A happy update to one of my February posts. One of my former coworkers (hopefully now friend) has relieved me of my leaning pagoda dogwood.  The roots were not extensive, so we were able to dig it up quite easily and she immediately planted it in her yard.  I reminded her to water it consistently when rain is scarce, but initially forgot to tell her a liquid root stimulator (found at most nurseries) would help to curb any transplant shock.  I remembered a couple of days later to tell her and now my conscience is clear (but I really hope it makes it!)

This Spring we expect the City's contractors to begin work on a combined sewer overflow project on our street.  We can see the trucks, front loaders, piles of sand and gravel headed our way from the adjacent street and I'm bracing myself for the noise and mess soon to follow.  I had planted our esplanade (the part between the sidewalk and street) with overflows from my perennial garden (like shasta daisies, coreopsis, iris, oenothera, and day lilies) as the grass died there as well.  Now I fully expect to come home from work one day to find it completely buried under sand, gravel, trucks, etc.  So, I am making a big effort to give away and move what I can.  My friend who adopted the dogwood, filled a pick up truck with plants, and I couldn't even see a dent in my esplanade garden!  Now I've begun actively soliciting my children's friends' parents.  I have found some takers, but it does mean finding plants pots and boxes to put the items in.

Since I have now run out of plant pots, I am resorting to empty paper coffee cups and yogurt containers (mostly for seedlings) and using copy paper box tops for the larger items that once pulled really need to be planted right away.  I may try to leave a few things planted, like the ajuga, and pray it comes back.  But I mostly suspect the City's contractors will demolish the area, then attempt to grow grass back once and forget about it once it doesn't take.  I just hope they are done by Fall so that I can replant with any "volunteers" that pop up over the summer.