So much great advice! Thank you Ingrid and Michaelg! I know someone who goes to a feed store for horses. I will tell him to pick me up some 40lb bags of alfalfa and I can collect leaves from the local parks to mulch with. Checking Ashdown and Vintage for the sales, too. Thanks Diane_nj, Moroseaz, Silverkelt, Karl_bapst_rosenut, Predfern, Terryjean, Sammy, Jacqueline3, Roselvr and Canadian_rose for the wealth of info.!!! You all have made me realize that compost makes the garden world go 'round. Also thanks Hoovb and Particentral, for putting things in perspective. I suppose it's all relative and there are other hobbies that can be more expensive, but creating a gardening budget will help me get to the point of being wealthy enough to fly airplanes as a hobby, keep show grade koi and collect expensive art. Now, dealing with show dogs is not a hobby I would pursue. :) Juliet

Is the left side of pic 1 & front of pix 2 where you did the cutting? I think that if you don't see new stems & leaves coming out of these vines by early August I would cut them completely (or within an inch or so) of the ground. But in your zone I wouldn't cut anything after the middle of August, because you don't want to encourage new growth, which cutting does, so close to a possible frost. If you don't get to it, pruning above the 3rd leaf bud in May will have the same effect, when you want it to grow bushier. I think your pink might be Comtesse de Bouchaud, a type 3 (hard prune) variety, and the redish little one a texensis hybrid, possibly Princess Diana or Duchess of Albany. I don't know that much about this type yet. Mine are so young that I intend to cut them back next Spring, when Forsythias bloom, if Winter hasn't already done the job for me, which happens on many of my clems. Cutting down will not kill a clem, at worst will delay or forego blooming that season. Cutting has been recommended on the forum for rejuvination old clems that have woody stems. After you cut down, give the plant a good feeding. Rose or tomato food, bone meal, dried cow manure will halp it to grow back. Marie in ME

You know, I would actually be tempted to throw fruit. But they never let them do it if we are outside! I have considered erecting a video camera. But I guess there is no law against letting your dog pee on someone's shrubs. We have wonderful pet sitter who occasionally does dog walks for clients on vacation. She is so paranoid about it, she carries a spray bottle of water, and no matter where the dog goes, even if it is on the grass along sidewalk, she waters it down thoroughly before walking away. I think any dog owner who is going to let their dog urinate on someone else's property owes them this courtesy, at the very least. Oh, well.

I have gotten some great ideas - from some people on this site as well. Here is what I have -Replace semi circle window with rectangle -change dormer to a shed roof style with a window instead of circular vent -extend the deck across the front (black railings and cable, or even glass panes) -spiral staircase on right side of deck in front of blank space on rock. -put 2 separate fly-over roofs over the new full length deck. one to the left of the dormer and one to the right of the dormer (leaves a small open area in middle) -maybe paint the rock veneer a more monochromatic color (brown or a dark gray and mix with cedar on the decks and black trim around windows etc) -side of the house new vinyl color or cedar look siding -new garage doors here is the sketch up and pics of the ideas (examples from internet) dormer conversion something like this Roofs over deck something like this style Sketch up