot, especially the finer stuff around the roots that will remain denser and wet longer and possibly cause rot. The potting medium will not dry out evenly. Around the roots you need the airy spaces of the 511. I bare-rooted 9 large plants this week and all are doing well, not a bit of wilting. I used the hose to get off the old medium. I pre-soaked the bark overnight. It takes bark a while to absorb water so you need to soak it overnight. You don't want to let bark completely dry out as it is hard to get it to absorb water once it is completely dry. When you water, the water will run right through the pot without the bark absorbing enough of it. It is like when a high sphagnum mix dries completely and pulls away from the sides of the pot it is almost impossible to get the mix wet enough for the plant's roots to absorb water from it. It just shows more with those lite mixes than the bark mix, but it is the same thing. I watered my repotted trees very well after the repot so there were no air pockets. The force of the water draining through the pot will carr the potting medium to fill in any air pockets. Make sure you have many holes in the bottom of your pot so that the water flows through quickly. When potting up work the 511 mix from the sides of the pot and push it towards the center. If you have a potting stick that can help you get all the medium around the roots so there are no air pockets....or use your fingers and work the medium from the sides toward the center to fill in those air pockets. I mist the leaves every few hours the first day or so if I see any wilting. It is good to pick a cloudy, slightly cooler day to repot, and keep the roots moist as you work. If sunny and hot, work in the shade. After the repot, keep the plant in a shady spot and gradually move it to more light over a few days. I used to be afraid to bare-root the trees too, but they really do much better when you do it. If you are going from 5-1-1 to new 5-1-1 and the older medium is still good, you can up-pot to a larger pot, especially if it is late in the growing season. Otherwise, the complete bare-rooting is much better in the long run. The plants usually take off in the fresh medium if you do the repot when the plant is in active growth. Don't repot when plants are not actively growing unless the growing medium is so poor that the roots are starting to decay. Cory

I think you all nailed it with Constance Spry! Now for Mystery Rose #2! I hope it's ok if I put this in the same thread, I couldn't edit the original post so just let me know if you think I need to make a new post. This rose is growing in an interesting situation and because of that I didn't find it until the 2nd early fall after I moved into my house. It absolutely pops in the fall and because of where it is it blooms even in the snow!!! I'm not sure if it was done on purpose or if it's an accident but I'd love not only an id but also opinions on what I should do with him too please! Should I move him to a sunnier spot? Should I keep him where he is and prune back the Japanese Maple a lot more? He's obviously being protected by the maple in the winter and I believe I might've had more blooms maybe even into Jan. if I had protected him from the rabbits. As far as the bloom, it's a very vibrant red with a touch of white towards the middle or on the edge of some of the petals? It's hard to describe but there is at least one tiny stripe of white in there on every bloom. I think it has a chalice shape but I'm going to defer to you, the experts on that! Here he is: The most current shot: A few in fall when I could get closer to him: And winter during a snow storm: During our first big snow last winter I was walking around my gardens taking picture of my last blooms completely covered in a heavy snow and ice when I saw a red, red bloom practically glowing in all of that white. I was totally not expecting this! It was absolutely enchanting. I probably could've gotten better pictures of it in the snow, but it was literally snowing when I took these pictures, plus it was in Dec. and we don't have a lot of light here at that time. Really it's quite breathtaking to see nothing but white in a landscape and this red rose peeking out! Unfortunately the deer or rabbits found it equally attractive because they ate it down to a nub the night after I took those last pictures, But it came right back this spring (see first picture).

I have an Etsy shop, a Shophandmade shop, and a Facebook page linked to my Etsy shop. (Etsy is easier to use, but Shophandmade is free.) But most of my sales are I-spy, baby, and tee-shirt quilts and come by word of mouth. I keep at least one I-spy and several smallish quilts on hand just in case. Also, I have gotten several old quilts that were found left behind by family members to quilt. I do have business cards I hand out whenever possible. Glass is right, no one realizes how much it costs to make a quilt. If you are doing a commission quilt, take them shopping with you so they can get an idea what materials cost. Then keep a detailed account of miscellaneous expenses (thread, rotary cutters, needed rulers or templates, etc) how many hours you spend working on it. Quilting is still my hobby, not my profession so if I make a bit more than enough to cover expenses I'm good.

I would like to suggest that you move in and see how the space works for you. I personally wouldn’t paint over the cabinets. The arch is more of a dated look and I wouldn’t invest in keeping that. I might even prefer if you remove them and do open shelving until you have the budget to replace the uppers. The lowers (don’t have the arch) look fine. I’d be looking to save up to do a full remodel. Even it’s it’s ten years down the line... for now I’d paint and replace the lighting fixtures.