Thanks to all who have offered suggestions. The sun comes over the neighbors house at about 11:00 A.M. and is strong there until 5 or 6 P.M. in the summer. I will have to be more observant. The redtwig dogwood in that location is coming out because of too little sun. That is the very spot where I will put the Viburnum. I've just purchased three new varieties so surely one will be happy there. I will again read about mature size, sun/shade before deciding. It is still chilly here and rainy too so can't dig a hole yet. But the rain is helping the blooms so our world is getting prettier every day.

What style is your house, and what direction is your hedge? The old fashioned 'Annabelle' hydrangea is very hardy, the blooms turn from green to white to brown. 'Pee Wee' oakleaf hydrangeas have four seasons of interest, with their peely bark, but require a little more water. Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' is a great plant, and has a pretty fragrance when in bloom. But these all have white blooms. For really long bloom time, and COLOR, nothing beats the Knockout roses, they're also tolerate some shade. I have the single pink ones in a west-facing bed, which gets full sun until the afternoon when they're shaded by the house, and then they get the setting sun.

Whether or not the bitterness will be retained in the regrowth after cutting the lettuce back, I'm not sure. However, I can tell you that while high heat levels will affect the bitterness of lettuce, for the most part the bolting phase of lettuce is controlled by the accumulated amount of light your plants have received. Beginning in the 1930s, researchers in the California university system tested a variety of lettuce cultivars and determined that light accumulation, not heat, was most significant for inducing bolting (they grew cultivars in heat ranging from 70F-95F, and these temps had less effect on bolting than how long the crops grew/received light). Using fans for indoor growing is generally a good idea - it helps to circulate stagnant air which both prevents mold/fungi growth and provides leaves with greater contact with carbon dioxide. I am personally torn (not crying myself to sleep, but I am puzzled) on the question of whether bitterness in greens dissipates after cutting and regrowth.

Hola Amigos Zig - ((((WELCOME BACK)))) you have been missed and I am so happy that you will be stopping by. Enjoy the company and be safe traveling. I have those articles I told you about, just email me your address and I will send them off if you are interested. Lynn - good luck with the move! Please keep us posted. Amy - I agree with Maddie - you know your body the best. Ornaments would be beautiful. Milkdud - I am sure that you can notice a difference in the children (or maybe I should say parents) over the years and I am sure that is a big part of your feeling burnt out at times. It's hard to work in an unsupportive environment. Maybe you can convince a local church to start a preschool program - that is how it happened for me. I know the pay would be an issue there. Maddie - Must feel like the world has been lifted off your shoulders - WTG girl. I wore my bikini pin on vacation and took a photo - if it came out well, I will send it off to you. The workers at the resort loved it - if I ever go back I am bringing some of your pins with me for gifts. Marci - I read Memoirs of a Geisha, Open House and started another book (title escapes me) on vacation. Memoirs was excellent, Open House was light and an easy read - which surprised me because it was an Oprah book and they are usually very heavy and deep. The 3rd book is a Nora Roberts it's the last of her In the Garden trilogy. Joanne - (((HUGS))) my heart goes out to your mom, you and your family - what a trying time for everyone. I am with you on working very hard to have a life for my children that in no way resembles my childhood - I have also tried to do the same for mine. BJ - how tragic for your friend to have left the world that way. Sounds like he touched a lot of people. I feel for you right now with all the pressures in your life and not feeling very supported by DH - I am sure this will pass with time - in the meantime just do what is most important to you. Suzanne - looks like your world is improving everyday - new job, DS moves out, and you are enjoying springlike rides with SP - life is good! Donna - I'm with you on having no superbowl preference - as a matter of fact if I had my way I would prefer to watch a chick flick and eat a bowl of popcorn LOL. Jen - I hope Tara's ear is feeling better by now. Dee - glad you got the tickets - isn't it amazing how much they cost these days? Too bad about MIL - a fear like that has such an impact on your fun - my mom has similar fears and she misses out on much. We had a wonderful time. I would highly recommend the Dominican Republic to anyone that is interested. The resort we had reservations for bumped us and 40 other people out. They gave our rooms to a group that came. There is a real language barrier that they use to their advantage when necessary - so it is very hard to get an answer. But they bumped us to their sister resort which was gorgeous and we convinced them to upgrade us to their "Royal Services" which gave us our own pool, beach, restaurant for breakfast and lunch and a lot of little perks that we enjoyed. The weather was stunning, the beach went on forever with beautiful sand and turqoise water. The grounds were lush and the rooms were set in villas throughout, so each morning I took a 45 minute walk around the grounds. The rest of day was spent moving from the pool to the beach, reading, eating and drinking the most delicous pina coladas. We did walk in the evening too and I did swim a lot, so I got some exercise in. I planned on kayaking and horseback riding, but never did. The weather was about 85 everyday. We got home around midnight last night and I have a ton of laundry staring at me. So enjoy your day, I hope the best team wins and tomorrow day is DIET day for me. I am planning a week of soup and salads.