This is my first year sowing Zinnias directly too. In the past I put them into little peat pellets, let them grow a couple weeks and then put them out. They where always magnificent, the envy of the neighbourhood! Then, last year we where selling the house, and I forgot to get them started. Around June, the agent told me that I needed more "colour" in the garden, so off to the nursery I went to buy my sure fire Zinnias, already started for me! I spent a fortune on them, they where in 4 or 5 inch pots, and almost 8 inches high when I planted them and the result was... PITIFUL! Those poor flowers struggled and clumg for dear life the whole growing season! So, I have become a big believer that direct sown, or sown very closely after germinating is indeed best! since you have so many seeds, I would perhaps throw down some seed when you think you "might" get away with it. but hold some back for the next few weeks, and overseed... This way if frost does get the first bunch, you will have more to try! I have not adivce for birds, but if the seed is burried or raked in, chances are I would think they would leave it alone. As for frost, my mother lives in a zone 1. (Yeah, not a typo). The thing all the old ladies do with their plants, because they do manage to grow things in those 50-75 days they can... is throw a blanket over anything that is frost sensitive for the night if the weather threatens. They all keep a stack of "garden blankets" handy. It is very easy then to cover large areas, quickly, with little fussing! And has worked with excellent results for as long as they can remember!

Gee, brommad, I thought I was passing it on to all of you! Not all of my secrets, of course, but really, it's not so much about secrets as it is just plain old trial and error. That bit about volume was no joke. If you want to get the good stuff, you have to be prepared to devote a lot of years to it, do hundreds of crosses and throw away at least 99% of what you produce. I've got a pile of about 150 tags on my desk from grexes that all got thrown out. And that's just within the past couple of years! Kim, where are you doing your shopping on the Big Island? Shiigi may have a few of my older hybrids, but I haven't seen him in years, and I don't know who else would be growing them. Not Hawaiian Sunshine. Gotta come to Oahu for best selection (or go to Florida)!

In one bathroom, the ring is 57 inches off the floor and 14 inches from the back wall. In another bathroom, it is 60 inches off the floor and 10 1/2 inches from the back wall. Whatever, you do, just be sure that your hand towels won't drag on the vanity counter. DH installed one like that for me once and it irritated me every time I saw it. I lived with it until I changed the wallpaper!

Without dimensions of the space, it's difficult to give you more than general advice...and PricklyPearCactus hit the high points: Aisle widths...Do you have adequate aisle widths on all sides? Be sure you're measuring aisle widths counter edge-to-counter edge, not cabinet-to-cabinet! Counters usually stick out approx 1.5" from the cabinets. So if you're measuring cabinet-to-cabinet, your actual aisle widths will be 3 inches less than you think they are now. Unless this is always a one-person kitchen (never more than one person in the kitchen at a time), I would strive for at least 42" of aisle width b/w the island and wall runs. You could probably get away with 36" on the short end (where the range is going to be, I think), but I would strive for 42" where the sink is. You not only have workspace to consider, but also an open DW. The aisle width behind the seating needs to be at least 32" if there's no traffic or cabinet/counter/appliance behind the seats. If there's appliance/counter/cabinet, you really need closer to 60" for room for both seating and working on that aisle. If there's major traffic, you need at least 48"; minor traffic (less used thoroughfare) and you can probably have only 42". Seating overhang should be 15"...Skimping on the overhang to make seating "fit" in a space will not work, especially if you have a cabinets/counter or traffic behind the seating. People will take up the same amount of space whether or not you provide adequate overhang...the human body can be squeezed in only so much! What will happen with inadequate overhang is (1) people will have to lean over or sit sideways to reach the counter and (2) the main part of their bodies will be farther away from the edge of the counter...meaning bodies will still take up the same amount of space as if you had provided the proper overhang...just more of their bodies will be in the aisle itself...blocking traffic or getting in the way of any appliances or workspace behind the seats. So, what are the actual dimensions of the space? Or, at least the actual aisle widths, how they're measured (counter or cabinet), and what's surrounding the island? We cannot see what's on the left or most of the right. We would be doing you a disservice if we just assured you "everything will be fine" without more information!