remy, i can't trade w/ ya but i gotta tell ya ,i sure have enjoyed you webpage.you have some beautiful roses,and i really admire you for being able to root out roses.your lists,haves and wants is amazing, i don't have many things that you don't already have.i just wanted to say you have entertained me greatly tonite,maybe we can trade sometime.thanks for a great evening,molly

There will be others responding who can give you detailed (and more educated)answers to your questions. All I can do is tell you my experience, which is much like yours. I read, researched on line and at the library, got terribly confused and stalled putting in a pond because I was so confused. However, once I bit the bullet and put in a 160 gal preformed pond with a PondMaster 1350 pump, things became less confusing. This size pump is adequate for 160 gals and is strong enough to run water to a waterfall as long as you aren't going too high - mine was about 2' above the surface of the water. It also has different fountain heads (including the bell /umbrella type). If you want a waterfall you will also need to buy a hose to run from the pump to the top of the waterfall. My understanding is that the bigger the pond and/or the more fish you have, the more filtration you will need. I have found that the PondMaster pump I have is adequate for my needs for now, but I would like to make a skippy filter next - mostly for the fun of it and because I have a better understanding of it now (thanks to the great people here on this forum). There are all kinds of instructions in this forum for making them and also in other sites on line. A prefilter is necessary. It protects the pump from sucking in stuff that will clog it. The filter will gunk up [very technical term :-)] and need to be rinsed from time to time. You can buy a pump with a manufactured prefilter (my preference at this point) or make one yourself using a container with holes and filter material through which the water has to travel prior to reaching the pump. The prefilter is between the water and the pump while the skippy filter is between the pump and the water source for the pond: ie waterfall. I like the prefilter that comes with the PondMaster pump I have. It has a charcoal filter and a synthetic type filter similar in composition to what air conditioners use. They aren't expensive and come in a packaged set or as single items. I usually change them once or twice a year. Biological filters mean that helpful bacteria do some of the work of cleaning the water (along with plants). The bacteria need a surface to attach to. People use scrubbies, plastic strapping tape, manufactured balls with lots of points, lava rock, etc. LOTS OF SURFACE!! A skippy filter is one example of a home made biological filter. A prefilter also harbors the beneficial bacteria, but doesn't have as much surface area as a skippy. I also add bacteria to the pond. I believe they help keep the pond bottom crud-free. There are a number of different kinds: Microblift and Pondzyme are two that I have used. I am only familiar with a PondMaster pump, so others will have to tell you about different brands. If you were going to have a homemade filter AND an umbrella type of foundtain head, well, I'm sure it could be done, but it would be an interesting challenge to do it. I hope I have helped rather than confused you more. And I know that more experienced people will help even more. Good Luck and TAKE PICTURES to post on the gallery!! Anne

I have pole beans: Peregion- a nice semi bush, Valena Italian- a good dual purpose bean, Rattlesnake, and Christmas Lima. I would be interested in any of the following Tomatoes: Riesentraube, Amana Orange, Pineapple, Ice, Indigo Rose, Evergreen, Hillbilly, and Peiping Chieh.

Brass, particularly in a satin, raw/natural or aged finish is back in a big way. (I'm using Delta's champagne bronze finish [looks like satin brass] in my bathroom.) But if brass in not your thing, chrome is a classic and probably the best option for a kids bath. It's also less expensive, more widely available and easy to match between brands. Your photos don't include the lighting, but it's considered acceptable, even preferable, to mix metals, if you don't want to replace them with chrome. Would you consider having your contractor add a recessed mirrored medicine cabinet over the sink instead of just a mirror? It's more of an investment than an off the shelf mirror, but the storage is priceless.