Onion sets are small, immature bulbs about 1/2 to 1 1/8 inches in diameter--these are grown from thickly planted seeds the previous season. Plant sets about 1 inch deep--just enough to cover the small bulbs. The closer you plant onions together the smaller the bulb size at harvest--so you can thin them to 1 1/2 for smaller onions to 4 inches apart for larger onions. Here is a link that might be useful: HarvestToTable.com

Frank, quite honestly, I think the best answers will come from some of Al's writings. He should have a thread floating around the Container Gardening Forum about fertilizing, and I know he recommends Foliage Pro, which has all the essential nutrients and micro-nutrients plants need. I remember he once wrote a piece about the specialized fertilizers and bloom boosters, revealing that even the manufacturers know many of the hyped products are just gimmicks. I think the quote was something like... and I'm paraphrasing, here... "it's easier to give the public what they think they need than it is to reeducate them." Personally, I water with a diluted solution of fertilizer all year round... the reason being, the more inorganic mediums we use don't contain or hold onto much nutrition. Therefore, I offer a buffet-like environment to my plants, ensuring a constant supply of food in a low dose, and they take what they need. Because I'm flushing them every time through thorough watering, and watering more often than I would be if I used a peat based medium, what's in the pot is constantly exchanging... out with the old, in with the new. Over winter, I water with the weakened fertilizer water 3 out of 4 times... on the 4th watering, I flush with clear water. I mix it at about 1/4 strength. I keep resting bulbs a little drier than ones in full growth mode, too. But when I see new growth, I go back to the regular "schedule"... and I put schedule in quotes because the only schedule is giving my plants what they need, when they need it. There is no actual schedule, like watering once a week whether they need it or not, or something... that's how my Mom used to water her houseplants, and she killed more plants than anyone I know! I don't know if this helps you, Frank... but I would absolutely go take a peek at what Al recommends.

It's not an open area above cabinets that's "in" today, it's cabinets to the ceiling...whether the cabinet box itself or the crown molding for the last few inches. This provides a surprising amount of extra storage for those seldom-used items. Even if you need soffits, they don't have to be intrusive. I have a small soffit that's only about 3-3/4" deep and 5-1/4" high. The 36" tall cabinets go right up to it but the crown molding then covers the soffit. We debated getting taller cabinets and cutting out the back, but then we wouldn't have had room for the crown molding my KD designed that minimized our ceiling height differences (we have about an inch difference in ceiling-to-floor height from one corner to the opposite corner of our kitchen). Around the range/vent hood duct cover you do see the soffit, but it's not an imposing presence. If you'd rather not have soffits, check to see if you need them. There was a time when soffits were "in" and kitchens had them even when they didn't need them. Other times they're only needed in one place but soffits are put in the entire kitchen just to make it all look the same. And yes, some still put them in today b/c they want less expensive cabinets (or their cabinet line doesn't make taller cabinets) and yet they don't want an opening above the cabinets to collect dust. It's all a matter of personal preference how you handle it. If you like soffits, then by all means, put them in...after all, it's your kitchen! Even if you don't like them and you need them, you can hide them either the way I did or the way others have by encasing them in cabinetry or crown molding. [BTW...if you do have open space above the cabinets, line the tops in newspaper or paper towels. Then, a few times a year just collect the dusty papers, throw them out, and put in new ones. Sure beats dusting.]

The upper cabinets are not at all recessed. The interior, of the garage-only, IS recessed. I'll take a picture that will also show you what NOT to do. 1) A worker "forgot" about the recessed cabinet while working in the closet behind it and put a screw through my cabinet material (see orange flag on left side). Just one of thousands of screw ups we've learned to live with (did I mention I hate my contractor at this point? We still have a HUGE punchlist for a project he was supposed to have finished in March 2008.) 2) the countertop fabricator was not shown the recessed cabinet so he assumed the rear dimension and installed the counter with a major piece missing! They didn't even mention it to us; I noticed the first time I opened the garage and freaked out bc the rear 4.24" of my garage had no counter! If this had been done properly there shouldn't be a seam in there (see orange flag on counter). BE THERE WHEN YOUR COUNTERS ARE TEMPLATED! YOUR CONTRACTOR DOESN'T NECESSARILY GIVE A CRAP ABOUT THE DETAILS! (and if he does, kiss his feet!) (Now I'm noticing the not-flush plate cover again - grrrrrr. You'd think they didn't BUILD that wall and install that new electric! MAN!) (whew - sorry for the rant, but warning you all means reliving it a bit for me -- I think I need a break from GW for a bit.)