Hi mxk3, I feel the same way about my house (butter yellow asbestos "siding" with maroon shutters and a concrete stoop for a "front porch"). I'm trying to convince my dh to at least build a small porch or portico, he says that once we landscape the front yard this year, nobody will be looking at the stoop. I'm not convinced :). I agree that white's not my favorite color for a house, at least not in our area. Maybe in a place like New England with a different style house entirely, it would be another story. But if you're sticking with white, I do like the combination of white and navy (say, shutters or trim). I don't know if that would be too stark a contrast for you or not. But it also sounds like painting the brick to match whatever color siding you end up choosing is a very doable option too...in which case, what color would you like your house to be :)? I think different styles of house kind of lend themselves to different colors, so please do post a pic if you can.

Your soil is too heavy and the temps are too hot. As Jeff mentioned, it needs a cooler spot with bright light. The brightest light indoors is still very shady compared to bright shade outdoors, so your plants are stretching for more light. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: All about semps

Thanks SkyDawggy for the vinyl additive info. I understand new technology is coming up with various blends to strengthen vinyl. Just did a research on a fabric that is made of vinyl backing but has special Flouride-based protective layer on top that can make it last 12 to 20 years. They thermally bond the protective layer to the vinyl fabric. This is similar to many fabric covered structures in use all over the country. Our company is looking at using it to cover an outdoor sports area for employees. My comment was just that for a homeowner, we make our choices based on various factors. While vinyl may last 20 years, and I believe it can, even with our Milgard windows, I may decide to pay a bit more for something that has a better chance (no guarantee) to last 30, 40 or 50 years. It depends on our needs and how willing we are to part with our hard-earned cash. There is another post now declaring Marvin windows and doors failed after 13 years. So we consumers are all just taking chances and hoping to come out even.

People who repeat advice to water when the top inch or two of the medium is dry are simply parroting bad advice ..... unless you're using a very forgiving medium (one that holds very little excess water) or the depth of the pot is less than 5". Your plant, given the medium it's in, is severely over-potted. When the top inch or two of the soil is dry, the lower 4-6" or more of the medium is likely still 100% saturated. I suggest you start using a "tell" to "tell" you when it's time to water as opposed to the digital device you're using now (a finger). BTW - the symptoms shown in the image are those which occur with habitual over-watering. See below for more about using a tell. Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al