Got a little bit more time, tonight to respond to the nice comments and the time some of you took, like 'idiothe'! You're SO RIGHT, I know, about the work that is ahead for me, in the not-so-distant future, but I just love the closeness of a sea of hosta! I'd rather have the instant gratification and then have to figure out what to do later, I guess. I can't wait till I'm begging people to take some divisions! I have several who have asked me "do you ever divide your hosta?" and I feel really *small* saying, "not yet"!! Not that I haven't shared, but some of my hosta are relatively new to my area, since I've only been about gathering them the past 5 summers, and I love the huge clumps they can eventually be! Phil--now that you've kidded me about 'showing off' I kinda feel like it probably does look like I am. And, I suppose I am, because I am so pleased at what all the work I've done has turned out to be, in a relatively short time!! I thought it would take me many more years to have it come together as it has, and I want you all, who are just starting out, to know you will be so thrilled with the outcome in less than 3-5 years, in my experience!!! So keep up the hard work and just know it WILL be worth it!!!! Paul--look into my eyes----you want more and more and more hosta, along with a wonderful variety of companion plantings!!! Is it working? hahaha Alexis--thank you again for your generous praise---and be careful of what you ask for! I'm easy!!! 'Threedogsmom', the only amending I do is on the surface with compost that is mixed with aged cow manure, and sometimes some alfalfa pellets sprinkled around the plants. And, I try to water them at least once a week, but don't always, especially if it rains, of course! Rain is always better for plants, over ground water and I love it when by the time I've made the rounds, the first hosta watered are already standing much taller! I have to also tell, you '3dogs' that every year that I use that composted stuff the soil is so much more improved!! I've always ground up my Fall leaves and put them on the beds, and the clay areas I've done that are nice and very black, with the clay seeming to recede down about 6" or more. With the composted stuff now being applied--just one year made a huge difference in an area out front that last year I could not get a shovel to take a bite, with me jumping on it! This year, it is now very workable!!! Amazing stuff!!! Going for more of it this week! Oh, and Dan--(one of my 'inspirational gardeners'), my pots usually do fine over the winter, but in '07 with the weird pre-mature Spring we had, I lost over 35 hosta, and many of those were in the whiskey barrels, too! Most of the others were in pots I hadn't planted yet, but I did have them tipped, to no avail that year!!! What I do, do, is plant them in pine-bark mulch that I've sent through our wood-chipper, since I can't buy pine fines or 'soil conditioner' in my area. I do add about 1/3 compost to the mix and usually I have no problems with them--AND, (a big 'AND') I've discovered that any barrel or pot will have a better chance of hosta-survival if it is in direct contact with the ground, not sitting on anything to level them or support them. In fact, I have 'planted' all my large pots, and barrels at least 2" deep (in-ground), and more deeply with the pots--up to 1/3 of the pot deep!! I think they stay more consistent a temp that way!!! I use to have my barrels on a triangle we made of treated lumber to prevent them from deteriating but find that probably is why I lost what I did in '07! Oh, and make sure to drill 1/4" (at least) holes around the sides of the barrels, every 8" or more about 6" from the bottoms and make sure there's drainage in the bottoms!I now cover the big hole in the bottom with 1/4" screening to deter voles!!! Again--thank you, all I've not addressed, so far--Lisa, Melissa, msjo, Mary, ptilda, sassy, Queenie, Starina, Carol, (Oh, I know I'm going to leave someone out--I'm sorry if I do!)--thank you ALL, for your enthusiastic comments, making me feel really good about my efforts!!! Okay--this time, I'm done!!

I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE HOW DEVASTATED I AM DUE TO THE FACT THAT SOMEONE STOLE MY BABIES. I HAD 16 PLUMERIA'S ON THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE, WHICH IS ALSO IN FRONT OF MY TENANTS APT., IT ALL STARTED ONE MORNING I CAME HOME AROUND 6AM, ( LAST WEEK) I NOTICED 3 OF MY PLUMERIA WERE MISSING, I THOUGHT MY GARDENER HAD MOVED THEM TEMPERARLY, SO I WENT ON ABOUT MY DAY, THEN, 2 DAYS LATER, MORE WERE MISSING, OH NO... I THOUGHT TO MYSELF. MAYBE, THEY ARE IN THE BACK YARD, NOPE.. I ASKED NEIGHBORS, AND SO-CALLED FRIENDS, IF THEY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.. NOT A THING.. THEN,THE VERY NEXT DAY 2 WERE GONE., THEN LAST FRIDAY NITE, I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT I HAVE BEEN VIOLATED AGAIN. RAPED, SLAPPED, BRUISED, SCORNED, AND LEFT TO DIE..... BUT WHAT ABOUT MY PLUMES??? ARE THEY FRIGHTENED? HURT? SCARED? ETC.. CONFUSED IS NOT THE WORD.. I HAVE THE BIGGEST HOLE IN MY HEART! NO ONE WOULD EVER KNOW MY PAIN.. IT'S LIKE WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT AT 33YRS OLD. AND I WAS LEFT A WIDOW AT AGE OF 29YRS OLD...EMPTY. MY HEART, MIND, BODY AND SOUL WENT INTO NURTURING, LOVING, TALKING, SPOILING, ETC. THEM.. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW BIG MY HOLE IS IN MY HEART. IT ACHES CONSTANTLY........ I REPORTED THE KIDNAPPING TO LOCAL POLICE DEPT.. WE WILL SEE....... GOD DOES NOT SLEEP...NEITHER DO I!!! ;(

I have to agree on the fondue posts. Takes a while to do, can do by soft lighting (if you're careful). Start with a luscious cheese fondue and a crisp wine, followed by a meat and veggie orgie, and follow up with sinful strawberries dipped in warm chocolate with kirsch. Then, put in the movie "Chocolat" and you're all set! Don't forget the tawny port with the chocolate course.

I have a very large oval roaster (14" with handles) that barely fits in my GE now, and a small 1.5 qt oval Corning - as well as the 1.5qt and 2.5qt rounds. I will have to switch to the round casserole or my 10" long Pyrex baking dish (with Saran) for the weekly meatballs (and maybe 10 minutes instead of 7). I just didn't know if the lid would fit on the larger round or be too tall but I think it's just under 6". Is there any room to the sides of the turntable or is it tight? I think my Corelle plates are smaller than 11" - I only have 4 of them but that's what we use in the MW - my Pfaltgraff plates are 10.5" but I don't like to put stoneware in the MW since they are second-hand (eBay and thrift to find made in USA) and I don't know if they've been soaked, could crack. I've got some mugs that have crazed since I've had them (only a few years), and my old set (again, second hand) did craze when I put them in MW, my cousin's have actually cracked but she lets hers soak in the sink - I always use the DW. I went to Lowes tonight and they didn't have it in stock, said I could order it and they'd have it in 2 weeks, could always return it if it was too small. Haier 0.7cf seemed flimsy. So thanks for the answers. I swear I had edited the original, but have 1 more question - is it heavy enough that it doesn't slide around when you open the door (since it doesn't have a button to pop it open, you have to pull on the edge)? Thanks