Personally I don't think using the Vinca minor would be the invasive problem you seem to think, especially if the variegated form you were intending to use was the "Illumination" form. In any case, other foliage contrast plants that you might consider for this spot in combination with Agapanthus,(and as long as you are being so picky about what you select, I'd recommend against the larger growing forms unless the scale of your garden fountain is large), might include things like Carex morrowii 'Evergold' or Acorus gramineus 'Ogon', Sedum 'Angelina', or perhaps a repeat of the Agapanthus using one of the smaller growing variegated foliage such as Agapanthus 'Tinkerbell' or the similar character of Tulbaghia violacea 'Silver Lace'. I suspect that you would probably object to the last one because of the garlic smell of the foliage, but it is still a great plant for the spot and exposure. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides could also give you a nice carpet of blue flowers and reddish tinged foliage in late summer/fall to continue the water theme, but this plant does also spread at the roots under favorable conditions, but I don't consider it weedy, just something that may need some editing occasionally if it grows beyond where you want it. Another low planting choice might include a massed ring of something like Echeveria agavoides 'Lipstick', Echeveria elegans or E. imbricata, Dudleya caespitosa, Sedum palmeri or Kalanchoe pumila.

Hi All, thought I would give an update on the birthday party flaps. So, I extend invitations to SS29 and SGS 8 1/2 to DS7's (he's now 7 hurray!) birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's last Saturday. DS7 chose the guests, short list including his 1/2 brother SS29 and SGS 8 1/2 and a few other kids friends. SS29's girlfriend, mother of his children, common law wife, calls and says they don't have bus/train fare to come! Nothing new but still a lot of nerve. As they have moved out to the desert, picking them up has become even more of an inconvinience. BUT, for the sake of DS7's birthday, DH does drive to pick up the crew from the desert. He gets there, then gf announces that the baby, SGS 2 1/2, is also coming to be cared for by DD36. Long story short, the crew shows up at Chuck E. Cheese courtesy of DH. Have not eaten, no gifts, dirty clothes it was unbelievable. SS29 spends the whole time playing with SGS 8 1/2, spends no time with my son, the one who invited him, DS7 whose feelings are hurt by this. SD 36 shows up with two more uninvited cousins from BM's side of the family but at least she pays for their play tokens. I won't continue the blow by tacky blow except, Because they live so far, we invited them all, SS29 included, to spend the night at our house, have a nice brunch and take them home. I get home with the balloons and gifts, SS29 has split, taken the bus for which he had supposedly no money to his mother's house to collect some items and basically dumped his kids on us to take care of over the weekend! No clothes, toiletries, no diapers or diaper stuff for the baby! I run down to Wal-Mart to buy pjs, Pull-Ups, diaper cream and a sippy cup. This time though, I let DH handle his people. I went on to church and brunch with my friends the next day after setting the kids up with some outdor games. Did not cook for them and put the Wal-Mart receipt on the counter. By the time I came back, he had insisted that his son, SS29 meet him at the train station to pick up his kids and take them back to the boondocks. If you want a nice LOL, SGS 8 1/2 left his library book at our house. SS29's gf called me and asked that I overnight it to her so it wouldn't be late. It took me a minute to collect myself from her gall. I told her I would pass it on to SD36 who could pass it on to BM, the grandmother, who could pass it on to them. Haven't heard from her since! Geez, they got a bag of new pj's, clothes, diapers, toiletries and fresh toothbrushes, I thought that was pretty good swag for some unexpected and not entirely welcome guests! Anyway, my son enjoyed his birthday admist all of the silly drama. The 2nd party planned at SD36 has been nixed.

Beth, a row quilt has blocks set into horizontal strips. So, you may have a horizontal row of cloud blocks, then a row of house blocks below it, then a row of flower blocks, etc. In the row-by-row last year quilt shops in the area had a pattern and/or kit available for their row of the quilt. Here in FL there were turtles, fish, suns, etc. And each shop usually had a quilt made up of several of the rows that were available. ETA - Google "Row by Row Experience 2016" and you can find the shops in FL that are participating this year. :) Donna

I do think you're right, Becky about Martha and her influence on that regard. (I remember buying my mother a parody magazine called, "IS Martha Stuart Living?" that poked fun at the idea of making utilitarian things decorative). Though I do have to give Martha props for the fact that each of her homes that she showcased was distinctly different. And much of what appeared in her magazine when I used to get it in the early 2000's still looks good today. I don't think I could say the same of BH&G or other shelter magazines aimed at the masses. Much of it was timeless. Although much of the decor that got sold under her label (especially at K-mart) maybe not so much. Of course, every time I want to rage about social media in general an Instagram in particular being responsible for the painful sameness of modern decorating trends, I run across something like this, and realize it's pretty much always been the case: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/it-came-from-the-70s-the-story-of-your-grandmas-weird-couch/ I would, however, argue that sometimes the whole modern farmhouse things FEELS more samey-samey because everything is in the grey/white color family. You can recognize other period styles for what they are pretty easily, but most of them had somewhat wider color palettes. You kitchen was rusty orange OR harvest gold OR avocado green. Now all True Kitchens(TM) are white or grey. Possibly that's another nuance: for so long now, wallpaper has been verboten and the dominant color schemes for walls and flooring has been either grey or beige. That requires lots of decorative elements to bring in color.