Dear aklinda, yeah, your roses will root into the ground from the pot. Make sure the drainage holes are big enough for the roots and drainage. You can put some compost around the bottom of the pot, to help out the roots, if you want. I have two climbers, in large containers(24by24), that have rooted into the ground and they are healthy and have grown quite large, enough to cover an arbor.

In general you don't want to cut granite in place if you can avoid it. It's really messy and the person doing the cutting will almost certainly say that they take no responsibility for cracks or damage because you never know. If you already know you want a larger cooktop but can't afford it right away, for instance, then I would talk to your contractor for options. Perhaps some sort of fill material that can then be easily removed. Maybe even have your granite person make a filler piece from the granite he's cutting out anyways and then put in place temporarily. The gap or seam can be filled with clear chalk and when you are ready for the new cooktop, just remove the filler. This is all provided you already know what you want eventually. If not, then that's probably something you should figure out sooner rather than later. BTW, most cooktops have a reasonably standard cutout dimensions for either 30" or 36" so you might not need to decide on the specific cooktop now. You probably *do* want to pick out a couple of likely suspects and make sure you have a cutout that can accomodate all of them. There's usually at least 1-2 inches of "lip" around the perimeter so as long as the edge of the cutout sits within that perimeter the you're fine. Look for the minimum and maximum cutout dimensions for each of your choices and make a cut out that's about 1/8-1/4" larger than the largest in each dimension and then check that to make sure each dimension is less than the smallest "Max Cutout" in each dimension. Clear as mud? :) Good luck.

The holes are not that big a deal, really, if you get someone who can drill. The biggest thing is marking them accurately so they drill in the right spot. Even then you have some leeway as the holes are smaller than the flange on the fixtures going into them so they can be moved slightly to be aligned with each other, even if the holes are slightly off. If you know what you want to mount into the holes, then you can drill the smallest hole needed; this gives you more fudge factor. You want a hole slightly larger diameter than whatever fits into it, but not so much larger that if you have to offset the fixture it shows the hole edge. But if you mark them accurately to start with and the driller uses a punch to divot the starting center, then a center pilot bit hole saw, it's not a big deal to drill these holes at all. What I'd be careful of is making sure the seller guarantees that it's a first quality sink and not warped deck or welding issues with the support rails welded under that raised ridge.

Another choice for the OP is to purchase a 30" rangetop instead of a new 36" cooktop. A rangetop provides more cooking real estate than a cooktop because the knobs are not taking up room on the cooking surface. It won't give her 6 burners, but a rangetop will allow all 4 burners to be used with larger pans at the same time, which is not what a 4-burner cooktop will allow. Not many people actually use 6 burners at once, but the extra elbow room is appreciated. A choice of a rangetop will also be an easier installation, as the cutout is simply the 30" width, and not some specific measurements that are unique to a specific cooktop. And finally, the upper cabinets can remain the same, with no issue of a 36" cooking surface under combustible materials. The only downside is that the OP will have to lose the drawer directly under the cooktop, in order to fit a rangetop. That is still a smaller price to pay compared to reconfiguring the upper cabinets in order to avoid a fire hazard. You can find a less-expensive 30" rangetop at a scratch-and-dent or display sale, or on Craig's List.