I think it starts from viewing the kitchen as a work area. Rich people didn't go in there, so whatever the builder-architect specified was fine. Looking at Thomas Jefferson's kitchen is interesting - partly because it was advanced for its time and partly because its stripped of the affectations of the main house. Even though its spread across multiple rooms - it matches. The woods, the flooring, the simplicity of having only enough to do the job at hand, etc. So, I think the matchiness comes from the builders vision of what a kitchen is, with a little practicality sprinkled on. Plus, who has ever wanted to go 15 different places for their "work area" storage. Right now, I see two things. Other than matchiness has a long, long history - particularly in dining rooms. The first is that the matchiness can be soothing to the eye. It looks better in small environments where a collected look can quickly turn into a jumble. It can visually expand space by simplifying line and color and unifying the presentation of a small space. Sometimes, I think people who choose monochromatic color schemes are drawn to the almost zen feel that matchiness in monochrome can produce. The second is that two colors is fashionable right now. As anyone who has ever seen pics of 1970's decorating can attest, fashion is a strong force. I like some matchiness. That's partly cultural - I grew up in a time when matchiness was prized (I'm sure it will be again). And part is the touch of the ocd fairy - my eyes try to sort jumble - which is how a table for 12 where every chair is different and all the place settings are different appears to me. In a kitchen, I think matchiness (or unity) is the background for the focal points where you are directing people's attention.

I'm finishing off a 65' long french drain by topping it with a dry stream bed. I've covered the 57 gravel with more landscape cloth and then "river jacks". I suspect that there are various sizes of river rocks that can be call "river jacks" and my supplier has delivered two tons of rocks that range from small and round, larger flat and round and quite a few larger flat stones. If I order what they call 1-8" creek gravel it looks like very small to bigger (I guess 8"). Of course we're talking about a natural rock product and there probably will never be absolute consistency (this ain't Disney Land!) unless you spring for much higher priced hand-picked specialty rocks. Anyway, I've tried to find out why river jacks are called river jacks. And I'd love to know where they are "quarried". Anyone able to shed some light? Here's a photo of my delivery of river jacks. I've started to distribute them and realize that once I get the bigger ones placed I will be able to see how much they've covered and rearrange them to be as natural as I can manage. Then fill in with what I've got left (if any) and may need to get some of the 1-8" creek gravel to fill in for a fuller natural look and try to add some curves since there is only one since it started out as a much needed solution (french drain) for storm water runoff. I also plan to add some large round rocks from my rock collection to enhance the natural stream bed look.

I’m so thankful for everyone’s input. All of the advice and information you’ve shared makes complete sense! And thank you for being so polite I will carefully start digging around tomorrow in an attempt to remove as much as possible, but hopefully all. Someone asked if I had dug it up and the answer is yes, a little over a month ago. What I replaced it with is a Golden Showers climbing. I do remember that the old rose got black spot ALL the time and just didn’t look healthy! All of the multiple treatments I did consisted of Sevin, Bayers Advanced Disease controller and the lime/sulfur were ineffective and it eventually made my other roses sick. I kept diseased foliage cleaned up, kept water restricted to the base of rose etc. It was a 5yr battle that I was happy to lose because I was tired of trying to bring it back. Sounds like Dr Huey is a pain in the toosh! As I continue to grow my garden I’m sure I’ll come across other scenarios that Google and Paul Zimmerman YouTube videos won’t answer so it’s great knowing there is such a nice group of “Rose friends” I can come to! Bridgette-Nashville, Tn

Oxalis species are not, per se, poisonous for people, unless one eats mountains of them. O stricta, for example, is a tasty citrus flavoured addition to a salad, and one species, Oxalis tuberosa, is a major vegetable in some parts of the world. O stricta does produce some bulbils in my garden. But, as you say, it does shoot seeds and runs.