I only use miracle gro potting mix-not the soil.Yes,I put mine in full sun and there they stay until the tops come off,then if they start wilting any,I will move them under the butterfly bushes.Last week end was the first tops to come off.Now I wish I had not of taken any off because we are expecting a cold front.I also have more in another area on a stone path leading from my back steps to the herb garden.I have 2 portable green houses full of flats that are sprouting and about another 75-100 more containers on my screened porch.I sow about 10-20 containers almost daily.I have some big gardens to fill up and I love having lots of color.I will take more photos and let you see all my babies.I do not use fertilers until I plant them out.I will try to answer any questions you have and help in any way. moonphase

Well, Yes Donna I am; thanks for asking! I didn't feel like I had anything that relevant to share until I started reading here. It's funny how so many of the little things you make choices on translate into a simpler life. I live by Talley Sue's ROI rule...for clothing, my sister calls it CPW (cost per wearing). I recently hit the summer sales because I had some events I needed clothing for, but didn't want to spend much money on. I hate to clothes shop so much that I usually end up paying far too much to buy an item for an event, simply because I don't want to invest the energy or the time. I decided this year to take advantage and make a marathon of it and really think about my purchases. Listing all the events I knew I had coming up, I went from there. I purchased items I never would have in the past, yet shopped much smarter than I ever have. For example, I can never find jeans...and on that trip, I bought two pair of outrageous designer jeans that fit. (I have never spent so much money on JEANS, but it was the right thing to do.) They were on sale, I got them altered for free, they look fantastic and I'll wear them until they fall off in tatters. On the other hand, because of the sales, I bought two dresses, one for a party and another for a wedding I'll be attending in the fall; both for $16 ea. That made me feel great, since I won't wear those much. I filled in my wardrobe with some black pants, and a number of tops that will take me to most events, all at ridiculous 75% off prices. I tried everything on, and refused to buy anything that didn't fit perfectly. What this did for me was allow me to pull any of those clothes out of my closet and wear them without a moment's hesitation. I went home and vowed to spend an afternoon in my closet trying everything on so I could purge ALL my clothes to that same extent. It's a lot more fun to shop my closet now! You know, I dressed for a party last week and didn't even look in the mirror before I left. There's a lot of freedom in knowing everything fits and looks great! Another discovery I made recently had to do with the number of hummingbird feeders I have. I hesitated to put them out this year because I have quite a few and have to clean them often to refill, especially in the heat. Since hummingbirds are one of the highlights of my life, I decided to keep half of them on reserve in the fridge. That saved me a bit of a chore, I have a place for the reserve food, and they're all ready to go. The hummers eat until they're empty, and resources of food and energy (mine!) are saved. That definitely made my life easier and simplified the process for me.

bella rosa (or anyone, really), I've a question. This past summer we completely re-did our small backyard, and there's an area that I can plant a somewhat larger group of poppies - not massive, but would make a nice area for a small mass planting. Full sun, I just need to add/amend soil (which we'll do in February when we finish off other landscaped areas). I'm a bit concerned about weeding. I enjoy weeding mind you, but we've added so many beds (which is why I'm trying WS so I can now have flowers again!) and I'm a bit worried it'll all be overwhelming. So I'm wondering, over time, can I fill that area with enough poppies that they compete with most of the weeds? Also, would you recommend other flowers interspersed with the poppies? ETA: I ask the above question about crowding weeds as I can't recall how large the poppy plants themselves are at the ground. bella, I blame you partly for this idea! The One Stop Poppy Shoppe has me drooling! I first fell in love with poppies when I saw a small mass planting in NM and was enchanted with those huge colorful blooms! I hope my WS of poppies goes well as I've never had them before. I've finally finished my list of WS and spring planting seeds. Yes, I need more jugs, but have narrowed it to 19 varieties for now and I'll just transplant or pull if I'm not happy with anything over the years. Our weather tomorrow is supposed to be a balmy 69 F in zone 7, so waiting to WS works well for me! And I am including a couple ornamental grasses due to the posts here - you all are so inspirational! Mia is a doll! I adore black poodles... heck, I love all poodles and have been momma to some sweeties for the past 46 years : ) Our current is Rose. She no longer sports long hair or the top-knot. She's a rascal too, very spirited but smart as can be (as are all poo's). Jay, I'm a cat person as well! Love all animals really. Our current newly adopted kitty was a wondering stray and she's now a very spoiled house cat : ) She chases the dog, the dog chases the cat, and basically they have a great time with one another, giving us laughter at their crazy antics and attention-getting. I'm going to start cutting jugs tomorrow, but won't order my seeds until Monday, so it'll be a while before I do any WS. I imagine I will make plenty of my own blunders!

Keep researching. It may be possible for a landscaper (the kind that do earth moving) to rough up and level the rubble of the existing asphalt to use as a bed for a new surface. That would save the cost of removal. You are fortunate that the driveway is lower, as this wouldn't be advisable if it meant building it up. Look into all possible surfaces, prioritizing those that are permeable so you will capture stormwater runoff. If you have lawn you are mowing anyway, you can make the driveway appear seamless with it by embedding permeable pavers. The right gravel (a crusher run) could work if you solve the underlayment. Take your time on this as it's worth getting right. A shiny new asphalt driveway would be my last resort, for aesthetic and ecological reasons.