Hallson Gardens

Practice with a single strand first until you are comfortable with putting the stitches in the ring. Another option would be to chain however many and instead of joining to make a ring, put the stitches in the chain furthest away from the hook. Might sound screwy, but it works really well.

Where it turns into a mess is actually a very simple instruction once you are comfortable reading a crochet pattern. When it is in brackets like that, it just means that you repeat the combination of stitches shown however many times indicated.

I always find the middle by feel. Once you get that first stitch in the middle, the rest follows. One of my favorite crochet forums is www.chrochetville.org . it is the forum where the professional crochet designers hang out with the hobbyists and they are great about helping with problems. Come che...

The unplanted hellebores that got moved to the greenhouse during those really cold three weeks are now blooming. I'll get pictures posted later. Everything outside is raring to go and I can't wait to bring home the 40 or so that DorisJ has been "babysitting" for me for the last four years. Lots of p...

My cats used to love little balls of aluminum foil.

The dogs love (not only their toys) my socks, tea bags, balls of yarn................anything they are not supposed to have!

It wasn't meant to come across as hissy. Sorry about that.

Guess I was just in a "poor me" mood.

Here I thought other dog owners would be interested in a longer lasting, inexpensive toy fr their pets. Guess I
was wrong.

My dogs love stuffed animals but will destroy them rapidly. I found out (quite by accident) that the stuffed animals made for humans hold up to dog abuse where the ones made for dogs don't. They are currently playing with two tigers, a leopard and a water puppy(seal) and in over six months of play h...

So, Mike. What is more important to you? Size or longevity. Rich soil is great for size but shortens life on this plant. Lean, sharp draining soil may not make great big plants but they are far hardier.

Speaking of size and longevity, thanks for the pics you posted for me!

Plant Delights nursery will be having their Garden Open House in the time frame that you are there. Think high quality unusual stuff.

One thing I really like aboout a leaf mulch is how much earthworm activity it encourages.

DH and I went to the Garden of MU today, DH to help run wire for a hot tub, me to oogle and google over what he has been up to in the plant department. Seems like every time I go they have yet another new garden bed in. Mike (Garden of MU) probably sees everything yet to be done where I look at what...

Love the vet's scale! Deuce is up a couple, Tabi is down one and I am down 5 more!!

"Don't mind me. I'm not here for an appointment. I just want to check my weight"

Just got back from spending 5 days at Mom's house. She recently had a hip replacement and is doing well, but her husband went out of town for a week so my sis and I took turns spending time with her. Why is it you never sleep as well elsewhere as you do at home?? I missed DH, I missed the pups and I...

Alfalfa pellets would be great in the springtime as well as a top mulch of compost. If you wanted to give them anything right now, I would scratch in some bonemeal. I have also had fantastic results with kelp, both liquid and meal. Just got back from caretaking my mom for five days. After a good nig...

From the condition they were in when you planted them, I would say that they think they've already gone through dormancy and are doing the growing/blooming thing again. It won't hurt them, but do give them a low nitrogen, high phosphorous, high potassium fertilizer to strengthen them for next year's...

Even if you don't get ribbons, take heart that the people looking at them will be in awe of the craftsmanship. Do be prompt in picking up your entries. My sister entered a redwood burl coffee table that she had made and when she went to get it, it was nowhere to be found. It was finally located seve...

Lilies prefer to be planted deep. The roots that come from the bottom of the bulb are anchorage roots and the feeder roots are within the top few inches of soil. The shallower the bulb is planted, the fewer feeder roots you have. What I would do at this point is leave them where they are until the f...

More than likely there are bulblets that formed around the original bulb sprouting. They may not be mature enough to bloom. By the by, Easter lilies are forced to bloom at that time. Normally they are August bloomers.

Consider it a bonus if you get a second flowering.

Karma, you are okay leaving it exactly where it is at. The smaller leafed rhodies are generally alpine and do prefer sun more than shade.
What can I say? You might leave a career but the knowledge never fully leaves you.