Cotoneaster

Fall is when the cotonéaster (cotoneaster) produces its vivid red berries. This plant belongs to one of our neighbors. Each fall, when I see the berries, I think that I'd like one of these in our yard, but then I forget about it. The result is that we still don't have one.

I think cotoneaster is related to the pyracantha, a similar shrub I remember from our California days.

We do have a tamarisk tree. It was planted by the previous owners. The problem with that tree is its location. Like many trees in our yard, it blocks views of other trees and shrubs. I think many things in our yard were planted when they were very small. They may have looked nice then, but it doesn't seem as though any thought was given to how big they'd grow, the huge shadows they'd cast, and the views they'd block. Two christmas trees (one of which we had removed in our first year here) are prime examples.

This morning, with the tamarisk cut down, you can see the rounded-off bay laurel from the house.

At any rate, the tamarisk is planted right in front of the bay laurel, essentially hiding it from view. You can see it in the back corner of the yard if you look at the photo in yesterday's post. Over the years I've cut it back to the stump, but it continues to re-sprout and grow. It's a hardy little bugger. Yesterday, I took the chainsaw out to cut it down again. Now I've got to clean up all the debris.