Just make sure you have the native tiger lily, L. superbum, and not the Chinese L. henryi. Try trout lilies, the native ones, and Canada lily too. Of course they are deer candy but deer-repellent with egg solids and cayenne pepper has kept the deer off my tulips this year. DR will stand for deer resistant in this post, DC, deer candy. What trees are they growing under - root competition, soil acidity? Moist or dry? Sand, loam, or clay? Ground cover - ferns (DR), Allegheny spurge (DR) (native pachysandra). Native asarums (DR). Mayapple (DC). Cardinal flower (DR) if it's damp. Aquilegia canadensis (blossoms eaten). Indian pink, Spigelia marilandica (DR). Coneflower does well in high shade, flowers sometimes eaten. Virginia bluebell (DR). Monarda (DR). Iris cristata, slug candy. Louisiana iris, DR and SR. (Give this one as much light as you can.) Phlox divaricata, DR. Vines - Lonicera sempervirens, Dutchman's pipe, cypress vine in rich loose soil. Shrubs - mini oakleaf hydrangea, Carolina allspice (has been DR but not this winter) Maybe some native azaleas that will stay small - R. austrinum (DR) has a delicious scent, so does R. 'Marydel' (DR) - first is yellow and flame colors, second pale pink. Native witch-hazel for winter scent. Spicebush - spicebush swallowtail host plant. DR. Can take a dry situation - I have it under a Norway maple. List is heavy on the spring bloomers but that is what most native woodland plants do.

Well now that we've established what it might be, I'll give you a dollar for it and expect change. :) Seriously I find you can buy some plants and pay a fortune and they are as common as dirt but people buy them anyway. People are still buying plants which invasive here in Florida! I usually shop at my local Walmart because their garden center is great I think because the manager knows something about plants and there is no other place other than HD or Lowes. One time when I went to an orchid show one of the vendors had paphs. SHe had obviously bought them from Walmart because the tags were the same, pots everything except the price which was higher of course. I guess the price is determined by what the market will bear. Barb

Joe, Windows are somewhat regional and for the most part, the upper NE and colder regions of the country seem to have a more dedicated focus on making and necessitating the supremely good performing windows that are out there. Albuquerque certainly has weather and windows that would call for a well performing and airtight window but as you mentioned, there just doesn't seem to be as much representation there. Once you get over the Rockies and at high elevations, that thins the herd of windows that will even ship to that location. Anlin, Amerimax, and Milgard are all pretty well thought of brands on the West Coast too.

Able to check this for the first time today...yes, lamps are shaped like actual coral. Not just coral colored. They are red in color, and the overall lamp height is fairly tall. They would have some presence, that's for sure. marg/birdlover/ttodd- Yes, definitely like the coral stuff and have for awhile. If they weren't so pricey, I would buy them in a heartbeat and just store them if I got sick of them. julie- thanks for your honest opinion:) rmkitchen- I know it sounds somewhat wacky with the printed chairs and all that jazz. I like your theory, maybe it is my conscience trying to tell me they would look funky with my other decor, LOL. I will try and post pics of my bedroom. Once I dust and pick up (kid's toys, clothes, extra pillows, extra blanket, suitcase that is still sitting there unpacked from our last trip, etc.) finz2left- I love that you grew tropicals! I have always wanted a potted lemon or lime tree to keep in the house. I think you just gave me the courage to finally do it:) celticmoon- Yes, coral with white and blues definitely seems beachy. My bedding has oatmeal, red, and lots of blue. Not exactly a beachy pattern, but I do have blue curtains. You are right though- lots of black to ground it. It would probably be more of an issue if I had white painted furniture or rattan, LOL. auntjen- thanks for the words of encouragement. And yes, you are correct. lamps are coral shaped and bright red. And on another note: those darn opossum just love cat food! We used to see them all the time on the back deck, munching away.