Julie, that's a funny story. You're a trooper, love the way you and NDN split the detective work, the tasks, and got the boys to the party. :) (the big honkin' TV on the cedar chest sounds about right for this house, too). Do I recall that you don't drive? Mary, I know what you mean about the testosterone factor in the the building trades. It's not appreciably different in the marine trades. ;) The best way to deal with it, IMO, is to simply tune it out OR smile and tease them right back. I get called, "dear", "hon.", "cupcake", etc. at least once a day and have for years now. It's not uncommon to hear some crack about the "nice view" when I'm on the floor doing a layout. My take on it is that they like me, respect my abilities, and it's just their way of showing it. It doesn't really bother me, personally. Any chance you will be able to share some photos? I know I have to be very mindful of sharing photos of work I've done for customers. Yeah, I think Maine could be a fun destination, Mary. We have oodles of time to set a date that will suit everyone who would like to come and I'm able to get time off pretty much whenever I want to. So start looking at your calendars, everyone, and we'll figure out how much time we want to devote to it and what we'd like to do. Monique and Les. have highly recommended the Maine Botanical Gardens. Sue, I'm impressed that you were a 4-Her, too. I didn't know you had rabbits! is it true they eat their droppings to get some vitamin or nutrient they can't synthesize for themselves? The AWS usually has a few rabbits for adoption (some of them are huge); I had no idea you can get them to use a litter pan, but DID suspect that keeping a sharp eye on their busy little mouths was pretty important. I always wanted a guinea pig but Mum and Dad nixed that idea repeatedly... . It's going to be a real "wash out" this weekend. Wonder if Saucy's kids and husband have planned a camping trip? Had I had my wits about me I'd have taken a few shots of the swamp maples in the marsh area that are beautifully colored up. Cross your fingers that Kyle doesn't blow the leaves off them before I can get a pictures. They're really pretty, but there's still lots more color to come. A quick spin around the yard the other day revealed the extent of my garden sloth... it is clear that I have no need for aspirin to deaden any pain. lol I was fast asleep by debate time; I'll have to rely on the "post game wrap up" this morning on NPR (the Today show is the lamest excuse in the world for a news program).

Thanks for all the info and ideas. What I still don't understand is how the lavender did SO well, grew so fast, then started to die. No great change in water, unless it's a decrease, since we turned our sprinkler off. Yes, the scarecrow goes in the general direction, but I don't think it really contributes a large amount, just a startles worth. The roses are pink streaks, like a "Batik" iris if only pink not purple, if you're familiar with those. I don't see the spots pictured in the disease examples (bothythis? something like that). I think we may bury a drain pipe in the upper part of our yard, above the retaining wall, before we continue planting. That will cut off some of the neighbors water. We're also sealing the cracks in the gutterway along the road that allow water to seep in. Anyway, again thanks. And any ideas about the great growth followed by sudden death?

Thanks for the offer. I'm in no rush, so I'll say yes to the white "prolific" Gaura and the white Buddleia. Insulation is our problem here in the banana belt. We don't get consistent snow cover. Also, I had my Gauras in fairly rich soil in a hollow dug into a former gravel driveway. I think the drainage wasn't good enough. Next time I try Gaura I'm going to put them in sand and just fertilize if/when necessary. I just looked at your trade list and noticed your liking for orange-toned flowers. I saved seed from a gorgeous orange/salmon Zinnia. The original variety was "Lilliput mixed" but I haven't been selecting for dwarfness. These guys are 4 to 5 feet tall in my garden. But, of course, they're annuals. Let me know. - Bev

Hi Amy-- Sorry for the bad link. I think I fixed it below. Sadly, my pics don't give you the best representation of the color. Probably the closest is in picture #2, and the Walker Zanger catalog is pretty close to true as well. The green is more muted than bottle green, like a lighly grayed sage. And I have really come to love the subtle iridescence (that originally was a compromise for my husband). In most light, you don't see it, only when a ray of direct sunlight hits... since you're familiar with Oceanside glasstile, you probably know what I mean. We used Laticrete grout in Lichen and then we found Lutron outlet covers that matched the tile color perfectly (installed after my pics were taken). Anyway, your cabinets, Icestone and design are gorgeous. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the choices you are mulling. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Backsplash, link fixed (hopefully)