Are we somehow mentally linked or what?! My H also likes to garden. He does all the planting in the yard. I try to do a little, but they usually die. Of course, his die sometimes, too, or the darn rabbits eat them. He has much better luck than I do. I don't do any better with potted plants. I guess I do "more of the same" with plants, too. I keep trying the same plants because I feel I just didn't do it right last time. When I plant what H wants and where he says I should, they do much better.
Would your H like it if you helped him with the yard work? Maybe if you do something with him that he likes, he will eventually start doing more things with you that you like.
That does sound like good news. If your H picks the tiles and the paint, it would seem that he is thinking positively.
I haven't heard back from my H, yet. He doesn't usually e-mail back. He is a slow typist, so he prefers the phone. He will send short e-mails. He probably is having a busy day and either hasn't had time to read his e-mails yet, or hasn't had time to call. He calls me almost every day anyway, unless he is too busy or is very mad. Neither of those sits happen very often. Even if has a busy day, he squeezes in a phone call anyway. He likes the break.
My H also likes to garden. He does all the planting in the yard. I try to do a little, but they usually die. Of course, his die sometimes, too, or the darn rabbits eat them. He has much better luck than I do. I don't do any better with potted plants. I guess I do "more of the same" with plants, too. I keep trying the same plants because I feel I just didn't do it right last time. When I plant what H wants and where he says I should, they do much better. 
