'The shapes of different cotinus varieties are really varied. Mine are red - royal purple, maybe? and they can't be said to have any shape at all. They send out branches in every direction, including along the ground - and take up a lot of real estate. Nothing can be planted around them, really.' Have to disagree with a last sentence. My Royal Purple cotinus planted at the back of the only 6' deep border, it's either limbed up or simply pruned every spring to 4' of the ground and it's a companions friendly if you remove all horizontal growth. It is an integral part of this 'large shrubs border' It flanked on one side by callicarpa 'Profusion' and sambucus 'Sutherland Gold' on another (too shaded and too green now, but nicely contrasts with cotinus in a spring. Also there are two hydrangeas Tardiva and physocarpus Diabolo. Six giants next to each other maybe sounds like too much, but it actualy works since they are planted 5-6' apart. They grow into each other, but overall whole group looks great because of the different foliage color and texture. All are vigorous, but prunable, so if I need to snap one stubborn branch or another it doesn't affect the whole picture. In front of this group I planted two layers of plants in a staggered pattern: hybiscus 'Lord Baltimor' (not a baby either), spireas, two peonies, caryopteris Worchester Gold (too small yet), daylilies and tall lilium davidii plus some daffodils in between. Overall starting from spring till the end of the season this group have something either blooming or otherwise interesting.

She's going on 9. She helped pick pit the fabric, she's a very girly-girl. I know that alot of people would think this is too grown up, but it's just the look we are going for. It might be a while before I make the curtains, we are still looking for our first house. I don't want to sew curtains for her current room and then not have enough fabric for her new room. Thanks for your comments. I love the waverly seaside stripe-pear but with the awsome price that I've found the plaid it's going to be hard to pay nearly $20 a yard for fabric.

Here are some pictures of Gossamer blue and wedgewood blue next to Pallaidian blue They really don't show the true color and I tried everything. Don't have a picture of the PR since it is not done and there is no light fixture in there. I took a picture anyhow from outside the PR and had to focus on the ceiling fan,otherwise my camera will not focus on a blank wall. From left to right looking at bottom colors gossamer blue, palladian blue, wedgewood blue picture od PW gossamer blue on wall seafoam on ceiling These colors look a little gray on my monitor but I promise you they are not. Gossamer blue is from the Color Preview and is number 2123-40 The 2 colors on top right and middle are something else

I think I've got the right siding color here. I painted the section on the left and then took the picture before it was dry so it shows lighter than it will when dry. The section on the right was painted over the green so it is probably about right. Now for the hard part. The trim colors. I don't like the darker color A that I started with even though I have 3 gallons of it. :( Color B is the one dh brought home the other night. It is the greige color but about 1/4 the intensity. Color C is a mixture of half color A and half color E. I think a mix of 2 parts color A and 1 part color E would be a better match to the brick. Color D is Navajo White and is the 2nd lightest color on the same strip in the color deck as the greige. It's got a bit more yellow than shows in the photo, at least in the sunlight. It's a bit cloudy right now. Color E is a color called Parafin that the paint contractor picked. I just realized I don't have a close up of the greige with the color that is on the fascia now. You can still see it in the overall photo. I'll call that color F. It's been on the house since 2003 so probably faded, not that I know what color it was anyway. There is one color I like, but again, don't want to influence you. I just want to see if you agree, though I know you can't see the colors like I see them. An issue for me, that both dh & the painter are blowing off, is the porch posts, rails, and shutters. If we use redwood or cedar posts, I'd match the shutters to them. That brings in another color I'd have to choose. If we use the existing turned posts and add rails, I'd paint them the same color as the trim but use a darker color for the shutters. From all the photoshopping done here, which do you think would look best on this house, big square posts or turned posts and rails? I live in an area where Victorian houses and that look are very popular, but most of the newer houses built around us have redwood posts and other rustic touches.