Korean Giant aka Olympic aka Dan Bae is the best of any I've tried to date. Most reliable in fruiting, best fruit quality, the fruit can keep up to a year in cold storage. The fruit quality is the same whether thinned or not, and actually because the fruit is naturally so big, I think its better not to thin them. Other varieties I've tried MUST be thinned, or the pears are very small, flavorless, and not sweet.

Trueblue....Thank you so much..I just hope I don't have a problem with wilt on my Clematis..I'm also hoping it is pretty much hardy and disease resistent..If not, I am in trouble..lol Do you recomend a certain way of planting it? Oh, Logees' was bearable..I did go with Rose and Wes..lol That place always smells so good and so much to chosse from...It's funny though..Every time I go there, I am made to realize I already have most of the ones they have..ha..I am always on the prowl for something new, different and a plant that whaffs through the air! It was so warm in there too while it was cold outside..Sheesh, If I could only work there. Kandhi..Thanks...I love those roses..I am also getting one of those...I think I will put it under my arbor...Cab't wait. Do you have o treat them for fungus or mold during the summer at all? Powdery mildew? MIke

One lesson that I have used over and over again is this: "Every room should have a surprise" It can be small, or big. Just something that someone who walks in might not be expecting. In my case, (we have a 2x4 island too) I hung a small Irish crystal chandy over the island. Most thought I was crazy when talking about this idea, but it really works in my space and it does give it that "surprise" that I needed. I also used the same light over the table with a sheer drum shade over it. This way my sparkle continued in the room. I always feel I don't want to spend the big bucks on anything risky--stuff I might want to change when it gets "old". So a backsplash that is popping wouldn't be my cup of tea. I can change my chandys without too much pain. Redroze--love the oranges--funny thing, I've got a bowl of them too decorating the kitchen right now. Love that pop of color. We get a giant box as a gift every Christmas, no way to eat them fast enough, so they accessorize for me. here is an "in progress" photo, still no paint on crown moulding and no backsplash yet... here is a shot to show you the chandy over the table, this is pre-floor, pre-paint, pre-lots of other stuff....

I'd recommend convert the whole zone over to drip (cap all the other heads) and pipe over new heads from neighboring zones to compensate where you lost a needed head. it's really a bad idea to have drip and other sprinklers on the same zone. if you kept some of the spray heads, likely you would have severe over watering where those were, and/or under watered drip areas. you would risk blowing the fittings off your drip, or having your heads not rise, or potentially both.