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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Believe it or not, I've been spending a lot of time picking out plants for the front landscaping. My problem has been I fall in love with a lot of different plants and keep changing my mind! But since I decided on a general "look" for the front yard, I've been able to narrow down my choices. So here they are, for posterity, so I don't change my mind. Again.

I already have an Island Oak (quercus tomentella). It was one of the first things I planted, and I picked it for entirely practical reasons: it's very drought tolerant and wildlife friendly, but narrower than the most common oak around here (Coast Live Oak, quercus agrifolia) and will shade the yard and still fit.

I'm also keeping two of three Catalina Island cherry. Also planted for practical reasons: drought tolerant, wildlife friendly very narrow form that I planted to screen the ugly McMansions from view. Two grew true to form (altho one seems to have a little hollyleaf cherry in the mix) and one grew in as a "weeping" form. Absolutely bizarre, but when you propagate from open-pollinated seed I guess you never know exactly what's gonna come up.

A couple of other plants I'm keeping: purple trailing lantana, and creeping Oregon grape (berberis repens), a lovely low-growing plant with holly like leaves, bright yellow flowers and blue berries.

Some plants I'm getting rid of: I was sold three plants as "repens", and they're now 6' + tall, and that's AFTER being pruned down a lot last year!
Also, Ashy leafed California buckwheat. Nice little bush, but absolutely in the wrong place.

So...

Ground covers to replace the lawn:

Dwarf coyote brush (baccharis pilularis)... nice, low, evergreen ground cover but with small flowers that drive pollinators wild.

Spreading sage "Gracias" (salvia Clevelandii X Leucophylla) a beautiful silver- leafed low growing sage with whorls of blue-lavender flowers in spring.

Low-growing California buckwheat, Seacliff buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium) with gray leaves and pinkish-cream small pompoms of flowers that fade to deep, rich rust color. Host to small blue butterflies and great nectar source for lots of bees and butterflies in late summer.

California fuchsia. A narrow-leaf cultivar from somewhere around Hollywood hills, with trumpet-shaped scarlet flowers in late fall/ early winter. (Like, blooming now.) Great 'pops" of color and loved by hummingbirds.
All can get by on water once a month.


I'm still deciding on what my accent plants are going to be, but it's going to be one of the awesome smelling sages (salvia Clevelandii and cultivars or mixes).

Also, thinking about a bunch grass. The ones of the right size are bad for pets, so I'll probably just go with a sterile fountain grass.

Foundation plants will be coffeeberry (not a real coffee bean).

Some plants in the front will go in the back. I have a spot where the downspout dumps a lot of water, so: goldenrod, yarrow, chrysanthemum.
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger


AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Just a quiet, gray morning. For a change, I woke up comfortable. Nobody else is awake. After all the scheduling mishaps this week*, I get to enjoy peace and quiet all by myself.
* We had scheduled for dear daughters exercise group party on Thursday, shopping and the handyman (and temporary water shut off) on Friday and hubby's medical test on Monday. Instead, the clinic called on rescheduled him to Friday, and the handyman called and said they had sent him a bad part so he needed to reschedule for next week. At least the shopping got done, but all that meant I wound up short of sleep.

For scheduling reasons family and foothill friend and I are celebrating T-day and my b'day on Dec 1. I can't believe I will be 70. I still have lots to do. Where did the time go??

Think I'm gonna take my coffee over to the sofa and daydream for a bit.

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger


AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

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Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:

For scheduling reasons family and foothill friend and I are celebrating T-day and my b'day on Dec 1. I can't believe I will be 70. I still have lots to do. Where did the time go??

Think I'm gonna take my coffee over to the sofa and daydream for a bit.

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Well, here's a early happy b-day and Turkey day wish.

I know what you mean and I'm only 60. Too fast and still so much I want to do.

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BRENDA:
Been forgetting things yesterday. Almost went out without my backpack. *L* Had to come back from the elevator to get it.

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:

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Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:

For scheduling reasons family and foothill friend and I are celebrating T-day and my b'day on Dec 1. I can't believe I will be 70. I still have lots to do. Where did the time go??

Think I'm gonna take my coffee over to the sofa and daydream for a bit.

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Well, here's a early happy b-day and Turkey day wish.

I know what you mean and I'm only 60. Too fast and still so much I want to do.

