I was thinking of planting something that didn't take so much work and tie me down so much, but my wife won't hear any talk of that. She loves to sit on the patio among the flowers, ... although she won't help plant, or dig, or spray, or put out slug bait etc ... She will pick the flowers though and bring them indoors, or give them to her friends. Ah, what's a fellow to do ...

Off topic I wanted to ask you about your great ceramic tile. Is it an authentic Mexican Tile? Have you got it treated with something for the shine? How has it held up? The reason I ask is that we put a similar tile in our kitchen a few years ago. I love it but it has not held up at all. My husband blames the softness of the tile but I think it was poor preparation of the floor itself. Eventually we will replace it (and all flooring, carpet, wood etc. in the whole house). I would like something that looks like your floor through my whole house.