And so it begins! I too have the rose addiction. I swore to myself that there would be no more roses until the fall because it is too hot right now, I couldn't afford it, it would be more work, I would have to be exposed to more fungicides, etc..... Well, I have been good for a while, but Sunday I had to get a filter for my A/C and I went to Home Depo. I did NOT go into the garden center, BUT they had the most beautiful roses displayed outside the door of the main entrance. They were on fortuniana rootstock! I bought St. Patrick and Our Lady of Guadeloupe because I could not possibly be expected to choose between them. Now they are sitting on my front porch waiting to be planted. I fell off the wagon.

wishing you good luck!!! :) exciting ! Chuy

I could be wrong about the zone - on a zip code lookup map it tells me 9-10. I am near the coast, and the weather here tends to be much more mild. Those "zones" are pretty broad classifications. Here's a fairly accurate description of where I live: "Salinas, CA climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 50's. The warmest month of the year is September with an average maximum temperature of 74.60 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature of 39.40 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 19 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average difference of 22 degrees Fahrenheit. The annual average precipitation at Salinas is 15.12 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 3.00 Inches." We do get some 90 degree days, but only a handful. I had read the FAQ about blossom drop. . .I don't think too hot is going to be my biggest problem. My neighbor (who's in something like his 60th year of planting tomatoes in his backyard across the street - he's 92) said he usually doesn't even plant until around May 1 because it's not warm enough to really get 'em growing; in his words, "they just sit there and look at ya." Maybe I'm misunderstanding the term "frost date." Is it a technical term, or just the last time that you wake up to frozen stuff around you? Stupid question, I know, but I have a feeling I'm not communicating something correctly. Yes, the plants get direct sun for at least 6-8 hours a day (I need to be a little more scientific about it), but it's been a cold spring - it's been in the 50's all this last week with a high of 63 projected for the next week. On the few hot days we have had, the plants have practically grown before my eyes, but they don't grow much during these chilly times. So. . .I can put in a stake without messing up their little root systems? Thanks, Christopher

I like your plan. A front elevation may be helpful. Build to suit you, not me. Some things I would consider: 1. BR 1 seems to have no window. 2. Bath 1 is cramped. I would not put a door between the toilet and the sink. If the door is a thing for you perhaps a pocket door would ease the space. We had a door like this and just took it off the hinges because it was too tight. I would also eliminate one sink but keep the long countertop for the girls to use as a vanity top. You only need to sink to wash up and spit, but the countertop can be used for hair products, makeup, shaving area, etc. 3. Love, love, love the front porch. Are you building on a site that allows the use of this great space? Is it wide enough to really use it? 4. Your media room will see a lot of use as the girls age. Is it large enough? Can you use pocket doors here (With glass panels?) to make more usable space? 5. We enjoy an open floor plan. Have you ever had a toddler in one? Wow was it different to raise our third child in an open space after raising our older two in an old farmhouse! The corner fireplace likely means the furniture will be oriented towards the front door... OK with you? What is the boxed area near the pantry? I would open the pantry into that space....I enjoy oversized pantries. The wall between the fireplace and the pantry box could be a great space for built in entertainment/bookshelf space. 6. If you move the H.A.C. and WH all along one wall between the stairs and the garage door, you can expand that hallway to a great space for a wall of cubbies, bench, lockers for each member of your family to contain the backpacks, jackets, sport equipment, gym bags, etc. of daily living. This would slightly reduce the size of the storage area, but not meaningfully. 7. Your master doorway is in an area of public traffic. Is this an issue for you? 8. Can you move the door to the master closet to the center of the wall and use a pocket door? Try printing off the area and move around the water features to a configuration you like. Do you need two sinks or a larger counter space? I prefer just one sink and one counter area to hold products in use. 9. How will you use your bonus room? Do you need a bathroom there to make it more useful? The stairway takes the space out of the main flow of the house and moves traffic past the master bedroom. Good luck with your build. I hope it will be a happy home for you. Brian