I have a disposal, and if you plan to use the prep sink for most of your prep work, it makes sense to put one there -- unless you hace a compost bin fro all the trimmings, peels, etc. I would advise against a bar faucet. I found one that I loved the look of, but it's reach is not enough to hit the middle of the sink. As a result, andy rinsing of veggies, cookware or even hand washing results in splashing out the back of the sink. It's the one thing we plan to replace in our kitchen redo. Smaller size pull downs are limited in choices, but I think they will work better -- plus you have a spray for rinsing veggies, rice, beans, etc. DH is now insisting on a spray for the new faucet and I have to agree that it will be nice to have there.

'splain please. It was a 12/3 going to the right for the over-the-sink light switch & receptacle then down to the D/W. You got me scratching my head on that one! I don't have a clue why there is a third conductor running to the DW. It might be worth looking at the termination of that wire. My hunch is that one of them is unused, but who knows? "I think the Two-Pole GFCI 20A breaker is a great idea. The breaker box is in a back bedroom so if it trips, no biggie in getting to it. Also, I read this while Googling Two-Pole GFCI 20A breakers: 'GFI devices cannot operate on circuits with shared neutrals.' True? False? Isn't that what I have (circuits with shared neutrals)? Just trying to cover all bases." That's a great question. As of maybe five years ago, I think the correct answer would have been "true". (How old was the source of that information?) But now, there are (at least) two types of two-pole GFCI breakers. The simple 240V two-pole versions will not work, because they only measure current imbalance between the two opposite-pole hots. These may have a white pigtail to the neutral bar, but that's only to power the internal circuitry of the breaker (essentially 120V). The second type--designed for 120/240V circuits--will work on an MWBC with shared neutral. These have a lug on them to attach the shared neutral as well as a pigtail to the neutral bar. Basically, they compare the output of the two hots and, if they're out of balance, they measure the current on the neutral to account for the residual difference. The bottom line is that it's important to make sure that the breaker monitors the neutral current and is suitable for use on the MWBC. (Also, it is possible that not all manufacturers offer a compatible breaker, especially if your main panel requires an old, discontinued or scarce breaker type.) BTW, your question made me rethink my estimate of a $30 cost differential. Those 120/240V GFCIs were quite expensive when they first came out a couple of years ago and I'm not sure how much they've come down in price. I may be too optimistic on that guess about price, so you might want to look at price/availability before you decide which way to go. (Also, if you can't find one at a big box store and have to go to an electrical supply house, they have a way of gouging a one-time walk-in DIYer with a ridiculously high "list price"!) *** Broaching a related issue here. If you go the route of changing the hardwiring to "plug in", I hope you're aware that you'll need to retrofit the appliances with proper cords and plugs. You shouldn't just put a new plug on the romex tails! "Retrofitting" is probably more easily done with the disposal, since they frequently come with a plug-in option. But dishwashers? Not so much.

We have a septic system & limit what goes down the disposal so I hadn't planned on one in the prep sink. During our reno, we've been using our kitchenette in the basement & not having a disposal in that sink drives me crazy (the crumbs, the stuff that sticks to dishes that you have to rinse off). I also remember reading in someone's post that their biggest regret was not putting a disposal in the prep sink. I added one to the prep sink.

Couple of things You could try a light on a timer above plants in basement to get them out of dormancy earlier. Set lamp on 14 hours or more starting in March. Extra heat might not hurt either. Another might be to concentrate on varieties that are known to be good bloomers. Penang Peach and Divine come to mind.