I have the Blue Agave, another type that is variegated, not sure of the name. These have lots of small pups around them but they do grow very fast. Also have many types of cactus, unfortunately do not know the names of many of these. Looking for a desert Cresote bush, or a source where I can purchase one or two. skylark936@yahoo.com

arizona cypress. the cultivar 'arctic' is very green. It is very fast growing and very drought tolerant. Italian Stone Pine, pinus pinea, is a big, fast growing pine tree that takes hot dry conditions very well. Of all the pines it is closest to what I would call a "shade tree" because it develops a broad crown, which casts shade. That's somewhat atypical among pines which have some tendency to shed lower branches and grow tall and narrow. Stone pine is a great tree where it can be grown. Another choice might be afghan pine, pinus eldarica, which grows extremely fast and does well in dry climates. All of those can get big. I don't know about how "invasive" their roots are.

Cool space. NYC? How does stacking the dw work? The thing is, you need a piece of solid surface, you don’t need it to match your counter. It could easily be white or black. I agree with eld it should have been done with bullnose tile, but so should the tiles on the side of the window ledge. If you didn’t do it there, I’m going to guess that tile doesn’t have a bullnose or trim. A piece of marble would also be fine if you have marble sills in the rest of the home.

I chose Silestone Quartz, color: charcoal soap stone counters when I had my kitchen renovated a few years ago. I still love them. They have subtle light gray veining. Easy to clean with dish soap and water, no issues❣️I think they go well with my Plain & Fancy cabinets, color: vista gray.