That's a great idea for glaces and pestos, which you tend to use in small quantities!

Gary: I first saw Philippine violet in a neighbor's yard. It was blooming and one couldn't help but admire it. She promptly broke off a branch and handed it to me, saying it would root easily. Her yard looked tidy so I didn't investigate before planting it by the A.C. unit. I'm SO glad I didn't know that others, such as you, find it invasive because I wouldn't have risked planting it. In this case, ignorance was bliss because I find PV to be a wonderful plant with only a seedling here or there to pull out. For me it's far from invasive. Sometimes I wonder if I've bypassed other worthy plants because they've also been labeled invasive. Maybe, for me, they'd be relatively well behaved and a garden treasure to be enjoyed. - June

Wow! The light comes on and thought springs forth. Good naming of a great photo!

I solved the same problem in our bedroom with roller shades. We have a big bow window with shutters on the bottom half, and I have yet to decide what sort of drapery I want for the window. I ordered simple room-darkening roller shades with a beaded chain raising and lowering mechanism (the top of the window is almost nine feet off the floor) from Blinds.com. They were about $55 each (at 36" die and 48" long), and I am very happy with them. They are every bit as good as some I ordered for another job from Smith + Noble, and cost a third as much.