LOL north53, I don't think that these are plants that I hate. I just think that these plants need the perfect spot for them to be under control and to look good! I actually like goutweed but I don't dare to bring it to my yard. However, in my work place, they have a location where grass probably would be too much maintenance and would not grow well anyway, so they put down goutweed instead and it looks nice. It's a nice contained area surrounded by concrete, so it's goutweed well-used. I just don't have any experience with Centaurea so I am asking for help! LOL! You know, this is my first season with these things and they are looking ugly already - I probably do not have the right location for it! :-) As for clustered bell flower, I love it! I like all these purple things. I even like Forget-Me-Not! In fact, I deliberately brought it into my yard this year and I want it to naturalize, to create a sea of blue..... I just love the delicate flowers and the bright blue colour. OK, perhaps I should talk again after a few years, by then I might be changing my tone! LOL!

He didn't talk me into anything just wasted 7 months of my time and $50,000 for a plan that was 3X more than I told him on day one (very emphatically) that I was going to spend. So here I sit $50k poorer with a large set of drawings I'll never use that I put so much time into helping develop. I have no idea what to do next. That's what my architect inadverantly talked me into. He had no idea whatsoever how much anything costs as he evidentally only worked with millionares with unlimited budgets. Heck the biggest red flag was in December when he and the only contractor willing to even discuss the project at that point with me were wasting my entire work day when they were supposed to be talking about reducing the cost on my project but, instead they spent an hour or 2 talking about their experiences with rich clients and how very funny it was to have clients with unlimited budgets that would build something, not like it, and tell them to just tear it down and do it again another way. Knock me in the head with a hammer(pardon the pun)! IMO it seems architects in my small city (Baton Rouge) like clients with unlimited money who don't care how many anything costs. I am a hard working person who has worked their behind off for all that I have. I was so intimidated being a female going to get a huge loan and hiring an architect (seemed pretentious). But, I felt with an investment this large, I thought it was the right thing to do. I felt sheepish doing it. It took 5 month in the process to finally go to bid and 2 out of 3 contractors refused to waste their time doing a formal bid and personally told me so. They said the architect was crazy and it was a totally unrealistic project and that I would be wasting my money and that the drawings were horrible. On December 24th (yes Xmas Eve) the architect told me he would do everything in his power to make it right. The story ends today March 2 with me having NOTHING still and waiting. So, I would also advise never, ever use relatives or feel obligated to use someone related by marriage. No matter how good people say they are. Trust your instincts and stick to your budget. Or you will be sitting here waiting 7 months later with no plan, much poorer and frustrated. I know I sound mad. I am. He is now fired. I don't have any recourse that I know of. I finally got my loan approved (post mortgage crisis) after much frustration architect frustration. Now I have to start over. PS I signed the first architect agreement or SOW on 7/28/08. Put timelines in writing or it will cost you money! My SOW said 4-7 weeks for drawings to go to bid? That was 7/28/08

Hi, I googled, found this forum/article and want to add my two bits. I was also contemplating a fireplace with wood-stove features - back in 1991 when I was planning on the building of my new house. I decided the way to go then was to use the Vermont Casting Winterwarm system. It consisted of a 250 lb sheet metal cabinet that had a standard stick frame/plywood exterior built around it and the accompanying insert unit which added another 400lbs - it was then state of the art. The framing created a chase where 8" double walled steel flue was set with firestops (code concerns), insulation and a complete stainless steel sheet capping off the chase, with the vent pipe popping thru, of course. The framing could have been covered with vinyl siding, keeping costs lower, but we chose to brick it all the way up. So the costs amounted to (in 1991 and 1992) for the foundation- a couple $hundred, framing- a couple $hundred, brickwork - less than $3k not including the stove /fireplace/flues which ran under $5k parts and labor. A fresh air vent with shut off was installed at minimal cost - I did it myself. BTW, the fresh air vent is the key to health and happiness here. It minimizes pressure differences between the house and outside resulting in less backpuffing and a moister atmosphere in the house during the cold seasons. The results were that this baby heats my 3700 sqft house down to 10 degree F. everywhere except the room over the garage. When I have it lit, that is. Now the concerns: Vermont Castings ain't like it use to be. the company got bought out by a publicly traded one and the corporate mindset set in. The product is no longer on my recommendation list. My unit, built in 1991 needed a catalytic replacement after 10 years, the second one lasted only 3! Otherwise, I have sunk in less than a thousand dollars in 15 years on replacement parts. As for you concerns on costs: A conventional masonry fireplace cannot be used in conjuction with an insert. New codes stipulate that the stove has to have heat rated pipes going all the way from stove to the top. You can not use clay liners. My suggestion is to find a high quality insert out there made by a company with a wide distibution base, build a zero-clearance or minimal clearance base/chase according to the manufacturers specs, use double walled or better stainless pipe. You decide what to use on the exterior of the frame and the interior walls. But remember, if you think of adding brick/stone to the looks in the future, overhang at least 4 inches of foundation on the sides for weight handling. Good luck! Andy S.

jjpeace, and anyone interested my first 3 Pomponella from Palatine where huge for my zone also. Buy the 3rd year many thick canes would reach over the top of my head ( 5'5" ) then fountain out making her anywhere from 8 to 12 feet across. The grafts eventually rotted out. She had gone own root so I was able to save a good hunk of her own root and replanted else where. She's making a come back as an own root. I also planted a new one from Palatine just in case. hcarnevale, I really miss those beautiful blooms. Yours is gorgeous. Bonnie I don't think I've ever seen a warm zone photo of Pomponella but I have visions of a disappearing home.