Hmmm 1000+ orchids and one rose. It is the badly named Black Boy and has grown in the same spot for 35 years. One great advance has happened. A tiny wasp has been released into the environment and i haven't seen any rose aphis for a year or so. Why more orchids than roses? Roses can be grown here but because the climate is not ideal they require TLC. Be very wary of those couple of orchids they can result in a life ruining addiction.

In one of her books Elizabeth Lawrence wrote that she had several friends who had witch's gardens. She described acquiring water hemlock in her garden and then mourning its loss -- although it does have a certain sinister grace it's very poisonous. Probably no more so than oleander or castor bean, but if you read descriptions of it you begin to feel that if you look at it you'll fall over dead. Here's one for the horror garden genre: a standard dwarf bearded iris called Fingertips.

budge1 - you are so kind to my kitchen! :) Thank you for liking it. I hope I'll one day like it as much as you do - haha. I see the potential, that's for sure. I like the original cupboards too. It's hard though cause without having a lot of money - and we don't - I'm pretty limited about what I can do with that small space which I think is about 12x14' big! I'm maybe short a half-a foot in giving those dimensions. The hardwood floors are so worn they give splinters (!) and can't be sanded down again I've been told. They're just fir. But until I can knock down that mudroom wall and expand - if ever - having a nice countertop, backsplash, new sink and faucet (and first-ever dishwasher and disposal and good safe outlets) will be a HUGE improvement! I'm glad you like the height of the faucet (I've been pretty worried about that). The distance from wall to spout should end up being not too far out once the apron-front sink is put in, since by nature it has to be pulled out as far as the counter comes out. So, compared to the picture you see of my current sink, the new farm sink should poke out another 2 or 3 inches further, making the faucet actually reach just short of the middle of the sink. I hope I don't have the splashing issues others w/ much height have complained about! But supposedly having an aerator makes a difference. I'd hate to find out the hard way that they were wrong! When you wrote of an overhang, you mean the way a table or bar or island can allow chairs/stools to sit under it (but not as far as in those cases), right? Can you tell how ignorant I am when it comes to kitchens and remodeling? ;) Well there is a kitchen door on BOTH ends of the long counter, and if the counter visually comes out too much, it will appear to block the doorways which don't leave much room. Because we need to put a dishwasher in, which will go to the left of the sink (best place), we'll have to bring out the counter there, as far as the sink comes out in my photo. For symmetry we'll probably do that on the right side, too. My hope is that it won't make the doors looked blocked. The counter will angle back in and go back to being more shallow, before hitting the doorways...I just hope they'll do that soon enough to fool the eye into believing the counters aren't too far out! I do definitely look forward to having more counterspace, even if it's only a couple of inches!

LOL How come I'm the one with my hands off the wheel?? Guess one of us has to die 1st but I don't think it should be me. :) LOL I'm also the only one not wearing a helmet~Born to be stupid maybe :) HUGS & Thanks Urlee Sue :)