I have been swamped for the past few days and haven't had time to comment on everything. Still enjoying all the pictures though. Then last night when I did have some time all the forums were on the fritz again, connection problems. So I didsn't get back again until just now.

I spent the day in the public garden I tend working on the last part that I am renewing. What was astonishing was the number of bulbs I dug up ( and put back) as well as the thousands of grape hyacinths. I have been dividing and moving plants today in anticipation of the rain (it just started)since I have no access to water there. Some of them I had underestimated like the Russian sage, so I moved them into sort of a hedge configuration. Also put in perennial chrysanthemums hoping that I can harvest some divisions next year to spread around. Put in orange tiger lilies as an experiment. Actually I divide mined and found twenty bulbs which I had no room for at home and so planted 12 of them there. Interestingly enough this garden is at the edge of a forest full of deer as well as fox and coyote wild turkeysgroundhogs, rabbits etc but the deer have never bothered the garden. They spent a great deal of time trying to get into the fenced vegetable garden there. I hope my luck holds

Here is the trick. If you imagine a 4 x 8' sheet of plywood cut in half to make two 4 x 4 sections. Now imagine these squares where you want to have your mature plumerias. Count the squares and do not buy more plants than you can fit squares. That way in ten years you are not sitting there giving away 8' plants because you have no room and your young ones are still growing. By the way, for beauty and scent, Kauka Wilder, Kimi Moragne, and Veracruz Rose are wonderful. Here is some eye candy........ If you could only smell the pictures (scratch-n-sniff). Now, just say, "hi my name is ________ and i am a plumeriaholic"

Guessing you cannot paint the walls or cabinets much less the countertops? But, if you can, You Tube has vids on how to paint such countertops -- requires "roughing" them first, so likely would not invest that much effort and risk of poor result in a rental . If the cabinet doors are veneer, they'll likely have a finish that will not paint well either. Large thin cutting boards in tinted or colored glass (or a solid color in another material) could cover most of the countertop and it would be something you could take with you when you move. Some of them even have interesting pics on them so you could use double sticky tape and/or velcro to "hang" them against the backsplash to draw attention away from the countertop if you find you don't want them on the countertop itself. https://www.google.com/search?q=large+smoke+glass+cutting+board&source=lmns&tbm=shop&bih=626&biw=1366&client=firefox-b-1-d&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjzhvmD_cbuAhVHMN8KHSuoDPwQ_AUoAXoECAEQAQ