First off, thanks to all of you for replying. I thought I signed up for auto-emails with each response, and when I didn't get any emails, I assumed there wasn't much interest in help. @catkim, I'm not either :) Actually, it's in transition. We had a Blue Spruce as the anchor, and it was too large, blocking the view to and from our house. We had it removed, leaving a discombobulated mess. Quick -- very quick -- research suggests the Norfolk Island Pine won't be hardy in my area. The Windmill Palm is an element we plan to use in our backyard, as I think it will look entirely out of place in out front yard. @desertdance, thanks for the ideas. I love the surfboard idea, and the chair/umbrella idea definitely will give it the right feel. @lyfia, great question. I think we're looking for a rustic cottage-type nautical/beach theme more than tropical. So, looking at your pictures, I'd say two and three are about right. Of course, I want more than just blade grasses. To sum up my thoughts: think Red Lobster. I realize it's commercial and stereotypical -- but that's kind of where we are heading with this. @duluthinbloomz4, I'm in Johnstown, PA, which is about 2 hours east of Pittsburgh. Closest body of Water is Lake Erie roughly 4 hours north :) That's why I would like to keep the front yard basic, not getting to advanced in a nautical look, while using some more common nautical ideas in the back. As for your photo search, this is a lot of what I'm thinking of/looking for. @All, Thanks again for the help. I'm not short of ideas, but I think my biggest concern is plant selection and placement to give this a semi-authentic look without over or undercrowding. I've found some garden plans at the Better Homes and Gardens web site, but I can't seem to find plans elsewhere. Again, what's most important to me is the plants, as I have plenty of other ideas, which I'll list below: - A small, rustic boardwalk leading from the edge of the garden up to the pond. - A small "dock" that sits at the edge of the pond with some pilings and rope - Chicken scratch (oyster shells, etc) as a substrate in certian areas to be highlighted - An old, blue rowboat placed on an angle with flowers pouring out the side Thanks again, everyone!

I haven't noticed a flavour difference from feeding them mackeral in small amounts either. There's a lot of exposed gypsum here. I read it could be substituted for about half their oyster shell grit so I ground some up and they went mad for it. Also half an old cabbage - wow. They treated it like one of those pumpkin soup tureens (only eating with their beaks instead of spoons of course - THE POOR THINGS HAVE NO HANDS.) - accidentally hit the caps key but the fact seems worth stressing. The horror of it. Annp! May 26 is my sister Rosie's birthday. She's the one who as a child was given a day old chick in a cardboard box by a kind neighbour, only to have it die during the night despite the big old alarm clock we put in with it. Wouldn't it be special to give her a Rose Combed Brown Leghorn. The timing (meeting at Dysart's) would be tricky though, also the 1000 mile drive. Did I tell you I never in my life slept as well as that one night at the Best Western behind Dysart's? I hope all those chickens are for you. They sound wonderfully exotic. Just found this in the Richters Herbs catalogue: Aztec Marigold Although better known by the misnomer, ÂAfrican marigoldÂ, this Central American annual is a popular bedding plant available in many ornamental hybrid forms. However, ÂCrackerjackÂ, a non-hybrid variety, is rich in lutein, a compound that studies suggest may improve visual acuity in patients with retinal degeneration. When added to chicken feed, lutein-rich marigold flowers help make egg yolks turn a richer deeper colour. E

There may be 'raw meat' inside them. I got some big shells in the Bahamas that were being sold at a stand by the beach. They stunk, so I put them in plastic bags so the smell would not get in my luggage and I planned to wash them when I got home. Then I noticed flies IN the Zip-Lock bags. The shells were filled with maggots. Actually the maggots would be natures way of "cleaning" the shells. I did not want to throw away shells I paid for, nor did I wish to bring maggots and exotic flies home with me. So I boiled them and left them on a window sill to bake and dry out. When I got home I bleached them just to be on the safe side. While there, we noticed in front of one of the hotel doors a bunch of these big shells set outside the door. Upon meeting the occupants they commented that their room was filled with flies and they complained to the hotel staff. They were asked "Did you buy shells?" and told that that was the source of the swarms of flies in their room. They were told to just put them outside and let the maggots do their work and they shells should be OK in a few days. I guess it is a common complaint there.

The painted oyster shells are beautiful. I am extremely picky about what comes into my house, but I would love one. That said the pen, notepad and a note from bride is a nice idea too. If too time consuming for the bride, a note that is a copy of a handwritten note by the bride would be an option. With the wide age range of guests, a medium size pen would be best. I am early 60s and I find too thin are hard for me to hold and too thick in diameter are uncomfortable.