Yes the eastern states have been copping it. Snow etc, I am not a fan of cold. In the west has not been as bad, just a bit of a whinger when I think how cold you guys have had it, even Brisbane. I am waiting for those new solar panels with battery storage capacity (tesla) to come down in price in the next few years, before we retire I would like to have them in and paid for.

Second attempt was with Windex and same paper towel, which cleaned the two honed surfaces up pretty well. The lighter Raw Concrete seems to have been easier than the Sleek Concrete. And finally, to get rid of that pot scratch I used a non-scratching Scotch brite pad (what we usually use on dishes) with some diluted Soft Scrub. This one took a little more elbow grease but I'm satisfied with the results. My opinion is that comparing the two surfaces (honed vs. glossy) there is a marked difference. That being said, I currently have tile from 1978 and grout lines that are so deep and narrow I have to scrub them out with a toothbrush. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. We decided to go with the Raw Concrete after all, and like others have said, just expect that it'll take a little more work and show a few more stains. But then again, isn't that the whole point of concrete? That it looks industrial? I hope this has helped someone. If anyone is interested I'll try to post some more photos and real life feedback in a couple of weeks once ours is installed.

Two plants I can suggest that I have chosen for my garden, are virtually unkillable, will grow in almost ANY soil or weather conditions & require little maintenance are: butterfly/african iris & Celtic Cascade tree. Both can be left to go a little wild for a natural look, or be cared for, to fit perfectly in a more formal garden. In regards to the iris, I removed my entire garden of mature, property damaging trees when I moved into my new house, but didn't want to wait years for a new mature garden, so I searched online for ppl selling/giving fully grown specimens away before they did renovations or re landscaped! The plants were a cinch to dig up, replant in my heavy clay soil & are thriving! I even cut some of them in half before planting and it didn't phase them!

I only have 2.5 acres but have drawn an entire garden plan using the basic paint program on your pc. Start by drawing all the boundaries to scale then add the house and any existing trees or structures driveways etc. Then add a perimeter garden all around the fence lines if that is what you wish. These do not have to follow a straight line but can curve in and out to accommodate larger trees. For the rest of the space I drew a combination of large circles and amoeba like shapes. These represent the lawn areas. Connect all these lawn areas together with pathways at leas 2 metres wide. All the odd shapes left in between the lawn areas then become the gardens. Using the paint program you can then fill up these spaces with a variety of different diameter circles to represent the final size shrubs trees and perennials that you will grow. You now have a complete plan to follow when you begin planting. When you buy a plant, look at its size and height and see where it would fit on your plan taking into consideration whether is will get sun or shade where you position it. This method makes for easy mowing as all your grass areas follow easy curves. It also gives you a garden with many garden 'rooms'. You can adopt different themes for each room eg a white garden, a cottage garden, a tropical look garden etc. Also it is some thing that you can develop over time and easily keep track of on your pc. It also helps to keep a spreadsheet of all your plant purchases that shows their height, width, sun requirement bloom time etc. If this sounds like a lot of work then maybe it is not for you but I love planning my garden this way.