I felt the same way that you did about perennial plants that flop and fall over one another. However, after spending much time trying to make the garden have that "perfect" look, I've about decided to give it up and accept the fact that perennials just like to "lean" on one another (sometimes devour). If you let them do their own thing it does have a cottage look to it and an unkept, natural look. You may not want to give that a try, but it certainly has allowed me to sit back and enjoy the garden more rather than fuss over their natural growth habits. Don't get me wrong though...I get where you're coming from. I still struggle with wanting that "perfect" look. Here is a link that might be useful: Perennial and Rose Gardening Site

When my sons wore 5 to 7, it was nearly impossible to get shoes for them! Now two of them wear 14 and its impossible again. At least the one that wears an 11 is easy to shop for! I have to tell you a funny story from this weekend. I went shopping with a friend. I was so excited because I found a pair of pants tha fit perfect & was a size smaller than I normally wear. I was not wearing my glasses while shopping. I get home and unpack the bag while wearing my glasses. The pants weren't. Size smaller - they were a size bigger than I normally wear! I just couldn't make out the tag without my glasses! Moral of this story - wear glasses when you shop!

never_ending, yes, upper cabinets are easy to make. There are reasons for this. Several reasons that all combine to make it worthwhile. -- The thing you can have is 1 big box as an upper cabinet (therefore continuous, long, shelves inside the 1 cabinet). The front cover could be *either* 2 or 3 sets of panels that open with Blum Aventos HF hinges, *or* several narrow (vertical) doors that hinge on a front frame. In either case, you have continuous shelves. At first glance it looks like wall "cabinets" but, it's a single entity, not a series of boxes stuck together. So the shelves are uninterrupted by cabinet sides. When you open door 2, you can reach things in sections 1 or 3 as well. Storing things is easier too since your things don't bump up against barriers. -- 1 big box is easy. Here is one of the several reasons why wall cabinets are easier to make than floor cabinets. A wall thingie has to look good (straight and level), and be well screwed to studs. Looking good is less demanding than being truly level to a fine "tolerance". A run of floor-standing boxes has to be far better aligned: it supports a level countertop. So, a 1/8" misalignment becomes a serious problem, even if the floor is perfect, rigid, flat. A floor-standing box has to hold up to max. physical stress AND could have an unstable (squishy, spongy) floor under some of its legs. So, it can be a chore. Or more. But a wall thingie doesn't have to be square or level, to the Nth degree. Executive Summary: wall cabs are a few panels joined at 90 degree angle. They hang on the wall. The cabinetmaker doesn't need to work to the same degree of "perfection" as for the cabinets that stand on the floor and become a base for countertops. I second the notion that "you may be able to go IKEA bottoms and custom uppers without breaking the bank." -- Open shelving is not as easy to make as 1 big box. Because each shelf has to get its entire support from the wall studs. With 1 big box, shelves are supported by the two sides of the big box. (Between the two sides at the ends of the long shelves, the shelves do need some support too) ((and this is "easy" or easier to arrange than for individual open shelves)) -- "They are spacious and operate so smoothly with the soft close feature." sample budget: $1500 Ikea cabs (floor-standing) $2000 any "front" from Scherr's, ikea or anywhere $1000 installation DIY along with a handyman helper who has a level

Your first thought is correct. With the requirements for screened growing of citrus think about how big of a deal space is. When you also consider delivery it is easy to see how much money they can save by using half the floor space required over wider pots. Nurseries that sell to retail stores still tend to use the wide pots though because the product has to be easily displayed and able to be handled by customers. Growers who are buying thousands of trees don't care if they are in tall pots and may actually prefer them because they don't have to dig as big of holes.