Hi Prof: I love your raised beds. I made one myself some years ago with wood from some discarded kitchen cupboards and hinges from Lee Valley sold for that purpose. I started doing sq. ft. gardening with some of the same veggies you use: radish, lettuce, etc. and beans along the back growing on stakes. But alas, the cedars have grown and shaded the bed, and this year, it's all rotting and I need to replace it, but the thought of doing it myself is a bit overwhelming. It is now filled with several types of lamium, luxiuriant bleeding hearts, geraniums, solomon's seal, and columbines, so maybe I'll remove the rotted wood and leave it. We have wild violets here but quite a different type. They have underground stolons which can survive standing water. They also produce a gazillion seeds each year, so they are a problem. I spent several hours last week clearing a patch of my backyard of them so I can plant some squash. Once they get started for the year, you are stuck, unless you want to use a pesticide which I don't. I envy your order and straight clean lines but I'd need a ton of help to achieve that. Keep it up!!

I do labels similar to Markiz except I use black letters on a clear tape. It then looks like the letters are directly printed on the metal. I don't use the extra strength adhesive labels because the regular strength hold up just fine. The only problem is the shiny metal markers are kinda distracting in the garden. Ideally I would like to find something like the paw paw labels only in black. Then I would do white lettering on a black background. But I haven't found anything that's affordable. Spray painting the labels black is waaay too Martha Stewart for me (as if making all these labels isn't? lol). Best prices for Brother label tapes are online.

Seaside - I hope it works! :) :) Kristine - I am so in love with your Lavender Crush. I hope I can find one next year! Beautiful Twilight zone color. :) :) I hate it when the camera won't take the right color from the rose...very frustrating. I'm so glad that you saved Sweet Madame Blue...she's a beauty...and the color is wonderful.

Suezbell is dead on. If you're going to spend big money, do it on high quality, neutral furnishings. Since you have pets and kids, opt for something that's liquid-resistant and stands up to pet nails. I really recommend neutral style, as well as colors. If you decide later on that you want to go with a hindi influence or southwestern or modern, you do any of those with accent pieces and decor. But investing in a high-quality sofa that will hold up for a decade is where you want to drop the big dollars. (I'm not saying buy an expensive one, just that it should be the most money you probably spend.) Is anyone in your family handy? If they are, try going to ana-white.com and taking a look at some of her designs. She has many different styles and you can sort her plans by the type of room you need furniture for. Even though I know you're really excited about a new house and want to go buy everything RIGHT NOW, I really, really, really really really recommend against it. What you buy on impulse now you will regret spending the money on later. Especially "cheap" disposable pieces. Try living on your old furniture for a couple of months, rearrange it, and see how it works, then based on the arrangement you like, choosing permanent furniture of really good quality. Quality is really the key here, because a quality piece won't need to be replaced in two years. It will save you money - and be MUCH comfortable - in the long run. I say this sitting on an $800 sofa I got last year that the cushions have all sunken in on. Learn from my mistake. Go for quality over "furnishing" a room.