I believe your light conditions may be an overriding factor as to what plants will work for you or not. There are some succulents that will tolerate at least partial shade, but most salvias will not be happy nor does lavender do well in less than 6 hours of sun. This is not to say these plants can't work for at least a season or two - it is just not their preferred growing conditions so growth may be leggy and flowering sparse due to lack of direct sunlight. I'd also discourage the planting of most herbs as they tend to be full sun lovers, but hopefully the supplemental lighting will overcome the lack of natural light. Annual herbs seem to tolerate lower light situations better than perennial herbs, IME. Container gardening can be a very enjoyable experience....a bit like landscape design in miniature that can be easily changed out as plants fade, grow too big or your tastes dictate. Certainly a lot easier and cheaper than inground planting! I do a lot of container design and always try to include something evergreen in the mix to provide the same structure and year round interest that evergreens provide to the inground landscape. Depending on container size, you may want to create compositions of multiple plants in a single container and/or use a single plant as a specimen - these work well for annuals and provide a lot of color without disrupting the more permanent plantings when the annuals fade for the season or go out of flower. Focal points, plant forms, fillers, textural contrast and colors (whether from flowers or foliage) will all play a part in the design just as they do in the broader outdoor landscape. And any plant can be grown in a container as long as you size the plant to the container appropriately and provide proper ongoing care. This may involve periodic repotting and root pruning of larger species. I'd look to whatever plants your local nursery/garden center offers that are suited to part shade and make your choices accordingly. January may not be the best time for this, however :-) Select from flowering annuals and perennials as well as small shrubs and trees, both deciduous and evergreen - I could definitely see a dwarf Japanese maple included in your collection as a focal point! And if you need help to compose your design, there are all sorts of publications that focus on container design - Fine Gardening publishes annual special interest editions on this topic that are excellent. For a very rough rule of thumb in container design, think in 3's for multiple plant compositions: a "thriller" plant as a focal point (something dramatic or upright/more vertical), "fillers" to fluff out the middle ground and "spillers" to trail, cascade and soften the edges. For long term viability of container plantings, it is recommended to select plants that are hardy to at least one zone lower than your own....and more is better :-) This of course does not apply to annuals or single season plants. And proper container soil is a very important consideration, as is irrigation and fertilization. You may want to check out the Container Gardening forum here on GW for additional helpful tips.

And a fine good morning to my virtual friends. Well... not virtual any more. Babs., I found the personas very much in keeping with the "pen pal" ones. But, after all the years we've been chitty-chatting with each other it would be pretty difficult to misrepresent ourselves, and actually "get away with it" for too long! I'm enjoying the exhibition very much, and oohing and ahhing over the photographs with as much glee as I did in person. I just love the way the shots posted have focused on things that, in some cases, I passed right over. I appreciate each and every set of eyes and aesthetic. Such fun! "La Cage Aux Folles" was great. The costumes were fun, and the story... well... let's face it, there is no such thing as a successful movie or play without a great story. We decided the quality of the story is that it sharpens the focus the on the little hurts we inflict on those we love even as we try to make a tough situation easier for someone we love. In short, it's about FAMILY VALUES, love, repect, and appreciation for what makes each of us unique. :) The lawn remains unmown. Too hot on Friday. Quite muggy yesterday and I decided to wait for it to dry out a bit before attempting it. I decided to visit a nursery instead (a new one, that Wendy might enjoy!), knowing the forecast was for thundershowers in the "afternoon". After noon, all right, about 15 minutes past high noon! I had just gotten to the nursery when it started to rain. I opened my "brollie" and continued to stroll watching other shoppers flee. It came down in sheets and torrents. I nabbed 2 Astilboides tabularis (gonna try 'em again) and started the drive home. Heavy traffic on 95, sheets of rain and an average speed of about 30 MPH. I don't know how much rain we received, but the level in the pond increased significantly. I arrived back on the compound as the thunder rolled over us. Rex was pleased to have Mummy home; I greeted him warmly, matterofactly, and we retired to the living room where I did some reading while he "guarded" me. The kitties were pretty excited to get indoors, too, though elderly Flo was perfectly content under the canopy on her couch. No much rattles her at 16-17 yrs. old. LOL about the Corgi pose; Rex assumes something similar on a routine basis. And looks like I'm the "hardass" about obedience training; but I kinda have to be. A large dog, largely untrained until he came to us, and a frail, elderly mother rather dictated a zero tolerance approach. I've become particularly interested in canine personalities with respect to breed characteristics. Working dogs are bred to "think for themselves" and if you don't establish your leadership role when they're young, you have to work doubly hard to assert it later on. Like Cynthia, I expect compliance when the command is given. I HAVE TO. I'm also aware that "off leash" the radius of voice control is limited with Rex. So, we continue to train and carefully permit off leash time. The recovery from knee surgery will provide a heretofore overlooked benefit. I hate dogs. I am the orginal kerbside shopper. I pulled two chairs off the side of the road a couple of years ago, painted them and made cushions for the them. Lo and behold! a few weeks ago I saw 2 more and a loveseat at a local antiques place... $650!!! Like you, Eden, I also put things out by the road that I no longer use but might be useful for someone else. My favorite story was the gal who ogled 4+ doors we'd set out. They were nice, heavy solid wood doors in an old-fashioned panel configuration. She knocked on the door and timidly asked if they were to be hauled away. I helped her schlep them out of the way so she and her husband could collect them later on. Later, she came back with a picture of them stripped, refinished and in situ. They were the perfect match for the others in their home! How great is that? Bella is so cute. I remember those sunsuit rigs, too. Only mine consisted of something akin to a tunic with bloomers below; two pcs. not one. I remember Mum making them for me. My brother used to put frogs and snakes down my "drawers" regularly. No wonder I'm not afraid of them now. :) Roofers arrive tomorrow morning and then the framers return to install the windows. I go to get the (non grained) garage doors ordered tomorrow. I know you've been calling for pictures but I haven't felt like it. I haven't even put the IUIV shots on the computer yet. Sorry... it'll be a treat for "later on".

I hope you mean you plan on painting the siding and trim white, and not the brick. Right now your brick is low/no maintenance. If you paint it, you can never go back to plain brick, it will never clean back down to plain brick, and you will always have to keep up on painting/maintaining it to keep it painted. But you do have a great blank slate back there. What is your lifestyle? Hanging out, gardening, got kids, want to entertain... what kind of seasons do you have? You could do a full porch along the back, roofed or pergola topping. You could build in a brick or concrete slab and add in outdoor cooking and living. If you have kids you can add in things that are kid friendly. If you have dogs or other outdoor pets, you can plan in for that too.

I think it's a good idea painting the closet doors a crisp white. The blue around the perimeter of the floor space limits your color scheme to blue and white or blue and yellow, so I would look for a nice area rug that you can place on the floor to cover that. I would also check out thrift stores for finds on furniture pieces that can be repainted to suit your tastes. Also, you may be able to find a nice throw, wicker baskets, ornaments, small lamps or even floor lamps there. I have saved a bundle by shopping at thrift stores and refurbishing the pieces. Have you considered a sleep sofa or a futon so that you can pull out the sleeper sofa. Futons are sold at Walmart for about 270 dollars and look nice. An inexpensive way to pull together a really attractive space can be done with paint.