Pat, You can open a free account on photobucket. Upload your pic there then copy the link either in your text part (like you did) on GW or in the optional link url. The name of the link is just a name you want to call it, that will show and it can be clicked on. I really think all you need to do is enlarge the picture using Paint. Paint comes with Windows. It should be in your start menu, if not, go to Start, then Programs, then Accessories. Open your picture in paint, use Image from the menu, then stretch/skew. The only thing is it might make it blurry a bit. I take it you don't have a scanner so you can't just scan the documents in? If you have snag-it installed on your pc, you could capture the documents that way into a jpg file.

You will find you have very strong starts and have saved a ton of money. You are going about it in a methodical and smart way and this will help flatten the learning curve. I am excited for you as the learning phase is full of research and experimentation! I grow all my starts to include peppers, tomatoes, herbs, etc. and they all start under shop lights in the basement. I have several notes and even germination videos on my journal / blog below. Hope it helps. Here is a vid as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX_KZj2goFE Have fun!!! Here is a link that might be useful: My Indoor Growing Adventure

Hi Nadine, I like the last picture, especially the depth of the foundation plantings. It's a good start, and later you could decide to expand the bed somehow. Have you considered using the small space between the new drive and the house as a potted herb garden (potted only because you probably don't want to eat herbs from a garden with lots of new driveway runoff)? They would be right outside the door for you to grab when you are cooking, and they smell nice for passerby. I would change a couple of things. First, I personally can't stand Bradford pear trees, mainly because the flowers smell really bad, but also because they have soft wood (from being fast growers), so they are prone to breaking branches. Also, they have become so popular in commercial plantings that I am simply tired of them. Personal opinion, sorry to anyone who has one and loves it. For something like a tree, I would take my time and do some research before deciding. I do agree that spot cries out for a tree. If you want a flowering tree, some to consider (that have the necessary weight, or texture, to help anchor your house) are kousa dogwood, flowering cherries, yellowwood, magnolia or crabapples (although I don't think a crabapple would get tall enough to be ideal). Alternatively, a maple like 'Autumn Blaze' would grow relatively quickly and add shade and nice fall color. Another option is a Katsura tree, which have beautiful foliage and grow quite tall. One question - - are those power lines directly over where you have the Bradford pear situated? If so, plan for something short. Have you considered spray painting the fence green? I have a chain link dog fence in my back yard spray painted dark green (with special metal paint), and it blends in so much better than the bare metal. In front of the fence (on the street side), I would do something simple for now, like a row of tall ornamental grasses fronted by echinacea, daisies and/or black-eyed susans - - carefree and don't need much water. You could get those cheap or even free at a swap, and with just a few starter plants you could divide them every year and expand the beds for free. On the back side of your fence, facing your house, I would do a row of shrubs, perhaps lilac (depending on sun), which get quite tall and full. Again, you could plant one at a time as your resources allow. Also, unless you are planning to change your trim color, I wouldn't go to the expense of changing the shutters. I think they are fine the way they are, and changing them will simply highlight the brown trim. Instead, I would focus on planting a couple of gorgeous trees to add the necessary color and depth to your yard. I agree that Gordon Hayward's "The Welcoming Garden" would be a great resource for you. It's all about building a front yard garden, which will apparently be your focus (and is also mine). Another great book, and my favorite, is "The Well Designed Mixed Garden" by Tracy DiSabato-Aust. She gives very concrete advice about colors, textures and types of plants and great combinations. She is a zone 5 (pushing 6) gardener, so the plants she uses work well in New England. I took "The Welcoming Garden" out of our library and read it. DiSabato-Aust's book is one I purchased, because I use it as a constant reference. Good luck and take my advice for what it is worth to you!

I didn't read the comments so if I'm repeating, I apologize. I don't like the tub bump out in the master bath. I don't think you need to bump it out so why spend the extra money. Seems to me with such a large home, you'd have a second sink in the master. After all you have a second sink in the guest bath which makes less sense. I think if you move the door to your bedroom and your master closet, you'll have better wall space for your dresser and you'll have more useable closet space. Plus, if someone comes in late, they won't be waking the other with the lights being turned on from the closet. Additionally, now the closet will be closer in that it's in a straight run to the bathroom. I'm not a fan of the laundry being clear across the house, but if you're ok with it, great. I also don't like that when you come in from the garage you have to make a detour to the right to put away coats, etc. If it's just adults in the house, it will be fine, but with kids??? Don't like the pocket door for the powder room. It's the only public toilet in the public area and it will get lots of use. I'd make it an ousting door. I would seriously rethink bifold doors. I have them in our rental and the suck. BTW: They are awful. Oh and they are cheesy feeling. Can you tell I dislike them? LOL. I'd look to other ceiling treatments rather than trey ceilings. They're a bit dated. Will bedroom 2 downstairs be used as a bedroom? If so it's quite a hike to the bathroom in the middle of the night having to maneuver around furniture and the bar in the family room. That downstairs bathroom is just awful. I'd make the bedrooms longer and stick the bathroom between the two bedrooms and create some sort of hallway for the two baths with the entry to the bath from the hallway. Ok just read this: It is supposed to be 2 small doors that open in the middle. Make it a single door. If you're carrying stuff, how will you open two doors at once?