Many years ago I read a rather prejudicial statement by a gardening non-american who said that American Gardeners were like babies. If it wasn't big bright and shiny we couldn't appreciate it. Well, I disagree-WAH! The point is that some of the seed heads of Alliums are also attractive in their own right (as Cameron mentioned about Purple Sensation) if you have an eye for such things. For instance I've used the Drumstick Allium heads in dried arrangements with success. Also at a teaching garden I was attracted to a group of medium growing large flower heads that looked like an explosion of fireworks had just gone off. It turned out they were the seed heads of Allium Schubertii. They were planted in front of an evergreen shrub border with competition from nothing else "bright and shiny" to distract, and their unusual form took center stage. The guide said that they stayed like that for at least a month or so. I've never seen them in bloom, but had I a similar set up, I'd certainly try the same combination. Here is a link that might be useful: Allium Schubertii

In my garden, Japanese beetles seem to prefer only basil and snap bean leaves. They were also pretty dumb and easy to catch with gloved fingers, so I collected them by hand and fed them to the hens. (You could pinch them and put them in a birdfeeder, if no hens? The ladies love these so much, I'm sure they're candy to any bird.) It took a week of twice-daily beetle patrols, but they seem to be gone now. And they're still all over the wild grapevines in the hedgerow between my field and the neighbors', so I don't think it's a season thing--I think I had an actual victory. They were pretty squidgy, though, so if you do choose to handpick I cannot recommend gloves highly enough.

PineBaron I'm with your DW on white or really dark, but I've had the white (although not my first choice at the moment) and gonna go for the really dark. Glad to hear I have a buddy in the process :) Sounds like you have a similar color scheme and other ideas I'm going for. I don't know why it makes me feel good to know that I'm not out in lala land with my ideas. lol omg i just clicked on the link! are you kidding me. that is gorgeous property, view, home! Loveit! the interior, the kitchen is what i envision on a smaller scale. I even have several sizes of that long bar hardware pictured in your kitchen drawing. Love the stacked cabinets . May I ask how tall those cabinets are stacked? such a cool look. Just wondering if there is a rule for stacking sizes? I like it when the bottom one is still somewhat tall then the top more of a square. Not sure if I have the ceiling height, but looks like you will! Living room, bathroom love. wow thanks for sharing all the pics. i'm gonna go read the whole thread and I'll be following you! good luck your blessed to have all that, enjoy! thanks again for sharing :)

I didn't see the North Houston Roses image, until I looked for it on HMF. I've never seen that solid light pink on 'Sui Mei Ren' -- but different conditions do commonly make alterations in color. I CAN say that 'Sui Mei Ren' is, as Ingrid mentions, quite changeable as to color. To some extent, even to form -- Here's a spring photo, with fewer petals: And here's one that's more yellow-ish: But what I would call "salmon pink" is most common, here: And, yes. The blooms are quite large! It's a very interesting (and I think, worthwhile) rose.