Got a dry basement? If so then no need to be in any emergency hurry to deal with these shrubs. Opening up the view from the windows is an important concern, since that will increase the natural light but with that will increase heating from the sunshine, possibly requiring additional air conditioning. For security and privacy as well you do not want screened outside access to your ground floor windows either. If those are rhododendrons blooming in the background of that last picture, you can see how cutting back the leggy ones can be done to produce a much shorter shrub, since it looks like there is very similar bloom on both a high and a low level. If you can get enough low level branching, you may very easily be able to keep those rhododendrons at or below window height. Looks like that has been applied to some of them already. That's what I would try first and then only where the windows need to be opened up. "Savagely" cut them back to about a third to no more than half the height you eventually want them, and do it now so breaking buds will have enough time to mature enough to survive the coming winter. You will want as many stem buds to break as possible as low as possible or all you will get is a return to legginess. It would probably be a good idea to count on going back in next year and shortening the new growth so that it branches, too. After that all you should really need is a little touch up type of maintenance. Be a bit less "savage" on the lateral branches than on the uprights. Too many rhododendrons is not a problem we have here in Minnesota. We are either too far north and so too harsh or too far west and so too arid for most of them to even be native around here much less do well when introduced. We also tend to have too high pH soil. I sorta envy the problem you have. I have one little, scrawny PJM that has been in place since the 80's, and that is all I have been able to keep.

Hi folks, Just wanted to stop by and assure you that we are working on these issues. Last week, we launched a new registration tool and there are still some bugs that are being ironed out. I know that it's frustrating and upsetting when things don't work as they should -- I really do feel your pain. Unfortunately, some of these bugs are difficult to recreate because they vary from member to member. What would be enormously helpful would be for you to contact us directly and detail what your issues are. Including information such as a step-by-step overview of your login process, where you are seeing issues, the error messages you are getting and anything else that might have differed from any previous login experiences. Many of you have probably already done this, but please make sure you check your browser settings and make sure that you have cookies enabled. If you would send this information to our contact link below, that would be extremely helpful. If you have specific questions or need something else, you are welcome to email us at the link below or contact me directly at any time -- my email is listed on my profile page. Thank you for your continued patience and support. Best regards, Tamara Amey GardenWeb Community Manager Here is a link that might be useful: Email Us

Thanks gourd and timbersmith. I had not really thought about them being late until I received a trade package of seeds from Canada last week that was mailed about 2 weeks later than the tomatoes were. Different POE's may have longer delays than others. Perhaps this will be our week! Alana

I can't thank you enough for the comments and attemepts at solving my problem. I admit, there have been laughs and a few tears. The frustration level with this project has become high, mostly because we can't get started. I chuckled when it was mentioned that we entertain a lot, therefore keeping dishes close to the dining room is a good idea. Yes, we do entertain a lot however no one who comes here ever wants to be in the dining room! The kitchen and family room windows extend nearly to the floor, looking out on woodlands and a large koi pond and waterfall. So here it's casual, mostly moving between indoors and out. The "formal" dining room has more than 12 linear feet of cabinetry, with all manner of china and serving regalia that is never used. Company has been successfully herded there for meals 2 or 3 times in 20 years. It would better serve as my new sewing room! It seems what has most people here bothered is the doorway to the mud room. Some seem to have the notion that the "rest of the house" is through that doorway. Actually the only thing in the mud room is the door to the garage, and a small powder room that hubby uses when he's working in the yard. I guess we could build a pantry cabinet in the mud room, but that's about it. The rest of the house is actually on the other side family and dining rooms. There are 2 other powder/rest rooms for guests over there. The opening to the mud room is not exactly a runway but it needs to stay. The comment about the dishwasher was an excellent catch, and the refrigerator, the one thing not yet purchased, could easily narrow to 36" wide and no more than counter depth. It could then move down to open directly facing into the aisleway and full height cabinets could be placed on both sides. That makes the sinful barrier more of an L shape. What I called a "prep" sink is probably is more aptly called an entertainment sink. Making lattes, teas and such at that counter. The main sink can and will serve many purposes, including prep work, actually both sinks will multitask. The design generously created by bmorepanic, which so many of you favor, has it's own challenges. We have looked it over, and plotted it into the program to look at it in 3D. We also pushed the wall into the living room back a little further. Even with the pantry being a smaller version, it feels like the main sink is in a hallway and it is so far from everything. I'm not convinced that the12-inch available space behind the sink turns into cabinetry large enough to house dishes or flatware. The big thing for me though; have you noticed how few cabinets remain? The refrigerator drawers aren't placed and still have to go in, leaving only one useable base cabinet in the prep wall and two in the island that face the work area, one small one facing the family room. Buehl, I've seen your awesome cabinet layout with base cabinets numbering into the teens, so could you honestly organize yourself into: ...