OK TIME FOR AN UPDATE: A: Bungalowmonkeys is correct - it's Neptune. B: OK this is a toughy because it doesn't appear that too many of you have this one. Maybe because it's nothing earth shattering to look at but it has "great" tall scapes and lavender flowers (there now, I just gave you a clue). C: No one's guessing this one - hmmm.....OK clue: white flowers on a very large plant. D: stoc is incorrect, it's not June. Clue: think odd-toed ungulate. E: Bungalowmonkeys is on a roll - it is indeed Liberty! F: Newhostalady wins this one - it's Marilyn Monroe. G: No one's got this one right yet. One of the few hostas I have seen with a punctuation mark in its name. Talk about handing you a clue on a silver platter! H: I am impressed with you Bungalowmonkeys, it is in fact Empress Wu. Back to it now!

Eric! Doggonit, I knew I couldn't get it passed you! There are TOO many bamboo nurseries in Washington. Shot me off the mountain as soon as I got to the top. Good Answer! A bamboo node, it is. I knew it was too easy, maybe next time I will be more prepared. I will have to post the larger picture in another post. Kt

Thank you all. Such a wide range of pricing. The GC is not a friend or family member. I will try to do the reveal and costs tomorrow. FY - total cost not including appliances/fixtures/sinks/lighting (which came to about $20K) was $60K. I also tipped the workers what probably amounted to around 2% of the job. As someone above said and I agree, the package pricing IMO was a mistake for my personality, but in the end I think it worked out. Papillons and shedding. Kinda, sorta. But not that much. We have had lots of dogs and on a scale of 1-10 I would say around 3.5. My husband takes me to the airport a lot and the tan one sheds sitting on me, the little black one doesn't so much. So, if I am wearing a black suit, I put a blanket over me. When we sweep, there is dog hair and when we vacuum there is dog hair. That said - they sleep in our bed and dog hair isn't on the bedding. There aren't doghair dust bunnies floating by in the breeze when a door opens. Sometime there is a collection in a corner if we haven't swept in a week. I am allergic to a lot of stuff, some dogs included. I am not affected by them. They should be brushed a few times a week but it isn't horrible if we go a week or two and don't. They get a bath every other month or so. I have clippers and scissors and do a "sani cut" That is all. You would want to do that or take them to a groomer every few months. If you cut any of their ear hair you will go straight to Hell.

Lisa, fun post and gorgeous blooms! (in January!) (Congratulations to Nik and all players) Sheila, I was interested in the DA own-root RMV question, too. Last spring I called their Customer Service who said they’d research the source of own-root cuttings and got back shortly to say they’re all from back home in the UK. They believed the mother plants there were grafted, but that doesn’t sound like a problem, does it, since they apparently aren’t plagued with the virus there, fortunately. (Nice, husky own-roots from what I’ve seen.) Not too late to say “Happy New Year!” to all! Linda