Twelve cherry tomato seeds! YouÂre going to have a lot of little tomatoes if those all sprout. I start my tomatoes indoors when outside temps stay in the 40s at night. When they have true leaves, I stick them outside in a milk jug thatÂs cut almost completely in half (next to the brick foundation of the house for extra heat/protection). It serves as a mini-green house. If the weather is bad, tip the top back over the plant. Sunny and fair? Tip it open. No need to harden them off before planting. They stay short, with a thick main stem and develop a good root system. And best of all, more room for the other plants. Jen

i will yell ... THIS IS THE FRONT OF YOUR CASTLE ... GET RID OF IT ... crikey.. this is not the place for a 2 or 3 year renovation project .. even if you cut it down.. what are you left with.. huge bare spots??? be really nice .... to know what it is .... so we could suggest how long it might take ... or if it is worth it .. [any pic of it from last year????] i think there are two other shrubs planted behind.. way to close to the house.. you ought to really think about a front redo .. so you can plant your own mistakes .... you have the bed.. you have the mulch ... you could really make an outstanding landscape out there ... and you can get advice on such.. here in GW.. but not in the pest forum ... fall would be a great planting time for such ... giving you plenty of time to make a plan .... so cut this monstrosity down.. and see how the green develops.. in the mean time ... and see if you like whats left of it ... with no insult to the root mass.. you will be surprised at how fast it will grow .... presuming its just winter damage ... ken ps: there is a small boy in need of a haircut at the bottom of your pic... lol ...

Thank you all SO much! Really wonderful to read your suggestions and get input. Much appreciated. And makes me feel there is potential for this space. I never considered a bigger rug, but will do so now as that seems to be a repeated suggestion. We will also take another look at the the height of that mirror on the side wall (above the mantel is a actually a large framed photo that I blacked out for this post). We did experiment with turning the dining table the other way, but it didn't feel right and seemed to block the openness of the sliding doors. And I was leaning towards an upholstered bench behind the couch (for a casual spot to sit with the added bonus of storage for blankets inside), but perhaps that would be odd? Again, thank you all. Keep the ideas coming!

Creating symmetry could help without adding a lot more items that could create a clutter vibe. You might consider rehanging the three octagon shelving pieces, one centered over each sofa cushion, placed to to form a slightly diagonal line with the smallest one at the high end and the add two new pieces -- higher over the left (aligned with where the first and second cushion meet) and lower than the diagonal line on the right (aligned where the middle and third cushion meet). Make these two newly added boxes or frames or decorative items of similar size and somehow relevant to each other, including the most dominant color. You could even add additional octagon shelving painted in your favorite bright or bold color.. https://www.etsy.com/listing/743522404/floating-geometric-octagon-shelf?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=octagon+shelf&ref=sr_gallery-1-8 You could choose two bold colored circles; https://www.etsy.com/listing/564205623/blue-agate-stone-design-circle-music?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_christmas_Art_and_Collectibles&utm_custom1=944d3c0c-df9a-4299-b772-94d6c8670b80&utm_content=go_1707294370_69268675129_331635229824_pla-314954651933_c__564205623&utm_custom2=1707294370&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuc260cX46QIVGEmGCh01wg9FEAQYBSABEgJKv_D_BwE https://www.etsy.com/listing/564209897/colored-ocean-waves-falling-down-circle?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_christmas_Home_and_Living&utm_custom1=944d3c0c-df9a-4299-b772-94d6c8670b80&utm_content=go_1707294370_69268674649_331635229806_pla-303628061699_c__564209897&utm_custom2=1707294370&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuc260cX46QIVGEmGCh01wg9FEAQYAiABEgIpPPD_BwE or add a different art form such as pressed metal wall art with pieces of similar size to each other. https://www.touchofclass.com/infinity-sun-wall-art-bronze/p/W842-001/?kc=ZMFPFS8&code=YMF03&color=Bronze&size=&tid=YMFPLA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw9PlwMT46QIVA2yGCh1xDAMjEAkYAiABEgLeO_D_BwE https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Artwork-Celtic-Handmade-Certified/dp/B0155G6JYO https://www.amazon.com/Urban-Designs-Handcrafted-Flock-Birds/dp/B0168873L6/ref=pd_lpo_201_img_0/136-9494044-5156007?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0168873L6&pd_rd_r=e390fd56-50ca-4460-a3e1-177ef7557f00&pd_rd_w=ezai0&pd_rd_wg=3Q8cq&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=6MXHM1EYMTEX2KNCS78G&psc=1&refRID=6MXHM1EYMTEX2KNCS78G https://www.amazon.com/Octagon-Octagonal-Hanging-Geometric-Decorative/dp/B07Q2MCNTR https://www.antiquefarmhouse.com/hand-carved-scalloped-wall-mirror.html https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RHVZ33W/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07RHVZ33W&pd_rd_w=qYKx2&pf_rd_p=48d372c1-f7e1-4b8b-9d02-4bd86f5158c5&pd_rd_wg=h8EXz&pf_rd_r=G2S2W9Z4T4C442S6NW94&pd_rd_r=b919e319-2abf-412d-96cf-b1a6c589cb14&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTVZZNDFISUdDQUkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0MTU0NzgzSjRXQzJJOVgxT0VVJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyNDgyMjg2Qk1QMElETlE1Nkwmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl Mirrors wouldn't be my first choice but some people like them.