Ever since I was 10 yrs. old and my mother gave me my own patch to garden in I loved all the old fashioned perennials. Hollyhocks , Delphiniums, cup and saucer canterburybells, coralbells, you get the idea. So In every place I have lived that has been my aim. Right now I have some early clematis,coralbells, columbines, peonies,and a few roses blooming. The japanese weeping cherry, apple trees,lilacs, and few daffodils and crocus I had were out earlier.The difficulty was getting a balance for that hot August time period when most things are worn out, and the japanese beetles are after the roses that bloom then. Hydrangeas help and the echinacea,and late flowering clematis. It's like conducting a symphony, trying to get the most out of each season! roseberri

Teeandcee it just wouldn't be fair if the rest of us had to deal with Bermuda and you didn't. : ) Kaye mentioned a long time ago some stuff that she uses for Bermuda grass that only kills the Bermuda and not other plants. I need to look that up again and try it. I have a couple beds that I need to use it in where I have perennials planted. It would be too much work to dig up the perennials, kill the Bermuda grass and then replant. Glenda - I'm tempted to try out an electric trimmer if I knew for sure that they would let me return it and get a gas one if I hate it. The Stihl electic one says it can be used with a 200 foot extension cord. They're lighter and vibrate less. I wonder if it would seem just as heavy if you're dragging around an extension cord that long though. And I wonder what would happen with a longer cord or rather three one-hundred foot cords connected together. I wouldn't want to start a fire. The EZ start Stihl would be nice but I think it's close to $200. I should buy that for my hubby for Father's Day. Do you think that he would suspect that it's actually more for me? lol

What's a gorgeous suit! It does take time to make something like that but it's well worth the trouble to learn. I learned to do bound buttonholes by practicing on scrap fabric. This thread brought back such sweet memories of watching my Mother (born in 1908) get dressed in something like that. She was oh so slender snd fashionable. She always wore hat & gloves... even to the supermarket before she passed away in the late 60's. I have half dozen pair of her lovely gloves...one pair of soft white kid in elbow length with embroideried cutwork...they're still soft as butter. How I treasure them! My Dad, who was so proud of her, used to take her to St. Louis twice a year for shoes- she wore a size 4 (triple A with a AAAA heel.) Sample shoes were only ones that fit, and her favorite stores loved her visits 'cause she tried on so many pairs, they said she sold them by "modeling." Now I realize what a long trip it was from NE TX to St Louis before Interstate hwys. I can remember "petting" her fur coat and wondering what it must be like to be so beautiful. I have a nightgown (part of her trousseau) of pale yellow silk (bias cut in Harlow style) with silk flowers of darker yellow & pale green stems & leaves, all handmade. It is just exquisite, and such a treasure to me. Ladies always "dressed" for travel whether by car or train. Wish I could post the picture of her as a newlywed, all dressed up, standing with one foot on the running board of their Buick convertible with the spare tire tucked in the front fender. When my Dad gave me the picture after she dies he said "She sure was a sassy lil' thing, wasn't she?" as tears streamed down his face. Little girls were in awe of their Mothers & wanted so much to be like them. I thought it heavenly when given old clothes, purses, etc. to play dress-up in. Suzi

In my part of Virginia, the county has a Consumer Protection Division, which has an online listing of complaints filed by companies and also intervenes on behalf of customers. You might see if Houston has one. Definitely write a letter to your credit-card company challenging the charge on the grounds of deceptive business practices (did you have the chance to watch them cut the fabric? or did they take the roll somewhere else to do it?) The attitude of the people seems to indicate that they knew they were screwing you over but to them a sale's a sale.