Florence - Yes, we are having a lot of fun with the new camera. It's one of those combination camcorders/cameras and my daughter has been make all kinds of "documentaries" and even a garden tour. Garden 2 Garden - I'm liking the color more and more myself. I remember last year I was a little worried the color would be too strong or too dark, but it seems to fit in very nicely with the other roses in my garden. Organic Garden - I'm sure your Pretty Jessica will start doing something soon. You'll love it once it starts performing. Mine are grafted, and although I'm usually very hesitant to buy a grafted rose in my climate it could possibly explain the difference. Labrea - I love the alyssum too. It's so easy and common, but you just can't beat it as a companion for roses (in my opinion). It blooms non stop from spring to hard freeze and always looks good. Krista - I agree, Austin has some wonderful pink roses. I purchased Eglantyne last year on your recommendation and I really love it too. It was just a tiny band last year, and it's in a bad spot completely shaded and crowded out by an encroaching "The Fairy" but it has given me several exquisite blooms this summer. Randy - I agree, the perfectly shaped blooms can't be beat. It's so old fashioned looking to me, yet blooms non stop. Okay, I'm starting to sound like a commercial for David Austin roses so I'll stop now. I usually do not cut my flowers for bouquets, but since there were so many I went ahead and cut five for the house. My daughter took this picture with her camera:

Thank you everyone. Yes, my daughter and I know about the negative aspects about Mimosas. I have always grown them wherever I lived, so she grew up with them. I have them here in my yard. But even so, that is the tree she wants. If she doesn't like it, she can always cut it down and plant something else there. Or plant something else there just in case she does end up wanting to cut it down. (LOL) In the meantime, she would have a lovely shade tree for the patio area. They grow so fast and they need the shade ASAP. I can mail her a dormant one from my yard this fall, but I thought if someone lived near there and had some they wanted to get rid of, she could go get one or two. schoolhouse: The names to look for are 'Silk Tree Mimosa' or 'Silky Mimosa', or 'Silky Acacia' (Albizzia julibrissin). I provided a LINK below for you to go take a look. Beautiful tree. I can mail you some seeds if you want to grow your own trees. They are so easy to grow from seeds and grow really fast. That's where I got my trees - from a friend's tree. In two years, those trees were already as tall as my house and created a beautifully dappled shady area on the south side where I needed it the most in the summer. In Ohio, I don't think you will have the problem that those in the South have of them reseeding all over the place. They are listed on the invasive list in the South. I have very few that come up here, but the ones that do come up are easy to pull. You see them around, but not a nuisance here in Oklahoma. We love them! They would be a beautiful addition to your place. The pink fluffy flowers are gorgeous and smell so fragrant in May and early June. The pinnate leaves have a very Tropical look. In fact, I used to set out all my hothouse Tropicals under them thru the summer every year. It was just the right amount of sunshine and shade for them. I love the way the leaves bounce and flutter in the slightest of breeze. Hummingbirds and honey bees love the flowers too. I think they are one of those kinds of trees that you either love or hate. The leaves do fall to the ground in the late summer/early fall, but they decompose very quickly with rain or waterings the soil is very fertile where they fall. The Mimosa is a Legume. The seed pods are easy enough to rake up. I don't mind at all. In fact, I usually just run over the leaves and seed pods with the lawnmower and turn it all back into soil lickety split! ~Annie Here is a link that might be useful: Silky Mimosa Tree

Here is the model coding for KitchenAid dishwashers. Useful when you're shopping. I bought the KUDE40FXWH and am quite happy with it. It has all the sensor type washing, pot scrubbers on the back wall, etc. What I really like though is it has a 1 hour wash cycle (not including optional 20 minute dry time). It's also pretty quiet . The number in the model indicates variances within that model line, the higher the number more features and maybe some more sound insulation. KUDC & KUDS models. They have the traditional self cleaning grinder) wash system with the 4 way lower wash arm. KUDE models are the European filter based washed system with variable speed wash motor and alternating spray arms. Quieter and more energy efficient. "S" shaped spray arms FX=fully integrated controls on top of the door & towel bar handle. Certain models feature a cycle sequence LED on upper right corner of the front door panel. FXPA=same as above---accepts custom door panels to match your cabinets SX=fully integrated with top controls, towel bar handle and on-board water softener IX=traditional console with visible front controls, cycle sequence LED & pocket handle CX=same as above, but has digital display-bar graph cycle sequence indicator HX=fully integrated top controls with flush lever style handle on the front of the door

At our "regular" house we have a kitchen table with a cherry top with poly on it, and with regular, somewhat careful use (no placemats or coasters, and kids do their homework there...and eat there...but I'm always telling them to put a book or something under their paper if they're writing), it looks pretty good but after a year, there are some scratches and a ding or two. In our beach cottage, we have a pine farmhouse type table from LL Bean that we bought about 10 years ago. It's our only spot for eating, art projects, etc., so it gets a lot of abuse. Any patina from the abuse just looks natural on this table, and in fact hardly noticeable. I don't think LL Bean sells our table any more, but something similar might work for you.