I shovel pruned mine last spring. It is a pretty yellow and the blooms lasted average amount of time. The Japanese Beatles loved it and it was prone to BS even with spraying. After 2 or 3 growing seasons it was OK, but no "WOW" until fall.

Beautiful pics. I like the things that bloom off and on all sumer. If something was eating my cactus I'm afraid it would be it's last supper.

The wall color is your biggest problem. It is easy to make the mistake of thinking that yellow will make the room sunny. Strong yellow is the most anxiety producing color, particularly in a closed, underlit space. It really only works in a place with lots of strong natural light. So if it were me, the first thing I'd do is choose a pale, creamy, yellow-toned neutral like Benjamin Moore's Linen White for the walls, and a bright, high-gloss white for any trim. It will lift the room up out of the ground, and keep the sunny warmth you want better than any other color. Then you need a more workable and less disjointed arrangement. I'd rotate the sectional and TV 90 degrees - put the television on the wall where the bookcases are now, with one on either side of the TV. Then you can paint the one wall behind the TV and the shelves that great terra cotta (firenze, from Benjamin Moore's Affinity line, is a gorgeous one...not too pink, not too red, not too dark), and add movie posters on either side of the bookcases. Place the sectional so that the support column falls right at the corner, and the back of the sofa that crosses the room is flush with the back edge of the column. Set a long narrow sofa table behind the sectional, and a side table between the sectional and the wall, with lamps with clean white shades on both. Hang a tall mirror on the wall above the side table, to break up the expanse of wall on that side, and throw the light around. Find a slender bookcase that is the width of the little window and comes up to the sill (or as close as you can get it). Put a matchstick blind at the ceiling above the window, and let it just cover the upper trim. Hang a slender pair of very simple curtains out to the side on a rod at the ceiling. Those elements will settle the window into the room. Then find an attractive table for your computer, and set it against the wall to the left of the window, with wall shelves above it if you need them, or a nice pale pretty print...or both. Add a good swing arm lamp on the side wall to light up the corner, and give you task lighting. Move your pretty floor lamp to the corner to the right of the window, and set a comfortable chair there, facing into the room across the corner. Set a round or square table and four slender chairs in the corner where the computer is now, with a swing arm floor lamp, that you can use as a game table. Hang a long mirror on the wall there, too, to elongate the view and increase the light. Put a pair of lamps on the two bookcases flanking the TV, add an ottoman in front of the sofa with a big tray on it to use as a coffee table, and you're done! I think you can find everything you need at the consignment store, or yard sales, or on Craigslist...be prepared to give some things a coat of white or terra cotta or deep green paint, to do this on a reasonable budget. Rugs can come last, once your arrangement suits you. Whew. That was fun!!

Azzalea he holds a valid drivers license, he's at least 16 maybe 17 by now, I've known the little squirt since he was in grade school lol. Chemochurl the lawmakers of our state have decided to suspend the helmet law - no helmet is perfectly acceptable to them, stupid I know but not much I can do about it. We live out of the city limits and the last time somebody called the cops it took them (city boys lol) a total of 5 shots to kill the rabid skunk, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't shoot him but I'm not absolutely certain of that ;0) (JUST KIDDING!!) CR, I was so in agreement with you on this but just as I was about to go take care of it the little stinker went home.......lol! YaYa I am so loving you right now!!! I read your note and started laughing out loud,(the rest of you had me grinning big time) thank you for that my friend ;0) but I think I have the better end of that deal mine went home and yours are still little yippers ;0) Yeah "Shut-up!" must sound like She said bark louder to all dogs.......next time yell "Bark Louder" see if that confuses them ;0)