They are containers you can store food in. Like tupper ware. They are not colored. I think called "polycarbonate" plastic. Looking at them, they would let diffused light hit the root system. They look like the plastic they use for spray bottles for plants,not clear see through plastic like windex bottles... I have seen orchids in these type of pots. When you pull the pot out of the secondary colored pot they sell them in, you see all the roots.. The kids at my niece's school want to watch plants grow, along with watching their root system, on a sunny window sill for fun. I was concerned for the roots. If this "fun" harms the plants, I want to save them before they a tortured. Besides, if it is a bad idea, then I figure it would be a good thing to teach young ones on how to care for plants, and their ROOTS properly.. I personally wouldn't take a chance on letting any light hit the roots. I told her to tell the teacher to use the see through pots if they insist, but to then stick them in darker colored ones to protect the roots from sunlight. Am I wrong? Therefore this thread. I figured you would know for sure.:-) They havn't started their experiment yet... Thankyou...:-)

the issue is whether there was any air available under the leaves ... heavy dense leaves can cause an anaerobic layer.. where no air moves in or out.. causing everything below it to die .. and boy will it stink ... think rotting swamp gas ... e.g. ... if you can kill grass under a pile ... then a hosta wont live ... one clue would be whether you see any evidence of anything growing under the pile ... maple leaves are killers .. if left intact.. oak should be ok.. since they dont compact to a slimy heap of gelatinous goo ... then you move on the whether the soil under 2 or 3 feet is even thawed yet.. or warmed enough to initiate this springs growth .. and then ... move onto whether a 2 foot hosta has enough stored energy to reach 3 feet above the leaves ... if you dont remove the leaves ... safe to say.. it wast the best thing to do .. whether or not yours will return.. shall be left to the fates.. let us know if it pops .. ken PS: now if you had done this on the driveway .. lol ... the leaves would have eventually blown away.. and the hosta would have surely have survived.. lol ..

i'm back! :) been playing with some photos, but seeded glass is so delicate a pattern, it really doesn't show much at a distance. plus it has to have "your stuff" behind it to make an accurate representation. if you aren't going to put lights in your cabinets, probably seeded would look nice and not compete with your pendants. but the people who like the clear have a really good point about your kitchen/house not needing any extraneous "frou frou". at least that's what i think they meant!

HI! We are in central-Cal, south of SF Bay. I am an owner, not a pro. We just switched our windows 4+ years ago. To share some thoughts, it really depends on precisely what you meant by "UPGRADE". I hope the following is helpful and forgive the long-winded post if you know all that already. If upgrade means comfort and efficiency over architectural concerns, then that leaves longevity. How long do they last? If the plan is to move, you can save by using vinyl now and sell before they must be replaced. If you plan to stay for over 20 years, it may be worth spending more on better longer lasting windows such as fiberglass or aluminum-clad or wood windows. Preferably do it once and never look back. If upgrade means maintaining and increasing home value, then the windows and doors must be visibly distinctive so that it enhances not just the exterior architecture but also the interior feel. It is questionable if vinyl will be a good choice in this case. Vinyl normally requires lighter colors because of its thermal characteristics. Dark colors may shorten its life span. You will have to research designs of vinyl to see if they can match your home's architectural cues and interior layout. Wood, clad and fiberglass can provide more flexibility in terms of colors and refined details. Wood can also be stained (interior) to add a sense of warmth to the house. So defining what "upgrade" means to you will help identify which path to take. Good luck!