Hi, we live on Long Island NY, zone 7. we have an awesome little area with very little plants. My husband and I are not good at up keeping plants so we wan to make this look nice and make sure it's easy to maintain. We're looking for perennial plants. Mixture of tall & short. Perennial flowers too if they stay in bloom long enough. I'm open to putting in a small tree if it's easy to care for. We have decent sun and inground mister sprinklers in that area. I'd like to post a picture but the site won't let me. I'd reallllly appreciate any help you have to offer. Please help us! We were at the nursery for hours yesterday and were so overwhelmed, we just left.

Wow dsf....you figured this all out ;) Yes you are right....I am no fool and the operations manager is clearly, the soft spoken apologetic voice who tries to keep calm. Everyone has a job to do, I honestly can say that my dealings with this company overall have been positive. I am wise to the business, and I can tell when I have had the BS sent my way. I know that there has been a little nickel and diming going on, and one sub really tried to stick it to me. I called him on it and gave him an out...he took it and made everything work out so that the price did not go above what he had already cheated me on. I just don't feel that getting into arguments, agitated and fighting with them is productive. I have kept my cool within reason and they know it. In the end I have a very nice pool and they made a little extra money. My main gripe is how they can have the sales guy keep doing this to people. He does this repeatedly and I have it from some of the subs that this is a recurrent theme. I was even emailed today by someone in my area who is going through the same exact situation....we both guessed immediately that we had the same sales guy. You know who he is I am sure of it. He may be great at design and sealing the deal, but he really leaves a sour taste in your mouth in the end. That is not good for business. I would recommend this company again, but not this sale rep. Anyway thanks for the positive wishes, I think everything is going work out and in the end they built us a very beautiful pool.

Wow, sorry to hear they all are putting you through all this. I think you need to take a stand with Dad and a heart to heart. Remind him you already have your hands full and are with child. In other words, your plate is full and you can not and will put yourself in his/ your sister's stressful BS. Yep, you love your sister to pieces, faults and all, but you can't fix her. Nope, nobody is doing Sis any favors by excusing her behavior, but YOU can't fix/help her if she refuses and you can not keep being put in the middle of it all. You can kinda compare Sis to your Sks BM. Bad Mommies that do not love and care for their children the way mother's are suppose to...but YOU can't make Sis step up anymore than you can make that BM. Stressing and fretting over it all does not change either women. It just dumps unneeded unhealthy crap levels on you. You can't let them do that to you right now. You have yourself, your unborn and your family (DH and kids) to think about and focus on. Heck, if Dad wants Sis's laundry done let Dad take her laundry to a laundry and do it for her. Let Dad tend to little one while Sis does her laundry at his house...whatever. Sis's laundry is not your problem nor concern. I'd also mention that you have two young teen daughters in your home. Is Sis really who Dad wants hanging over not watching her kid, letting others do Sis's work blah blah. Not the impression you want your daughter's to think is ok behavior or a good role model. These girls already are struggling with their loser BM they don't need Aunt Sis giving them any more 'how not to be a good grown up and mother' examples. Nope, you can't control Dad and Sis, but you can control what goes on in your home and how it affects you and your family. Nothing to fight about, you love them all. They can do what they want, you just will not be a part of it in your home. Sis can come for coffee and short visits when you are home and up to dealing with the drama she brings. Time to think about YOU. You can't fix/change other people...all you can do is change how they all interreact with you and your family. Give Sis a hug and let her know you really love her and care what happens to her, but you MUST think of yourself first and foremost. It's just the way that it has to be. Hugs to you.

Hi, O. J. That was supposed to be 10:00 - 12:00 for the Book Club. Just goes to show you exactly how frustrated and tired I really was! LOL. If it's taking so long for tomatoes to ripen, how about some fried green tomatoes added to the diet. Yum. I am lucky to have so many choices of stores within a reasonable distance and actually there are three others that I didn't even hit. It's one thing to visit a number of them to shop the sales, (not my M. O.), but it is frustrating to have to visit so many stores to complete a grocery list of about 15 items. Particularly when you're pressed for time!