R.I.P lilac bush

This week I got carried away in my garden and tore out my ten-foot lilac bush.  Half of it was dead and the other half had downy mildew, which is a disease that covers the leaves in white junk.  Really, the bush had this coming.  I just put it out of it's misery.  Since Curtis doesn't trust me with power tools (as evidenced by the stitches I've needed in the past), my weapons of choice were a hand saw and a shovel.  Other than an improved view of my neighbor's yard, I think this change was an improvement.

border in may with lilac bush in upper left corner (it gets downy mildew in the summer).  You can't see the dead parts in this picture, but they're there.

 Since Behnke's plant nursery is having a 50% off sale on most plants, I went and bought something to fill the gaping hole in my border.  I'm a sucker for a sale and I ended up buying 5 shrubs, 4 perennials, and some bulbs.  I bought 2 leatherleaf mahonia (mahonia japonica) to feed the birds, a dwarf alberta spruce and 2 juniper "Blue Star"s.  I have to admit I got a little carried away.  My defense is that I was saving money.

dwarf alberta spruce  It's like a little Christmas tree

Ilex verticillata 'Berry Nice'
Michael calls it the "bird food plant" 

Juniper 'Blue Star'  

The mahonia is evergreen, feeds wildlife, and does well in the partial shade where the lilac bush was.  I thought it was perfect. Nope.  It's invasive*.  I didn't find this out until after I stuck them in the ground.  They weren't even in the ground 24 hours before I realized my mistake and returned them.

Michael, Isaac and Peter accompanied me on this return trip to the nursery.  Michael and Isaac entertained each other by throwing gravel into the air and at each other while I tried to decide what to buy.  They had a great time, and I think I have a few more grey hairs.  Their replacements (the shrubs, not my children) are Ilex verticillata "Berry Nice" and Viburnum juddii.  I went to the nursery with the firm resolve to get two native plants, but went astray after the viburnum's bright red leaves.  I couldn't resist .  At least it's not invasive.  And it's supposed to be highly fragrant.  I put it behind the asters, so hopefully it'll be a nice combo.  The ilex is native and hopefully its berries will feed some birds this winter.

viburnum juddii

asters with viburnum behind

Michael and I had a little discussion about eating "strange berries".  I don't think Michael would eat them, but he was playing with them, so I thought I should bring it up.  "Remember when you cousin Gavin ate those strange berries and had to go to the hospital and drink lots of yucky medicine?  That's why we don't eat strange berries.  They are for the birds, not boys." "Yeah, mommy.  They're yucky."

*I'm trying to do better by not buying invasive plants.  My front yard is like an exhibit of invasives: periwinkle, bradford pear, daylilies and nandina (bamboo).  At least there's no kudzu (want kudzu planting instructions?).  We called in a hit on our pear only a few weeks ago and had it removed.  Hurrah! It was growing up through the power lines that ran from the street to our house.  When the wind would blow hard, our lights would flicker.