The rocks you choose should be based on your personal preferences. The combination of one larger and one smaller rock works well, or consider using long, thin rocks placed in rows for another nice effect. Consider using rocks of the same color and variety rather than a mixture; this can look more natural and harmonious. All the rocks should be buried so that half of the rock is covered with soil. Doing this will keep the rocks in place. You may wish to plant towards a single raised point, such as a tall rock or piece of driftwood arranged semi-vertically. A slightly triangular effect also works well. Most rock garden plants (such as Alpines) favor sun. If you plan to place your trough in a shady site then you may need to choose shade-tolerant plants. Plants like alpines and sedums, or Aubretia, work well in sun; consider planting ferns, begonias and small hostas in shade. Some gardeners swear by the rule ‘a thriller, a filler and a spiller’ for container planting. One showy plant to catch the eye and thrill it, a plant to fill out space and provide an attractive backdrop, and a trailing plant to spill over the edge and create an interesting organic shape. Remember to plant trailing plants near the edge of your trough so they cascade over the side. Remember that if you choose only plants that disappear over the winter, your rock garden will look very sad for several months of the year. Consider planting some evergreens such as the sedum Stonecrop or the alpine groundcover Matted Globularia (Globularia repens). Rock gardens aren’t usually covered in plants that are crowded together. Leave your plants some breathing room and allow the rocks to be visible. They will need room to expand over time, especially if they are ground cover plants or creeping varieties. Once you finish planting your trough, consider adding an attractive inorganic mulch using something like pea shingle or shale. This sort of mulch will hide any bare soil between the rocks and plants and it will also stop the plant foliage from coming into contact with wet earth, which can cause the leaves to rot. Some alpines are adapted to absorb heat from the rocks they grow on. Mulch also suppresses weeds; weeds can be a problem in a rock garden because of the gaps between plants. Rock gardens aren’t intended to be high maintenance. You may need to attend to weeding. It’s important that your plants don’t drown in their planter. If drainage is a problem in the trough, consider sheltering it during the wetter winter months.  Consider feeding the plants in the springtime. Many of the alpines and sedums used in rock displays are very drought tolerant. However, you should consider watering during dry spells, depending on which plants you chose. If you are planting in shade, consider protecting plants such as hostas from slug and snail attack.
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One-sentence summary -- Select your rocks to create the trough garden. Think about textures and the colors of your rock as you work. Pick out plants that will do well in the location that you have chosen to put your trough. Consider the “thriller, filler, and spiller” philosophy. Think about picking out plants that can survive the winter. Give your plants some space. Add a decorative mulch (optional). Maintain your rock garden.


In your notes, summarize the experience, reading, or lesson in one to three sentences. These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point. Determine why that material stands out and make another note of what you figure out.  For lectures or readings, you can write down specific quotations or summarize passages. For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well. You may find it helpful to create a chart or table to keep track of your ideas.  In the first column, list the main points or key experiences. These points can include anything that the author or speaker treated with importance as well as any specific details you found to be important. Divide each point into its own separate row. In the second column, list your personal response to the points you brought up in the first column. Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response. In the third and last column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper. If you are struggling to gauge your own feelings or pinpoint your own response, try asking yourself questions about the experience or reading and how it relates to you. Sample questions might include:  Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother you or catch your attention? Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic? Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing? Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or experience? How do the issues or ideas brought up in this reading, lecture, or experience mesh with past experiences or readings? Do the ideas contradict or support each other?
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One-sentence summary -- Identify the main themes. Jot down material that stands out in your mind. Chart things out. Ask yourself questions to guide your response.


It almost goes without saying that blooming marshmallows are meant for use in one particular drink.  Of course, if you want to try it in another hot drink, the world is your oyster. One particular interesting option would be making the base with caramel flavored chocolate chips, adding allspice to your flower bud, and serving this alternative blooming marshmallow in hot apple cider.  Never to be forgotten, coffee is always a good call for sweet and seasonal garnishing. Always add the marshmallow buds carefully, with the chocolate base down.
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One-sentence summary -- Serve it with hot cocoa or coffee.


There are three shapes common to her design: her head, torso, and waist. She has a fairly oval face, with prominent cheeks, a rounded forehead, and a dainty, yet pointed, chin. The three shapes need to be in proportion to each other and all line up at the correct angles. When you're drawing Ariel, what is she doing? If she has fins, she's probably swimming! Include lines on her face to line up her eyes and nose, placement for her seashell bra, her elbow and shoulder joints, and fins. The most important being her unique hairstyle, of course! Remember: She's in water, so her hair doesn't need to be along her back and her fins are floating, too.  Ariel has wide, Disney princess eyes (they're all relatively similar). They're usually open and curious-looking. Her nose is dainty and small; her lips are generally in a bit of a smile. Her hair miraculously has no part and is incredibly voluminous. Her hands and arms are generally held strong but femininely, like a ballerina. She has definite poise (especially for such a youngster!). You want fine, definite lines that are determined and confident. If worst comes to worst, just resharpen your pencil. If you have anything to add or change, do it now! The outline is your last round of actual drawing. Did you remember the lines in her fins, top, and waist-frills? That's it for drawing! Are you feeling ambitious and going to tackle Flounder and Sebastian, too, or just keep it to Ariel? To keep it traditional, her seashell top should be purple, her tail should be medium green, and her fins light green. But this is your drawing -- maybe she should be sporting zebra stripes?
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One-sentence summary --
Sketch Ariel's wireframe. Sketch the additional shapes needed for her torso, arms and tail. Sketch Ariel's figure and add her unique design traits. Refine the sketch using a smaller tipped drawing tool. Draw the outline over the refined sketch. Erase and remove the sketch marks. Add color.