Anneliese, thank you for taking a moment to let us know what's been happening in your world. Thoughts and prayers for your husband's healing and for strength for you in caring for him are coming your way. ((((((((((Hugs to both of you.))))))))))

Kylie- What a beautiful baby! Oh how fun! Wish we had a new grandchild. our youngest is 2, but he looks like a 4 yr old. He's so sweet though! I love them when they're so little! Wish I could help you around the house & yard, but I'm so busy myself, with hubby being gone for 6 weeks at a time, I handle it all! (but I love it!) Welcome back! kasha77

The "bring the attic inside" picture does not accurately depict an attic room over a GARAGE. I do not know how many of you have Swiss bank accounts, but where I come from, an additional 330 sq ft of R30 in the ceiling + another 300sq ft to make up the difference in the amount of wall insulation vs floor insulation is costly. Not to mention the continual cost to condition the extra space. Nor does it take care of eliminating the lateral bracing required by the engineer on that wall. It WILL be a significant up charge. All I am saying is that there is a lot more to building in cabinets in an energy efficient home than just cutting some holes in the drywall and slapping in some boxes. I doubt a contractor that boasts energy efficiency is going to allow that to be ignored in the attic room, which is notoriously hard to keep air conditioned properly anyway. They are not going to want to argue about WHICH weak link is making the electric meter spin out of control down the road. You need to weigh the cost differences with the benefit.

Congratulations on your new home and new garden! It's always a big thrill. As for your garden...deep breaths. Relax. From your description it sounds like you started big, which makes things a bit overwhelming. This is a natural feeling and I'm sure it has happened to many, many new gardeners (even with small gardens!) it certainly happened (and is still happening!) to me. A few things to keep in mind: Don't be in a rush to cram plants into every little space to make things look full. They grow, and sometimes far more than expected. Your sparse, new garden will be overcrowded in a hurry. If you feel like spots are not filled in enough, put annuals there for now until shrubs and perennials can take over. BONUS: most perennials need to be divided every few years and so you'll get free copies of your plants to fill into other parts of your garden. This is new for you. Plants will grow differently in different conditions, so for now consider everything an experiment. Some plants will thrive. Some will fail. Some will grow way too big and you'll have to make changes. Others will struggle and you may have to move them. In my first 6 years of gardening I have had to move or replace so many plants it is ridiculous. Right now I am dealing with a Bee Balm that was supposed to grow to about 3x3. It is currently 5x6 and is a monster eating up my middle border. So this fall it will get divided and I will have to think about moving it to the back of the border. Live and learn. Try not to get too attached to plants or think that making a change is some kind of failure. It's not. Remember: this is still an experimentation phase. If something isn't working or if you think something else would work better, make the change. BUT...remember that perennials and shrubs may not really show you what they've got for a year or two or even three, so have patience. Peonies often don't bloom in the first year or two. Make sure they weren't planted too deep! If too deep you may not get much bloom. Roses are often scraggly the first year. Once their roots get better established then they will have an easier time getting water and nutrients and will look a lot, lot better. Big gardening jobs are usually easier if you break them down into smaller jobs. And try to incorporate some of the work into your routine. For example, when I let my dog out into the backyard each morning I spend a few minutes inspecting my roses for pests, diseased leaves, and doing a bit of deadheading. A few minutes of this daily means come the weekend I don't have a gigantic job ahead of me. It also gives me an excuse to enjoy the flowers! Best of luck to you, and feel free to post some pics!