Inga, again, so many thanks! It's really too bad that Kansas doesn't plant the European Bird Cherry instead of the terrible Bradford pear which stinks like rotting plastic. The fragrance is wonderful and it's just as "showy" and as fast a grower as a Bradford. Or at least people should plant more beautiful crabapples. Both plants attract beneficial pollinators. Jaxondel, I've had my house since 2007, but gardened for the first time in 2009. I had no interest in gardening whatsoever, so I've always been "blind" to Nature's incredible beauty, too busy pulling all-nighters at work, being a workaholic, etc. We get very little biodiversity in my neighborhood, but last year I saw 3 sightings of a cardinal in my neighborhood. My dad is the direct opposite of me. He has always loved nature, organics and birdlife. His yard is filled with beautiful birds that none of his surrounding neighbors have. Well, yeah, I've not had birds go crazy with that tree yet. Must be my location, lol! But maybe with the combinations of my holly bushes and the tree they'll come. I have a 2010 Toyota Camry hybrid that has an sea greenish/blueish color to it that birds love to target more than any other car, I suppose because it is such a reflective waterlike color, so yes, I would notice if it got "bombed" hehe! But I will look for the berries for sure this year and hope to catch sight of some cool birds! By the way, Sanrosa, such beautiful, beautiful cacti!!! I was looking admiring your lovely garden with the roses, but wowwwwwwww! The blooming cacti is STUNNING. I've always loved cacti's unique comical shapes- very whimsical and fun but those flowers are a DREAM! Even if it's not roses please post the cacti too whenever you can! We pride the Rose Gallery in being a place for Tea and company! People have their cats, their pets, Boxo has had his fluffy Pom poms and the koi/water lilies, there's been bees here and all kinds of fun stuff. And Renee's lovely boy was here too and Rosemeadow's lovely daughter holding up a flower. Kids and gardens make great photos. Cheers, everyone! And Happy Mother's Day to all you Mothers out there. Yesterday was my border collie's birthday- Eluane got birthday candles on her pork tenderloin/tomato cake...I got the evening bday cake on video James had to help me with that. But unfortunately this year was so hot, it was impossible to stop her from panting in the daytime shots so this year's photos weren't as nice as last year. Garden shot was at my home church's little side chapel. Here is the famous Ward Parkway stretch with the classic homes and lots of big flowering trees. No European bird cherries but similar more romantic flowering ones like dogwood, more rare magnolias- style of gardens is classical unlike newer suburbia with generic bloomers like the Bradford pear. Still can't see roses here, maybe too much shade with the very old large trees. Next time I'll take more photos of ward Parkway. My home church is very beautiful and is all stone and is at Ward Parkway.

What types of evergreens? If they are close to the neighbors side, are they ok with that? Some evergreens shed their needles and can be messy. Some grow quickly, some grow very slow, most grow in width as well as up and will quickly spread into the space there...and most are likely to give a lot of shade, meaning that you will be limited on what you can plant around them if there is not much sun. Pachysandra is a nice ground cover, very low maintainence and stays green all year. But, it does spread fast. I wouldn't put any ground cover if you have any desire to grow flower there at any point. If it were me, I would put up a hedge type shrub to act as a fence along the neighbors side, look for one that is pretty tame and grows fast - then you won't have to look at that boat. Gotta love people who park boats in their yard. We have neighbors with a boat the size of Rhode Island in their back yard. They got it cheap after Hurricane Katrina, took a flat bed truck and a crane to get it up here to the northeast, they put it in the yard, and there it has sat for the last several years - they worked on it for one summer and then just forgot about it, not even bothering to cover it in the winter...slowly it is turning into the world's largest birdhouse and the neighborhood's biggest eyesore...but what the heck. I digress... Anyway, hedges. Yes. And then something pretty and fast growing, centered in that space there. Like a Bradford Pear or a Wheeping Cherry. Plant pachysandra around it, or make a nice little flower bed with decorative rocks or whatever your husband wants. That's what I would do! Good luck!

My sister in Tn. woke up one night feeling something moving next to her body, she felt it and there was fur and she grabbed it and threw it across the room and got up and ran out, slamming the door. Her DH was away on business and she sat up all night and the next night until her got home. Took them all day to find it and "it", a squirrel was in a kitchen cabinet behind the coffee (we refer to him as Mr. Coffee now) Husband put on the gloves with a host of people watching and Mr Coffee got free so all hell broke out hahahaha. Eventually they cornered him behind the couch. The dog Lily was going crazy, to me this was all very funny. DH grabbed him again and took him to the woods across the street, of course we've videoed all this, let him go and the damn critter turned on him and bit him and refused to leave so we all walked away. Half an hour later we're sitting around and we hear Lily barking like mad, DH goes out and theres Mr. Coffee cornered by Lily and he's trying to scratch his way back in the house. The time he went for a looooooooong ride in the car and was released. It took my sister a long time to get rid of the feeling of a squirrel in bed with her. She closes the door at night now. lol

Fantastic! If I don't go with white cabs that is exactly the color scheme and look I want. Come to CA and do mine! Absolutely beautiful. I love everything and your pendants are so different. Unless I missed it up thread, can you please provide a style # or name and the source for those and your drum lighting fixture? I'd love to see how those pendants look turned on. So cool. Also regarding your layout, can you provide more info? Sounds like you knocked out some walls to make one room, but I'm having difficulty visualizing what was where. Can you elaborate and were the walls removed load bearing? I ask because we have a similar situation. Kitchen with a nook to one side that's all windows and both seperated from the family room by a half wall at the sink and "behind" the kitchen a seperate small dining room we never use. I'd love a more open floorplan and great room effect like yours, but we have lots of structural issues and still trying to decide if it's doable. So I'm just trying to visualize your before and after layout. That info would be helpful if you're willing to share. Thanks! Again, outstanding kitchen!!