I am partial to evergreen foliage. At the southwest corner of the garden stand a couple of two-story tall ‘Carolina Sapphire’ Arizona Cypresses planted more than a decade ago. These large evergreen trees are nicely fragrant and give some boundary and privacy to the property. They have the bonus effect of offering a protective home or perch to a variety of birds.

The softly textured leaves of this conical-shaped tree are interesting and the one-inch round seed pods are striking. In fall the color of the foliage tends toward blue-green; the seed pods change from silvery to reddish mahogany.

These two trees used to have a large sister ‘Carolina Sapphire’ on the opposite corner of the western border. In 2009 it anchored the garden and showed off a rare snowfall, but sadly began to die in 2011 and had to be removed. I think a badly-timed pruning was the problem. Normally these trees are carefree.

Today at the northwest corner is a young replacement, trying hard to fill the large void left by its now deceased predecessor. This little one has nearly doubled in size in eleven months, but it will be some time before the balance returns to the border. Last year I filled the space with zinnias.

Moss

In the meditation circle I have become enamored of the tiny bits of moss showing up between the stepping stones.

I dream of winning the lottery so I could bring in Moss & Stone Gardens, whose owners I heard speak last year at a garden club meeting. I would love to cover all the planting areas in the labyrinth with this soft greenness. Mosses are drought tolerant once they become established, which can take a year I think. Although I have enjoyed planting colorful flowers here, I would like to eliminate seeing any mulch. The soft texture of moss seems like an appropriate and appealing choice for this meditative aspect of the garden.

Thanks to Christine at Creating my own garden of the Hesperides for hosting GBFD each month.