Ispahan - thanks for the encouragement to post about my experiences with hardiness and winter protection in zone 5. I guess I'm a good test location for toughness in zone 5, given all of our ups and downs all year. I'll start a new thread, actually several threads, in the Roses forum since you'd asked about HTs and other moderns. Once I checked back through my records, I found quite a few HTs and Floris that are reliably cane hardy in my zone 5 yard, and it'll be interesting to see if that carries through for others of you in zone 5 or folks like Michael in zone 6 mountains. I'll wait till fall to post something about my strategies for winter protection in cold zones, since it's largely too late to worry about it now and it'd get lost by the time folks wanted to remember it. I did take Melissa's advice too and posted a comment for Barcelona with the information I mentioned here. I'd be happy to send that in an email to the HMF folks as well, including my other personal hardiness observations, but I couldn't find an email on the site even with a premium membership. I do have the intent to contribute to that site since I rely on it all the time, but time gets away (I started posting my garden last fall and only got through the A and B on my list). Cynthia

Miele Futura Classic Series G4225SS $999 You don't need a special outlet. It comes with a regular plug instead of just wires to hardwire. You can cut the plug and hardwire to the house electric system if you want to but there is no need. Sometimes there is no plug in the dishwasher area and an electrician needs to install one but this is cheap to do, particularly if doing other electrical work already. You don't need an air gap like most dishwashers but you can install one if your locality mandates it. It is best that you scrape but NOT RINSE. Modern day detergents use enzymes. Enzymes need something to work against if not they can damage finishes on dishes. My casserole dishes with burnt cheese and potatoes come out perfectly clean in my Miele dishwasher in the pots and pans setting. BTW The water/electricity hog dishwashers from WP and other American brands from 20 years ago have little to nothing in common with todays low water low electricity use dishwashers. This post was edited by deeageaux on Tue, Mar 11, 14 at 15:37

dibgar I understand your indecision about the dining room table. We also will have a dining room in the same space as the great room. I didn't want to put a chandelier because of the position of the dining table in relation to the entrance as people come in from the foyer. So I think what I will do is put 2 sconces on the wall next to the table (I don't know if you have room for that) and then put a can and 2 halogens on each side of the can (as recommended by Whitehead. In your situation can you consider a chandellier that is drapped across the ceiling from the wall (portable type). So in the event you move your table you can move your chandelier. Or else, have you thought about a round table. I think it might take up the space better than the rectangular one on an angle. That way you could put a can and even if you move the table, the can won't seem out of place (maybe.) I'm no expert on this lighting stuff and am learning as I go. I am just trying to use common sense and practicality to get me through the process. Try posting on the decorating forum. Those people have tons of ideas on everything. Good luck.

OK, last night and today I tested the GE Bulb with the 2850K, 55 beam radius and 60 watts used up for a 75 watt bulb producing 1050 lumen's. Yesterday I loved the bulb but last night I went to Lowe's to pick up the Sullivan Bulb at 3,000K, 980 Lumen's and at first I loved it since it gave a 50 beam radius and was slightly whiter but then I decided that the GE was a little nicer. But I was shocked when I put the Reveal 75 950 Lumen's 75 Watts PAR38 bulb in my can above the sink (I put a tile there to see the color for each bulb) and then in various lamps on the top that I could point the lamp at my tiles on the floor and on the cabinets. I wish the spread was more than 25 but I love the color and it does not look real blue like the incandescent blue bulbs I did not like. I still see yellow when something is yellow but it does not add a yellow cast the ivory in my tile is not yellowish gray ivory. It also makes red more red. I asked a neighbor to come by and he also liked the bulb and thought I should have the electrician install them and I still have the two GE HIR PAR38 Bulbs that have the great floor here in case I want to try them in the ceiling. The electrician also will replace the can over the sink with a new can. Why is the electrician giving me a long adjustable can when all the bulbs I like have short necks? Is this acceptable? He feels with the technology changing so fast, I should have flexibility. I have to call him tomorrow to tell him I am ready to see a date next week since he says he is busy this week. I am choosing the more expensive electrician for the time he spent with me going over bulbs to make sure I am happy and the price difference is not that great and he is less than the electrician that wanted to put 10 4" cans in my kitchen. I think I will be happy with the 6" cans that can handle higher wattage bulbs with the white baffle and white trim to match my ceilings.