Oldhouselover: Concerning the tree, cut it whenever you would like or find convenient. It's already growing there, it won't hurt to leave it until fall when the leaves on the roses are cleared and it's easier to reach in there. Don't sweat it or worry :). Just make sure not to forget to cut it in the fall - it must go. 4 more months of growth from the tree won't hurt the rose. Amazingly, if that is a Tree of Heaven, which I'm almost positive, that tree may be only one year old, possibly two. They grow fast. So don't forget to cut it out this fall :). I personally would not use any herbicide whatsoever on the tree of heaven. Due to your sentimental feelings for the rose and desire to keep it as healthy as possible, the risk of accidentally spilling even a little herbicide is too great. Just be vigilant and be ready to cut the little shoots the ToH will inevitably send out in the spring once you cut it down. I would move the hostas. Others here would have better knowledge on how/when to trim the rose to a more managable and visually appealing form. The hostas, though, are being overrun by the rose and if you would like to save them, move them. Even if you want to keep them in that bed, you can move them out of the way of the rose. It happens. Sometiems my stuff gets out of control so I just move it. It's hard to kill hostas. They'll be happy wherever you put them as long as it's not full sun. Most importantly, don't OVERCARE for the rose!!!!!! :). That's the biggest mistake I see most people on all of these forums make, especially people new to gardening. I've seen more isntances of people overcaring for their plant and damaging it than undercaring for a plant. Keep in mind, the rose is decades old and apparently no one cared for it too much, and it's still alive and thriving :). Ignore your impulses for fertilizer, watering everyday, and all that. It is a beautiful bush and I'm sure those on this forum will be able to help you trim it into a more managable form :).

OK - I may have gotten a little carried away...but here's a layout with what appear to be all your wants. I don't see a pantry, so I added cabinets behind the island as well as b/w the DR and TV room for extra storage. You actually have plenty of storage in this kitchen! The base cabinets on the top wall are 27"D (but could be as deep as 28.5"), the upper cabs on the top wall are 15"D. There are two excellent Prep Zones, although I would prefer to prep on the island facing everyone! (Prepping is 70% or more of the work/time in the kitchen; cleaning up is 20% or less.) The Cleanup Zone is out of the way of the Prep and Cooking Zones and there's no crossing through the Cleanup Zone to get to the Refrigerator or MW. With an undercounter MW like a MW drawer, you don't lose counterspace or have anything in the vertical space b/w the counters and cabinets. There's a nice stretch of counter to the left of the ovens,for a snack center or even a tea/coffee center (43" of counterspace). The ovens are in a 31.5" wide cabinet - the reasonable minimum needed for 30" wide ovens (which I assume the wall oven is at least - I don't know how wide your steam oven will be). There's a 42" wide counter-depth refrigerator - hopefully that will allay your DH's concern about a counter-depth model... In the DR, the table can be moved a bit to the left, especially if you don't put an outside door in the DR. Moving the table to the left will give you a few more inches b/w the shallow cabinets and the table. Note that the cabinets b/w the DR and TV Room are 6" taller than standard - that means the counter will be 42" high (bar-height). The cabinets + counters not only give you more storage space, but they also provide you with a separation b/w the DR and the TV Room as well as provide counter space in both places. The cabinets are 12" deep, but the counter is 15" deep. The TV Room has a sofa and chair - the chair can be moved to view the TV or stay where it is for conversation and visiting. (I even added end tables :-)) A note about the doors - I don't understand why you don't like the "line of sight" from the front door to the back door. The problem is, that middle section is the ideal spot for the back door - no obstructions, easy access to the kitchen, and out of the way of all work zones and seating areas. It keeps the traffic out of everyone's way - it's the perfect location! Put up some nice window/door dressings and you'll have a pleasant view for anyone entering your home from the front door. I wouldn't want the door to be in the kitchen (in the 8' span) b/c it would draw everyone through the kitchen to get to the backyard - the last thing you want in a kitchen! The island will help direct people around, but inevitably, some people will choose to go through the kitchen (b/w the island and perimeter) and get in your way - especially if someone is sitting at the island. If you absolutely must have the door there, then I suggest a sliding door with the opening as far away from the kitchen as possible - so that would mean the bottom of the 8' span. The rest can be windows. It's still going to be an issue, though... Here's the layout (select/click on a picture to see a bigger version): I labeled the cabinets and counters with suggestions for storage and usage - but you should tailor it to what would work for you... Here's a zone map:

flowerlilies, Often people who work in garden centers don't really understand much about pests, diseases, and chemicals. You should ask first on the GW forum for the particular kind of plant. And don't believe the first poster who responds, because we can make mistakes too. Though, if we let a reply stand without further comments, that's probably a tacit approval. It's really important not to panic and apply a barrage of remedies before you have a good diagnosis. Also, when you post a question, it's important to give a general idea of where you live, because pests and diseases are regional, rainfall and winter damage can play a role, etc. For example, a diagnosis of scale insects on roses would be more likely if you are in Southern California, Hawaii, or Miami. But rose midge, suggested above, doesn't exist in those places. One thing I can say for certain, the purple spots with lighter centers are either cercospora spot or spot anthracnose, both fungal diseases that usually don't require control measures. Also, there may well be some spray damage, because homemade and "organic" sprays are rather likely to damage plants if not used carefully. Large purple smears are often the result of spray damage. What are you saying is wrong with the open mauve flower? If the grayish things are scale, they will scrape off easily with a fingernail.

Maples are pretty tough and it may put forth more leaves yet this year. The problem comes in when you don't fix the problems that made it that way in the first place. Did you find the root flare? Was it at the surface of the ground or was it below grade? Trees planted too deep in the ground is the #1 reason for failure and even some nurseries do it wrong. When you were digging, was the soil dry a few inches down? Maples like water, even more when they are transplanted and don't have many roots so the ground needs to be thoroughly soaked over a period of time to make sure water gets down to and below the root ball. This is where soil type comes in. Is your soil Sandy? Clay? Mixture? Did you find any wires or plastic fabric that was left on or around the trunk or root ball? The reason for the mulch is that grass competes for moisture, more than that, it sucks moisture so bad that if you surface water with a hose or sprinkler, a lot of times the water never gets past the root zone of the grass. So your tree suffers. The larger the ring the better for a larger tree whos roots will reach far out past the crown area to find water. But we really need to know about that root flare...