They need more light. I'd put them outside and transplant them when they get a set of true leaves. All but the basil do well in cooler temps. I'm not sure when your frost date is but the cool weather plants might be able to go in the ground. Swiss chard gets pretty big and isn't a good container plant but all the others will do fine in pots if that's what you are planning on doing. I'd definitely plant the basil in a pot(s). If you are going to grow them inside you'll likely need some sort of grow light. Congrats on your sprouts. Karyn

Queen Bee: I only get real serious about basil. Most other herbs are just passing fancies for me I guess. I use them, but generally only buy them after someone else has grown them. So ... Thyme: I grew it a couple of times and didn't give it much care. It wintered several cold winters and sprung back to life the next spring. My Lebanese friend uses it with olive oil to make a dip for his pita bread and hummus. The English variety grows like a weed. The silvery leaf is a little less vigorous. Neither of them seem very picky. Rosemary: It's pretty. It smells wonderfull. I hate the taste of it on poultry, so I only grew it in pots to look at and smell. Last winter I left the pot outdoors and the rosemary stayed green most of the winter and only seemed to suffer during that last real cold spell. I rudely pulled it out by its roots this spring and stuck in in a spot behind my hysop plant (which has become a wondering Jew of sorts) and the rosemary kinda pokes around looking for sun. But I won't die. Lavendar: My wife grew this lavendar plant in a pot last summer. It looks like rosemary but smells wonderful. I love the way it smells. Brenda needed the pot for something else, so I basically subjected the lavendar to the same treatment as I did the rosemary. Now the lavendar is thriving, shot out dozens of aromatic blossoms, and is trying to thrive in spite of the hysop's invasive overbearance. Mint: Forgettaboutit. You can't kill the damned stuff. It's the spawn of Satan! In pots it root binds and bursts out the drain holes to voraciously colonize any kind of environment you happen to be silly enough to let it conquer. In my yard it has conquered the briars, the brambles, and the burmuda grass. The rapidly growing stems get all gangly and fall over the sides of the pot and re-root like that plant in the Little Shop of Horrors. I started with a couple of sprigs yanked out of a friend's yard. Now I have a crop from Hell. When this happens you should dig up as much of it as you can, re-pot it, trim back the gangly stems, let the plant re-grow until it looks all perky and smells wonderful, then pawn it off on some poor, unsuspecting fool. Regards, Bill

Yes, make sure the herbs are completely dry before you store them. They should be nice as crispy, and easy to crumble up. A little zap in the microwave will finish off your hung herbs. I mean a little zap - perhaps 20 seconds will be enough. I dry parsley in the microwave. For a very large bunch, it takes about 3 minutes, in 20-30 second increments, changing the paper at least twice. I agree with Garnetmoth that dried basil is a bit ho-hum. I prefer to freeze mine. But dried basil is far better than no basil at all! Store your dried herbs in a cool, dark, dry place in airtight containers of your choice. They should keep almost forever, although after a year or so they begin to lose their flavour a bit. The larger the particles, the longer they'll keep. Rule of thumb. If you want to powder your herbs, you can use elbow grease and mortar and pestle. Or you can cheat (like me) and use your food processor!

I'm so glad to read these responses! You have helped ease my mind (and feel confident that hardwood is the way to go). Since you guys brought up rugs - that's something else I wonder about. Do you have to reposition them frequently or go without them for a few months of the year to keep the hardwood color even? Meaning - does the surrounding floor "fade", leaving the covered areas darker than the rest of the floor? And I should clarify - I call it "mudroom" although per plans it's technically a "drop zone." It will be the entry area from the garage (where we will have a rug and shoe tray) with a bench seat, cubbies/storage, etc. so not actually dirt traffic. It's more a place for coats, backpacks, keys, etc. - and a bathroom! Must have that as soon as I walk in. :) Laundry will be on the top floor with the bedrooms, and will have a vinyl floor. There is also a bathroom on that floor which I forgot to list, but it's just a half bath. The kitchen opens to a deck, but it's covered and the stairs lead to patio, so hopefully no major dirt. Great tips on the color of the hardwood. I plan to go medium-light with cabinets (knotty alder) either a bit lighter or darker. And with a satin/matte finish on floors & cabinets. And since some of you mentioned dog hair - water bowl dribbles ever an issue, or are they small enough you don't have to worry? Although our dog does have a habit of "attacking" his water bowl (Bowl Appetite so it's a gallon in there) and making some large spills. I'm sure we can find a tray or other remedy...