Hi Marchela, I know you said the post is closed, but I just thought I'd check, I would love to trade for silver threads and golden needles. I have quite a few minis that I could possibly get an eye or two from, I have an eye of cameo if you didn't get that already. Thanks, Catrina

Morning sun is perfect for hostas. Hostas are SHADE TOLERANT, not shade loving. Frances Williams is notorious for burning, even in full shade. Sounds to me that the crispiness is more a function of not enough water than anything else. Also, be aware that this is the time of year when most hostas, especially lighter color ones, start to look crispy. I'd suggest that you replant everything in the bed. Be sure to mulch the new bed with an organic mulch and not rock. This will maintain soil temperature and help moisture to stay locked in. If you find that this time next year, you're not liking them, you can find a different home for them. The full sun will help them to grow bigger, just be sure to give them lots of water.

crazy???? hosta groups all over the country have cut leaf shows .... i seem to recall they may have even had one in Britain .... a leaf is a fair representation of the plant.. and much easier to deal with, rather than digging up the whole plant for a show .. but there have been those kind of shows also ... one link below.. another here [copy and paste to your browser]: http://www.hosta.org/AHS_Activities/Hosta_shows.htm ken PS: there is also one or two people who specialize in hosta bonsai .... miniaturization of larger hosta.. now that is funny ... Here is a link that might be useful: some show pix

When I had the master suite created in my DH's home up north, it was crowded for bedside tables too. So I got two wooden tall plant stands, with 12x12" tops. They fit perfectly fine. Then swing arm wall mounted lamps for each side of the bed. Enough room for a book on the shelf below and a glass of water or whatever. I never just use an end table when there is an option to have a small chest beside the table. That works even in a small room with limited storage space. Every item has to WORK to make the cut when space is scarce. And, in the bedroom in Alabama, I am going to be sorry to leave it for the BACK bedroom, which will become an ensuite master, because it is beginning to look SO comfortable. It is a west-facing bedroom, on the street. It has two PAIRS of windows, and the closet and entry to the bedroom are on a third wall. That leaves one wall which has no windows and no doors or other obstructions. However, I did not want the bed to be sideways in front of the entry door, so had to put the bed first diagonally in the corner between the two pairs of windows. This worked fine for a while, with the wicker chests I use for bedside tables centered between the windows. However, it was hard to make up the bed. So I decided to center the bed in front of the windows on the street wall. I closed the blinds to block the high heat coming through those windows anyway. And then I found some floor/ceiling grommet drapes at Tuesday Mornings! That is when I got DH to install crown molding wide enough to mount the double drapery rods, and I started planning 3 layers of curtains...grommet drapes wall to wall on both window walls, sheers on the second drapery rod, and finally the top-down roman shades using 90% shade cloth and Thermasuede fabric as a liner. I am almost done with the curtain project, but even with the shade cloth pinned in place on the west wall, the difference in heat gain is significant. This room is 12 x 12 give or take an inch. We changed out sliding closet doors for 2 pair of Jeldwen bifold shutter doors which I painted to match the crown molding and base boards and other wood work. The wicker chests are on either side of a full sized bed, with lots of breathing room. There is a rocking chair near the closet. There is a third chest between the closet and the door to the hall, and a wall mount TV is above the chest. So now I've ordered the Hudson queen size storage bed from Room and Board in cherry. It should arrive this month. I can hardly wait. It is a platform bed with no footboard, and no box springs, and it measures 60 x 80. A full bed is 54 x 75, so only a few significant inches of comfort which I look forward to having. But when the contractor finally comes, and bumps out the master bath for a tub and a long walk in closet, we'll be moving this new jewel to the back bedroom. This current bedroom will convert to a nice study/guest room. Only we seldom have over night guests, and may just put desks and bookcases in there until we move the contents of the up-north house. It seems to me that we have plenty of space in the 12 x 12 bedroom. Since we've repainted and made the room so peaceful, I will now take a horizontal break to meditate or read or chat on the phone. It looks good in natural or ambient light all times of day since northern exposures give true light, and the shade cloth gives a sense of separation from the street. Keeping active pursuits out of the bedroom is conducive to rest and separation from the cares of life.