When landscaping our yards we tend to select plants and colors that we like. I’ve done that, too! My colors are dark green, Chartreuse, burgundy/bronze, yellow/orange and white. By keeping with a theme, it allows me to move plants around when dividing overgrown plants or putting them in a more desirable location.
The East side of my home gets a lot of hot cooking-type of sun until about 2:00 in the afternoon. It also gets less rain since the house shields it. So on this side the plants need little care and minimum water. I had landscapers add the large stones to help with erosion from the slope. There are various varieties of sedums
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including the popular Autumn Joy Sedum which honey bees LOVE! There is a Dappled Willow shrub in between two of the Golden Globe arborvitae. I severely prune it before winter then it regrows to 8-10ft each year, reaching the top of that window. The burgundy Barberries are medium-sized so don’t require much pruning to keep them small.
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The West side of the home gets 2-3 hours of afternoon sun. I planted 3 full sized Barberries years ago. The Hostas were originally planted when there was a Cherry tree at the corner for shade. I have to keep them watered during the heat if there is minimal rain. I’ve divided them a few times, giving some friends. The Vicary privet was planted by the builder 23 yrs ago. The Blue Spruce to the right is a Bakerii Dwarf Blue Spruce so it has remained 8-10 ft.
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The Back Yard has been in for many years. The Viburnums have now reached about 12ft and are a wonderful privacy screen. The birds congregate in these shrubs. The Norway Spruces are VERY tall now as is the Callery Pear. The plant in the lower front left is a Varigated Virginia Creeper vine. It is on a 3-section metal fence that hides the A/C.
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The space in front of the large Spruces has been a problem. Over the years I’ve tried three different types of plants in this area. None has survived or thrived. This Spring I tried again with plants that “may be” more tolerant of dappled shade from the pear tree. The new plants L-R are: Sweet Flag, Fireworks Fountain Grass, Coral Bells and Bonfire Cushion Spurge.
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I’m still working on the area next to the back of the house. Since I lost two of the Ninebarks to their powdery mildew problem and needed to move the Ligularia to a larger spot, I’ve had to select different plants. Late last summer I put in two Cinnamon Ferns. Two years ago I put in a Vanilla Spice Summersweet. I’m still trying to save the one remaining Ninebark. I added the Creeping Jenny a couple weeks ago to eventually provide colorful groundcover and help with maintaining moisture.
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This Pyracantha is many years old now. It’s huge and is a refuge for dozens of little birds. I no longer get the pretty orange berries in the fall because the mass of birds knock the berries off before they have a chance to mature to the orange color. It does have pretty white flowers in late Spring.
I wanted to somewhat conceal my back steps so I selected Karl Foerster Reed Grass to grow in front of it. I put it in last summer so this year is its first to grow as planned. Per
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the photos I’ve viewed on the Internet, the fronds start as white then turn yellow then rust. It has a columnar growth and “per the photos” shouldn’t outgrow this space.
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Every year I say, “now I’m done”, but who knows if this is the year I’m REALLY done!
The People’s President
I’ve noticed something about President Trump when he is with “regular people“. They seem to be completely at ease with hugging or touching him. That’s something we don’t often see with our presidents although Bush 43 seemed to get hugs on certain occasions. I’m sure in person President Trump must be a formidable presence when he walks into a room. Not only is he tall but he oozes power. One would think that would deter a feeling of closeness with him. However, I’ve heard people say that in person he’s very compelling, making people feel as if he’s truly interested in them. I suspect that was a major reason he was elected. He was “one of us”, using the kind of language we use. Hillary wasn’t capable of connecting with ordinary people in that way.
Recently President Trump held a bill-signing ceremony for the RIGHT-TO-TRY bill. This will give terminally ill people the option to try treatments that have not yet been approved by the FDA. At that ceremony was an adorable little boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His actions during the bill signing were absolutely precious as he attempted to get a hug from the President.
The President seems ever aware of the people near his “entourage” but not a part of it. In this video he being directed to his car but instead took a brief time to greet the law enforcement officers providing security. To this President, they aren’t just fixtures but REAL people who perform an important job AND who he wants to thank. Imagine how special that made them feel!
And of course, we all remember when the President stopped to retrieve a Marine One guard’s hat that had been blown off by strong winds. Even though the hat blew away again, in true Marine fashion, the guard never moved or cracked a smile.
The next time there is one of the President’s famous rallies, watch how people react to him. How they speak out during his speech, how they try to touch him, and how often they shout out “we love you”. The Democrats are at a loss to understand what the rest of America knows and loves.
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Posted in Commentary, Politics
Tagged President Trump, Right-To-Try Bill, Trump is the People's President