Retired economics professor (“dismal scientist”). Married 40+ years to the love of my life; we have two grown daughters, both married, two granddaughters and a...
Yes, actually a “Hetz Midget Arborvitae” (Thuja occidentalis 'Hetz Midget'). I know this for certain because Tuesday I was *thoroughly* cleaning out a bed with five shrubs. When I trimmed & pruned enough to see to the back of the bed (against the house), there was something yellow sticking out of the ground. It was a plastic nursery label! Still flexible rather than brittle, yet it would be original to the first owners of the home, which was built in the mid-90s! Clearly, these shrubs have been sorely neglected till now.
I have been quite aggressive with the weeding & cleaning this spring. The long-term plan is to transition to mostly/entirely native plants to reduce the maintenance effort as we get older. As a measure of my effort this spring, I have probably found more construction & roofing nails under the surface than in all the previous two decades combined!
![Sigh. [Travel-day]](https://media.365project.org/1/9428160_bfilmqru48_sq.jpg "Sigh. [Travel-day]")
![The Tinkerer [SOOC]](https://media.365project.org/1/9428628_ceghprwx59_sq.jpg "The Tinkerer [SOOC]")
![ER selfie [Travel day]](https://media.365project.org/1/9429058_cfhjkrwx05_sq.jpg "ER selfie [Travel day]")
I have been quite aggressive with the weeding & cleaning this spring. The long-term plan is to transition to mostly/entirely native plants to reduce the maintenance effort as we get older. As a measure of my effort this spring, I have probably found more construction & roofing nails under the surface than in all the previous two decades combined!