The one rose in my garden that benefits from disbudding is General Washington. When it tries to produce a cluster of buds, the little stems are too short for the flowers to spread out. As they try to open, the flowers are all mashed ... or worse, they can't open much at all. I remove about half the buds (or more) in a cluster to try to keep this from happening. The Roll Call book is great if you're interested in the roses produced by a particular hybridizer. Be aware that it only lists roses introduced before 1920. I bought it because I collect certain hybridizers (Van Fleet and Barbier, in particular) Watch out for 'old rose book addiction'. It's a genuine disease, and there's no cure. However, I was telling DH just yesterday ... It's really cool to find a reference to an old article (like from an ARS Annual) and be able to get that book right off your own shelf ... I was reaching for the 1977 ARS Annual so I could read Leonie Bell's article on Banshee, in case anyone was curious. (I love that rose!) Connie

Hi Reah, I like a lot of things about your plan. The storage area you built into the garage that could double as a hobby area for someone interested, like carpentry etc. and there are a lot of things to store that you really don’t want in a basement or an attic. The freezer in a pantry in the kitchen, since ours is in the basement and it is inconvenient. The mudroom out of the garage / The bathroom right in the mudroom / The access from the front porch to the mudroom Love the covered porch / Love the screened porch and access from the DR and to the deck I like the idea of having a washer/dryer on the first floor. As for how to reduce the square footage….wow, it's like a rubik's cube! That's a tough one. Personally, we have a casual life style and the music/living room and study/library would barely be used. Most people who have social gatherings at home have family and friends who congregate in the family room/dining room/kitchen. Unless someone hosts more formal gatherings that are work related. Not sure what else could reduce the sq footage. Maybe the hall? It is interesting though, because looking at this plan and what ways I would personally change it, makes me think that every plan has to be custom to the family that is going to use it, because everyone is so different. For instance, I see three walls in the MBdrm that have no windows out and I would find that claustrophobic. And the kitchen where I might spend a lot more time than in other rooms doesn't have a nice big window to look out. Sink and DW on the peninsula with seating, a personal pet peeve. There are always dishes in the sink at the point where you sit down to eat. Stools with their back to the Dining Room table. I agree the 1st floor bath needs a new location. I think I see a linen closet outside the MBdrm, but is it big enough? Will have to hold the linens and towels for MBdrm and DR linens, pillows, possibly an extra down comforter, etc. Not sure if I would place the W/D in the MB closet. I might want to combine the area where the mudroom is and the first floor bathroom and a linen closet and the washer dryer as a utility area and how close to the MBdrm you want that, I don't know. Where do you store a vacuum cleaner and broom and mop and bucket, etc.? An area for ironing clothes should be included in the area where the washer dryer is and personally I would not want to stand inside a closet and iron. I am in the garden every day of the growing season and come in pretty dirty and often muddy because I am out there in rain. So the washer near the mudroom or in it, would work better for me. And if I were sleeping in the MBdrm I wouldn't want a washer dryer on the wall adjoining to listen to, because sometimes putting in a load of laundry is the first thing we do on a Saturday morning and the spouse might want to sleep in. And we sometimes will put a load of towels in the dryer last thing before going to bed. I would be interested to see how you end up reducing the size. It is a challenge to keep everything you want and the size of the rooms. Something has to give. Fun activity though….good luck! Oh…one other thing….the bay windows on the front porch and deck, will interfere with ideal placement of porch furniture. You want to be facing out and you don't want to place a couch up against those windows jutting out.

Sorry about that! I'll try to relate it a bit more. He does decorate houses big time. It's actually on DIY. He buys and renovates abandoned mansions in South Florida my home for so long before moving away. I am thinking he is a hero for rescuing those awful things that were abandoned and rotting in place. It's truly amazing how he turns them around. I would like to know how many of them have sold. Only he could do it because he is putting sometimes as much as $500,000 in them to save them but that usually includes lavish landscaping with crazy pool designs. I have learned a lot about counter tops and what's in and out and some really interesting ceiling treatments. They go on shopping trips and tell about the products. Patty cakes, it has started already. So far they have done one new episode. It's 10 pm Sunday nights, DIY. I hope you get to see the new episodes : ) It's fun to watch. Different than the other awful shows that have a three day deadline to redo a whole house and so they end up just making do instead of the thought that goes into these renos. Rob really takes to heart each decision and if he doesn't like it he makes them do it over. They have solved lots of problems from microwave drawers not fitting into the cabinets to leaking roofs. Fun show.

Yep, without a doubt, what they said! I did this on a bathroom vanity and LOVE how it turned out. No grout lines to collect soap scum and mildew, no edges for my kids to get scraped on, all the advantages you are looking for. If I can answer any questions about it, just let me know! Veronica