I've got Clematis seeds for you, too, Xuan! As Chaz says, I'm not sure about looks or viability, this being the first time I've harvested seeds from Clematis, and the bees are responsible for the pollinating. When you get an address from a visiting relative or friend, send me an email! I'm just learning, too, with the orchids... so far, though, everyone is still alive! I adore the Cyms! I can't wait for my two to set buds and bloom! I can't afford any more, either... maybe next year! I keep drooling over the photos on the website of Santa Barbara Orchid Estate!!

You were going to send me some peanut butter plant seeds, but please don't worry about it if you've got other things on your plate. I'm not even quite sure where I'd put it, so I'm in no hurry. Susannah

Mine have looked bad for awhile now. I think it's been a month since we had edible tomatoes, except the cherries. Between the stink bugs, leaf-footed bugs, heat, blossom end rot, heat, lack of rain..... one of the gardeners at the community garden has big, beautiful plants, with the worst looking tomatoes on them! They are non-edible. I'm actually surprised we got tomatoes as long as we did. Tally HO!

That's such a hard question to answer. Of course, you are the person who will use the kitchen most and you are the person who has the vision. But you want your family to enjoy it too. You just have to balance that out in your own mind. ....which, of course, is not an answer. Maddening, I know. Are they understanding your vision and rejecting it? Or are they not seeing it in their mind's eye and rejecting what they think it will be? Have you shown them the pictures that sold you on the idea? I had one of those esoteric visions in my head for my kitchen. It's small and narrow and I wanted two different colors -- one on one side and one on the other. And I wanted a different color for the breakfast area and pantry. Every single person to whom I described it said, "Isn't 3 colors too much?". Without exception. The cabinet maker had to do 5 sets of drawings to get it all right and then still was only willing to do one color and door option at a time. My GC confessed to me when it was all over that he thought I was nuts and creating a disaster until he saw it come together. Now that it's done, everyone really likes it. My family is crazy about it. They just couldn't see it when I described it. OTOH, even though my husband was supportive all along and said it was my choice, if it hadn't worked, I would have been miserable knowing I was the only one who wanted it that way. Take pictures of your layout and use tracing paper to draw your modifications. Go get several large-size copies made. Color them in so everyone has a clear idea what you're talking about, what they want, what compromises are possible. It just comes down to the painful process of decisions and consequence. The more concrete you can make abstract ideas now, the more the consequences will be wonderful and comfortable for all. Good luck!