"Plant Killer!!"

I hate the thought of ending the life of anything, plants included (unless they are weeds, of course) but yesterday I entered the world of a killer!  My victims were two plants, an Alberta Spruce and a Russian Cypress.  Both were in terrible shape, mind you, and destined for the landfill.  The poor Alberta Spruce had gotten windburn two years ago, before I decided to prepare a burlap screen for it, and never really recovered.  My son decided it was a good opportunity to topiary it and well, it just didn't look right.  Really it's my fault, I encouraged him!  So, I dug it out yesterday. 

My other victim of horticulture homicide was the Russian Cypress.  A beautiful plant, a groundcover similar to a juniper but with lacier foliage, it took root at the edge of a bed in the back yard.  Sadly, my daughter's dog Stitch, thought it made for a good urinal!  Over the years he has killed a little more and a little more until this year, with the plant half-dead, I did the humane thing and removed it!  (When a male dog uses an evergreen to relieve himself, the plant turns black and that portion will never recover.  Thus only half the plant, the portion facing away towards the fence, survived his repeated visits!)

Those bare spots provided me the opportunity to move some things around.  So, shovel in hand, I did just that.  The bed in question is now better spaced and appears more appealing to the human eye.  But I shall miss those two.  They were beautiful before me, the sun and wind, and the dog.  Alas, 'twas not to be.