We decided to remove the tree, likely next year. We will be replacing the back porch (it has sunk several inches into the ground, and we want to alter the positioning of the steps), and due to the sinking, the height at which the porch sits below the doorway is not up to building code. If you take a close look at the pics, you'll see just below our doorway a makeshift wooden step on the concrete platform which compensates for the height difference (can you say 'ghetto'??). When this is replaced, we'd build a wider porch (tree has to go) with the steps leading straight out to the yard. Aesthetically it would have a better appearance, and functionally it would make more sense. With that said, I thought of planting a clematis there for the interim, but it's going to take a clem 3 years to establish anyway, so it's really kind of pointless unless I just pot up a clem next to the tree. Buffbeauty, I like your suggestions, but I just planted two climbing rose bushes this year, Sombreuil and Don Juan. Even less thorny varieties would be challenging to work with on a suckering lilac...but with my previous comments, the rose bush would eventually have to be moved anyway (and I have no more room in my yard for climbing vines...I'm up to 20 clematis). I have a Romantika (deep purple) planted between the two climbing roses (red and white). Oh goodness, is this going to look like red-white-and blue? I never thought of that until just now. LOL

Well, what's done is done. We did the best we could.... I was pretty upset yesterday. More than anything I felt a breach of trust from the nursery. I mean how can they do that to their loyal customer base? They should be ashamed. Seriously. We never did get even half the soil out of the plants. We let them soak for hours in the bathtub. I thought of adding a tiny drop of dishwashing liquid, but I didn't... So I handed dh the carpet knife and I said here, do it, I can't watch. He said what do you want me to do with this, and I said make 1 inch deep cuts from top to bottom all around. Basically, he thinks we just killed the shrubs... I was able to spread a small amount of roots out. The bottom roots were the easiest. The very tippy top roots were completely cemented and tangled. There was very little I could do... I figure in a few days the shrubs will wither and die. :( I still feel like calling the nursery and asking her how they could do this to their customers, but maybe rootbound pots are the industry "standard" these days.... The real adventure began though after dh got the plants out of the bathtub and brought them outside. Dh let out the plug and came downstairs and we never thought about the bathtub until later. It was plugged. And I mean PLUGGED! Dh had to snake out the drain. He pulled out roots and plant media that was stuck. He had to go into town to get Liquid Plumbr. After the tub was unclogged, he filled the tub with water, then took the unopened bottle of bleach tablets I had just bought that morning for laundry, and he dumped the whole bottle in! I'm going to confess that I did add a tiny bit of Lime to the soil, and I did mix in a bag of garden soil I got from the nursery. It got lost in all our native soil, but it made me feel like we gave a tiny "boost" to the soil. In the end, I decided to add those amendments since I want to make the soil as generous to the Lilacs as I can, especially after what they just experienced yesterday... This post was edited by ilovemytrees on Thu, May 29, 14 at 9:27

A couple of antique sconces sounds great for the lr! Do you mean reframing the painting and putting it in the original location you'd bought it for?? I was wondering the same thing, except that maybe it would be too similar to the mirror -- although it's done allll-the-time!! and looks great : ) Probably freakin' everyone out with the humoungous painting over the buffet. Didn't realize just how big this painting is. I think I actually made it a little smaller than rl over the sofa in the virtual. I like it over the buffet though! Unless it feels like it's looming over when you're in there, lol. Have been noticing designers using way over-scale pictures like this, and I reallly like it. Do love the tapestry in there : ) You're welcome!!!

Congrats! Sounds like it's going to be gorgeous with the white pieces you were painting the other day. Can't wait to see it! Good luck on the completion. Connie