Hallson Gardens

I'm wondering how everyone uses alfalfa as a fertilizer because I want to try it this year. I've searched on-line and find conflicting opinions about what works best and why. Some say to use pellets because they're easy to scatter, some say scattering pellets doesn't work because critters will eat t...

kaylyred, we've gone through a few very dry (some full drought) summers recently and then last winter was freakishly mild. Last year was also the first time I ever lost any plants to weather conditions -- including several heucheras and my 'Little Sunspot' hosta! :( In general, last year was the wor...

I'm glad to hear that someone has spring!

LOL!!! Good one! I love that you had to bring it up close to your face... Reminds me of the time I almost grabbed the "cat" to bring it in after darkness (it was actually a skunk, but I couldn't see it well enough. :) I don't know how opossum tastes, but I can tell you that it makes a *great* winter...

Hi -- If you're still considering some kind of shrub, I also like the Rose of Sharon suggestion. Or maybe a red twig dogwood (osier) would work for you? Mine is only a few years old but it grew up FAST -- allegedly you'll get the best color by pruning out the larger branches each year, so it's worki...

Beautiful! Good luck with it.

Hello. We had a very mild winter for us, followed by a March with temperature swings from the upper 80s to the low 20s. I suspect it was the March weather that caused it, but, for the first time ever, I actually lost some Heucheras and see some hostas appearing to dwindle away... I think it's becaus...

Hello everyone. It took me awhile to find this OLD post, but I wanted to report that my Elegans is back to looking normal! I remembered the leaves being far too small and narrow last year, but had completely forgotten about the rippled leaves in 2010. I think the odd growth must have been due to dro...

Just thinking: How about been a weed in your next life

lol! Good one!

wow from here too. You've posted some great photos but I especially love the one of the river.

poor thing. It reminds me of a trifid. lol!

ok, thanks. I figured it must be a deer but they've never come into the yard to eat anything else before. I can tell from the amount of leaves disappearing that it's come back at least once or twice. I sure hope he doesn't eat the entire thing!

Hi all -- My 'Dark Star' looked absolutely gorgeous this year -- and apparently also looked very tasty. Some critter has made a couple visits and has eaten every leave on one half of the plant. Nothing but full stems remain on that side of the plant. :( I'm guessing that a deer eats hostas that way,...

Pretty lilies! I especially like Brushstroke and Polkadot Bikini!

We've had a long wet cool spring here and most of my asiatics are open now -- they are much taller than usual so I don't know if it's caused by the excess rain or the lack of sun. lol.

Basket-weaving willow (salix) would love it! Think pussy willow tree.

That Paradise Island is fantastic!!!

OMG, I pushed everything back to inspect it and there are red (brownish red?) speckles and noticeable striations all up the stems, from the ground to 5" up or so. By striations I mean vertical lines of reddish color that are about 1/4" long. Weird. I have never noticed them before because I always l...

Chris, I always forget that the flowers are used for ID purposes. :oops: I'm thinking they aren't as dark as I expected them to be, but will check for sure this year. kaylyred, it never occurred to me that sunlight would make that kind of difference in the leaves, but I'd say this hosta gets a mix o...

oh, wow -- thanks for the nice comments! Noreaster, I keep putting off moving plants and they just keep getting bigger and harder to actually do. If anyone wants about 300 lbs of siberian iris, come see me. lol! LindaP, I like everything jammed in! and I love mixing perennials to have the gardens co...

Thanks for the reply David. I looked it up in the hosta book for size/characteristics before I even posted, and I think this hosta doesn't even come close to the description of Lancifolia. lol! The leaf size and vein count seems wrong, and I couldn't detect any red speckling anywhere, but I'm no exp...