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Better get started on that second book, BRENDA, if that's what's on your agenda!

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BRENDA:
Been forgetting things yesterday. Almost went out without my backpack. *L* Had to come back from the elevator to get it.

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Wow, me too!

Hubby is significantly older than I am, and at this point takes responsibility for ferrying us around (family chauffeur), percolating coffee every morning, keeping the computers and electronics updated, and making the bed. That leaves me as the family scheduler- organizer- coordinator- decision maker. Aside from the fact that that hits some of my already weak points (I joked at work that I was a scheduling dyslexic, and relied heavily on one of my team leaders for that) it also hits on my crappy memory. Which is only getting crappier as time goes on. I use all kinds of aids- big family calendar, kitchen white board, diary, smart phone alarms, and lots and lots of lists... but I live with the nagging fear that I'll forget something really important some day. Throw too many things into the hopper and I kind of go into brain freeze.

I can't multitask like I used to either. I got pretty good at burning meals until I figured that out!

But it's gotten worse lately. I feel like my brain is leaking out my ears. I think it's too many things to juggle but maybe it's just me.

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
BRENDA, I think what you're saying is ... "Without anyone to report to/ be responsible for, demands on memory are reduced, and even if something's forgotten it only affects me, so who cares?" And when you say "tighten up" you mean ... ? Seems like you keep yourself pretty much on schedule, so aside from ADDING to your schedule (the equivalent of taking care of someone else) what are you thinking of?

How is the moisture situation there in BC? Except for the bomb cyclone, it seems like a pretty dry winter so far. Good for walking, not so good for fires.

Congrats on getting your bookwork done! And I hope the tiles fall your way next mah jong game!


*****

SIX
How do you think Menards compares to Home Depot?

In our area, Home Depot represents the Walmartization of hardware stores. It drove out a much better hardware/home improvement store, almost as large in square footage but with a much better selection, called All American.

Aside from the crap lumber (needs intense scrutiny! ) it looks as if known tool brands have a separate, subtly cheaper, line of tools just for Home Depot. For example, there is a Makita circular saw- that model sells with a brake elsewhere. At Home Depot, it doesn't have one.

Complete disorganization of small parts. It's not Home Depot's fault, just goes along with Walmartization. Our daughter's caregiver's daughter worked at both Target and Walmart. At Walmart, they just tossed the stuff they didn't want on the floor. At Home Depot, they just toss it into the nearest (irrelevant) bin. Better bring a tape measure!

How's the current project, SIX? I definitely can understand being consumedby a current interest, altho with daily responsibilities I can never go too astray for too long.

****

Been able to get outdoors. My current project was to clean up and paper over the 3.5' next to the front curb, but it's been subject to "mission creep". Got productively derailed into digging/teasing out the Bermuda grass from, and recovering, the remainder of the woodchip mulch pile delivered to our front yard a year ago. About 5 more hours of work, at the rate I can deliver, and the entire 3.5' curb strip will be cleaned and graded/weeded, ready for papering over, reinstalling the bender board, and mulching with my (recovered) remaining mulch.


Speaking of responsibilities ... dear daughter went to a get-together five days ago, and caught a flu. Not Covid (we checked) but I am waiting to sneak into her room and feel her forehead, since she spiked a 102F (39C) temp late yesterday evening. So far, none of us have had Covid, and except for her ongoing issues dear daughter has been remarkably healthy. This is probably the first she's bern sick since I can't remember when.


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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger


AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Have you thought of volunteering somewhere? Like at the Senior Center? Maybe there are people there who don't see well and could use someone to read books to them? Or in your apartment?
Around here, the opportunities to volunteer are few and far between. But I'm sure there are many people who could use help, maybe you could find a few?

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger


AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

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Quote:

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Have you thought of volunteering somewhere? Like at the Senior Center? Maybe there are people there who don't see well and could use someone to read books to them? Or in your apartment?
Around here, the opportunities to volunteer are few and far between. But I'm sure there are many people who could use help, maybe you could find a few?



BRENDA: That's the flipside as I am not much on people. Being around them for too long and they start to get on my nerves.

I ran into the lady who used to come and look after my mum during her second bout of cancer and she has the same problem as me. Too many people and she is looking for the door. Told her, I know just what you mean.

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