Why I Oughta...

In Spring 2023, I added five (very small) one-gallon Green Velvet Boxwoods to the front porch bed .  We already had a row of them planted in part of the bed, so adding these extended that line of evergreen shrubs across to the new bed (after removing the large Norway Maple).   Last April (2024), I posted a photo showing their first Spring and the tiny amount of growth that was put on in their one growing season.   2025 will be their third growing season and they've begun to put on some size.  But, one of them is showing some weird growth.  A water-spout.  Or a Witch's broom.  Or something.  See below.  There's one branch that has SHOT UP over the Winter and has emerged larger than the rest of the shrub.  And, it is absolutely COVERED in flowers.   I'm not sure what to make of this, but for now, I'm just leaving it alone.  

In October of 2022, I planted a Brown's Yew back by the firepit, in the deep shade of our rear yard .   I bought it at an end-of-the-season sale because it was over-sized for the nursery pot and price.  I've mostly forgotten about it, have failed to deliberately water it and it has hung on through two full growing seasons.   Below is a look at this multi-stemmed evergreen shrub (Brown's Yew) as it stands in our garden in mid-November 2024: Like the Hicks Yews from yesterday, this one has put on some growth over the years - slowly.  Something to think about for 2025 planning - is it time to prune this/shape this a little bit? 

In the Fall of 2021, I made a big decision (or...what seemed like a BIG decision at the time) in our garden.  I opted to dig up some of our Oakleaf Hydrangeas and move them *out* from the fence .  They were planted to allow for their mature size, but tucked in closer to the fence.  After reading and observing our garden - and others online - I decided to invest in putting evergreen shrubs *behind* deciduous, flowering shrubs.  Here's the post from October 2021 where I talk about 'layering' and how most designs call for evergreens *in front of* shrubs like hydrangeas .  That's how it looks in our front yard.  But....this idea turns that concept on its ear - by putting the evergreens BEHIND the shrubs that lose their leaves in Winter.  To do that, I needed to move out the Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  And plant some evergreens.  I opted for Hicks Yews - since this is a pretty much full-shade area.  I planted a five-dollar, one-gallon Hicks Yew in O...