Flora, The reason I will be purchasing 8 cubic yards of garden mix is to fill 2 new raised beds. They will be 16 inches high (deep) by 12 by 5 feet. The raised beds will have to be filled first and any left over will be used at the side of the house to expand the bed there. I live in a city and don't have the space or the grounds to generate enough to fill such big raised beds, wish I did. The raised beds will help to extend my years of gardening. Just thinking ahead. Also they will be filled with the Daylilies that I want to breed. No bending over to dab pollen and care for the Mommies. I looked up the Anthemis, nice, maybe a little full. Does it flow over a wall? I love Coreopsis, and it reminded me of it. The Rock Soapwort is Saponaria Ocymoides. I ordered seed today. Luckygal, I have grown annual sweet Alyssum in every garden since I was a girl, always from seed direct sown. She will do her part again this summer in addition to the Soapwort. The little workhorse of the garden that ties all the unfinished ends together. Elizabeth

Hi EllaRose: Bluegirl in Texas posted a great tip on how heat at the bottom encourages root growth, see link below. Roses die in my zone 5a mainly due to: 1) fluctuations in temp., thaw-and-freeze, and a sun-room will do just that: hot sun during the day, and freezing temp. at night. My house has 22 windows, most face southern exposure. It gets above 70 degrees during the day with sunshine, then dips to low 50's at night. That's hard on plants. 2) Roses also die due to dryness in my zone 5a. The root balls, if buried in deep in wet soil outside, won't dry out. The root balls, if covered in a dark garage, and watered once a month, won't dry out. 3) Indoor plants: You have a HOT basement ? If there's a window, roses can keep growing, but there are many drawbacks: too dry, and you'll get spidermites. Too wet, or misting with sprayers, and you'll get black spots. I'm not sure if it's worth it. I kept herbs in a basement (with a window) and I'll never do that again. White flies, black canker from over-watering, not worth it. I agree with Seil that keeping them dormant (dark & cool) at a stable temp. is best. Freezing and thawing is hard on the roots. See link below for Bluegirl's excellent tip on digging a pit to shelter rootings in Texas fall weather. Here is a link that might be useful: Hot beds for fall rooting by Bluegirl This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Oct 25, 13 at 13:31

I cook the sausage in a very old, very seasoned cast iron skillet, using a slotted potato masher to squish it down, then scrape it with a wooden flat beveled spoon - spatula. I continue doing this while it cooks over med high heat. It breaks up nicely and you can easily get it to the size crumbles you want quickly with very little clean up. This is a recipe I have cooked for years and adapted it to our ever changing tastes. It came from a magazine that adapted it from "The New Chili Cuisine" by Nancy S. Hughes. I am cooking this for dinner tonite as the rain, chill and gloom just won't seem to leave. ~* My changes (almost the entire recipe, but I do not want to take credit for the original ~ which I have included) SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN AND PASTA CHILI 1 lb mild Italian sausages, casings removed ~* Hot Italian 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained ~* Del Monte Petite diced tomatoes w/ jalapenos ~* Onion - coarsely chopped 14 oz chicken broth ~*32 oz homemade chicken or turkey broth 4 oz chopped green chilis, rinsed & grained ~* 1/2 c(?) chopped sliced jalenpoes from jar I always have - amt - to taste so not to spicy 2 tsp paprika ~*omit 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ~* Chipotle red pepper (McCormicks) 2 T ground cumin ~* Chipotle Tabasco sauce to taste 15 oz can Cannellie beans, rinsed & drained 2/3 cup tiny pasta, cooked - makes 1 1/3 cups ~* omit often Cook sausage breaking it into small chunks until lightly brown. * Remove sausage and blot excess grease Saute the chopped onion and chopped jalapenos in the same skillet until tender. In a small dutch oven or heavy saucepan, add the tomatoes and their liquid, chicken broth, green chilis, and spices. Add the sausage & onion. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer, uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in beans & pasta ~ * I add the pasta to the individual bowls. Reheat & serve. ~ Top with fresh Parmesan. Serve with cornbread and or tortilla chips. This is very quick and easy. I hope all my changes don't intimate you. You can make this as spicy as you want - or not! It also freezes very well!

If you are at the deli tasting different meats try Lebanon Bologna if they have it. It has a vingery taste. Does not taste like bologna. We love it. I buy it a Publix. I would slice it thick enough to pick it up with a toothpick. Too thin and you won't be able to do that. They can advise you in the deli.