Let me add another comment from within the industry. There are all sorts of reasons Proven Winners may decide to discontinue marketing a specific cultivar - it may be difficult or slow to propagate, it may have prohibitively restrictive royalties associated with it due to patenting or trademarks, it may not sell as well as they had hoped or they have elected to replace it with a different, typically newly released, but similar plant. It does not necessarily mean that there is anything inferior or inherently "defective" about the discontinued cultivar. Proven Winners is a marketing label, nothing more. They are profit driven and if their costs are too high for the return or the consumers are not buying, then they change their selection. It's as simple as that. They do not have a corner on the enormous perennial plant market nor are they arbitors of what is or isn't a gardenworthy plant. As a manager and a buyer for a large retail nursery and a nursery professional for many years, I can state with impunity that all of the plants included on the linked listing continue to be widely grown and sold by all manner of wholesalers and with good reason - most are great plants, some award winners. I buy, carry and sell out of pretty much every plant on that list and not once have I ever brought one in that has a Proven Winners tag or proprietary container associated with it. I choose to support my local wholesale growers and not to line PW's already very fat pockets. Unfortunately, many new releases are hyped up with heavy marketing campaigns before they have been fully tested for performance, hardiness and durability. Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby' is one that was initially touted as a perennial coreopsis but was later determined that its parentage made it act more like an annual - it continues to be sold today as an annual coreopsis. Ditto with the 'Art's Pride/Orange Meadowbrite' echinaceas - the breeding program just hadn't been able to nail down color stability before their widespread release, which the Itsaul breeding program has very successfully accomplished. What it boils down to is consumer awareness and the ability to select plants for their reliability and performance, not because some marketeer somewhere has decided that this newest selection should be hyped to maximize their profits or that this old selection should be "phased out" because it is no longer covered by patent restrictions and is fair game to any wholesale grower. YOU as the consumer are the deciding factor as to what gets carried by and is available in your local garden centers and your favorite mail order or online nursery, not some faceless organization with a self-serving title. If you like the plant, buy it and grow it, but don't base your choices based on some arbitrary listing one marketing company has determined for purely subjective and mostly economic reasons will govern the selections they offer. There are zillions more fish in the sea than Proven Winners.

Good Evening Ladies - I have the seeds all sorted and accounted for and tomorrow will search through my stash for peppers on your GW wish lists. I did have a few tomato wants. The envies should be sealed and ready for mailing tomorrow night; thus shipping on Thursday am. I was amazed that nearly every item on your wish list will come your way!! We rarely wanted the same things, so it's all spread out - YEAH!! Just a few packets have lower quantities, but enough to get started. Haley's Purple Comet is one example. But, I am growing it in my 2010 garden and my family say it's FABULOUS! There were only three ripe fruit, and mom was left out of the tasting. Anyway, I'll save seeds and can send more this fall. So check your mail boxes next week - Great selections and a wonderful swap!! THANKS - Happy Gardening - Deb

Well it has been 3 weeks and I'm still trying to make a decision. Ugh - This is taking way more time than I have. I really appreciate all of the suggestions. I have been looking on line at some of the above suggestions and had the chance to go to an amazing tile store this past week. Please let me know what you think of using 2 different tiles. Behind the cooktop and running from the top of the granite to the ceiling, I was thinking of Angela Adams Form tile using the Ann Sacks color Sand Dune. http://www.annsacks.com/onlinecatalog/program.jsp?cat=268004&coll=268204&prg=1095504 Then on the rest of the area that needs backsplash using Ore contemporary glass tiles found at www.interstyle.ca There are 3 colors that I like - Onyx, Barite and Calcite. They come in many size options. I was thinking of using Onyx as the primary color perhaps in 2" x 6" tiles or even larger? and then sporadically placing 1" x 2" of the barite and calcite in a random pattern with the barite and calcite pieces over each other so it looks like a 2" x 2" pattern. I hope that makes sense - I tried to attach photos from the online web sites, but couldn't figure it out. I would love all suggestions - even if it is to keep shopping. I really looked at the crystal acido and stainless steel, but it just doesn't feel right in this kitchen. Thanks!

You might want to post your floor plans in a new thread for dial-uppers :) Well, it looks like you're doing a great job planning your space! Nice to see you working with a floor plan to see just what the room can do before actually making purchases. I seem to like plan #2 the best, esp since the circulation is better, although I'm still not sure about the sofa table. I think I'd try a small service table to the right of the chair in front of the fp. That would also be a great spot to highlight a special or unusual chair find, maybe another antique piece. A sculptural wooden chair (something with arms maybe for sitting comfort) or an unusually shaped Old World upholstered piece that makes your heart sing :) I still think you're rushing and I'd take the same care and time finding just the right upholstered pieces and fabrics for your room. From what you describe, and getting a better feel for what your heart desires for your home, I have trouble envisioning CC pieces -- unless of course you're going for an old & new look :) There are some great small scale sofas around, more at love seat size, with curvy lines, maybe with some wood on them, maybe old pieces -- a couple of those flanking the fp and a beautiful ottoman or table between, chairs entrance side is a nice cozy conversational area. Built-ins and bookcases also give a charming old-home feel. I wonder if you could flank the window with bookcases, do some charming wood shutters and build out a deep window sill. I think you could still work a bit of fabric around the window area to soften it. Since you want to invest in a fine rug, that would seem the best place to start with your room as it's part of the envelope or foundation for the space and will set the colors, tone, and feel for the space. I was on BeautifulFabrics.com (lost that site for a while :) looking for soft, vintage feel colors and fabrics. Maybe wander around there a bit, they do have some beautiful fabrics! These last two are vintage European fabrics. They have such a beautiful quality about them that's hard to capture in new textiles. It might be nice to see if there are any old textiles you could use for pillows or chair seats. Even to frame!