#landscaping — Public Fediverse posts

Troops in DC encounter few crises, but plenty of walking and yard work https://www.allforgardening.com/1937601/troops-in-dc-encounter-few-crises-but-plenty-of-walking-and-yard-work/ #AirNationalGuard #bowser #CirculatedAirForceTimes #CirculatedArmyTimes #CirculatedMilitaryTimes #Costs #DcCrime #DistrictOfColumbia #GardeningDistrictOfColumbia #landscaping #MilitaryTimes #NationalGuard #NationalGuardDc #TroopsInDc #trump #WashingtonDC

The Kindness of Strangers

Another week has slipped by without a post from me. Some of the recent daily writing prompts have been thought-provoking, but I needed time to ruminate on them. By the time I thought of a response, it was too late. The prompt had moved on to a new day. One such prompt keeps poking me right in the heart. So, I will write about it now.

“What is the best thing that someone ever did for you?”

I got stuck on the semantics of it (as I often do). “Best” implies that I have to choose a winner out of all the kind and surprising things that others have done for me. “Ever” suggests that I have to search the archives of my brain from now until my earliest memory as a child. The task was overwhelming! Of course, the first and best thing that came to mind was when Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins. Nothing else compares to that! But, several other people already posted about that. I have been so blessed to have many kind people help me throughout my 50+ years on this Earth…how do I choose the best? So, I decided to tweak the parameters of the prompt (as I often do), and share about two vivid memories of strangers showing up to save the day.

A few years ago, my oldest daughter called me in distress. Her car had run out of gas (her gas gauge was glitchy), so she asked if I could fill up a gas can and bring it to her. She was stranded downtown. I said, “Sure! I’ll be right there.” I couldn’t find a gas can in our garage or shed, so I stopped by a local convenience store. They just happened to have one gas can left in stock. I bought it and filled it up with gas. When I arrived at her location, I saw that she was stuck in a left-hand turn lane of a busy intersection. I had imagined that she would be safe, pulled over on the side of the road. That was my first “AHHHH!” moment! I pulled up behind her as cars whizzed by, got out carefully with the gas can and tried to pour the gas in her tank. That’s when I had my second “AHHHH!” moment! The gas can’s nozzle was defective. It wouldn’t extend into the opening of her gas tank. I just wanted to pour enough gas in to get it started and out of the road. When I tried to pour, gas gushed all over the side of her car, but hardly any ended up in the tank. While we were freaking out, trying to decide what to do, a huge truck pulled up behind us. The door opened and a petite lady jumped out of the driver’s seat. I had expected a muscular 6’5 mountain man with a bushy beard to climb out of that thing! She yelled, “What are you doing? This is so unsafe! Forget about the gas for now…we need to get you two out of the road. Then, she started barking orders. You, get in the car, put it in neutral and get ready to steer. I’m going to block traffic with my truck as soon as it’s clear so we can push it into that parking lot. You (pointing at me), get ready to push on my signal. Fortunately, her truck was so large that it blocked both lanes of oncoming traffic perfectly while we pushed the car to safety. I couldn’t believe how quick and simple the solution was – we just needed someone to stand in the gap for us. We thanked her profusely, and then she disappeared. Would you believe that no one else had stopped to offer help in the 45 mins my daughter was stranded there in a dangerous situation?

The next thing a stranger did to help me was totally unexpected and anonymous. I was preparing for some VIP relatives to come stay with us for one night as they traveled cross-country. I had not seen these family members for decades, and they had never been to our house. I just wanted everything to be perfect for their stay. I cleaned all those nooks and crannies that you don’t usually bother with when friends come over. I wanted so desperately to make a good impression on them, that I was filled with anxiety. The last thing to do on my checklist was to clean the front and back yard. Pull weeds, trim bushes, cut grass, pick up dog doo…you know, the things that are difficult to do in 115-degree heat. I was dreading it! I left for a physical therapy appointment, where my PT said, “What is going on with you today? I can feel the anxious energy radiating out of you!” I told her about every worry that I had about this impending visit from relatives. She said, “You’ve got to let this go. You can’t control what they think of you or your house. Why does it matter? They’ll be here for less than 24 hours. Just breathe. You’ve done all you can do. You need to relax now.” So, I drove home feeling a little better, but still wondering what I could do to make things presentable. The first thing I noticed when I pulled into the driveway was that the front yard looked…different. The weeds were missing, and the bushes looked manicured. Was this just my imagination? I walked inside and looked out the window to the back yard. There were some grass clippings in the pool. “Oh great! Now, I’ll have to clean the pool too!” I thought. But then, it dawned on me! The entire backyard was clean and organized! Bushes had been trimmed, weeds were gone, grass mowed, and the pile of bulk trash that we had collected for pickup was GONE! I screamed with joy! I asked every family member and friend if they had gifted us this landscaping experience, but everyone said no. I expected a bill to arrive in the mail, or a landscaping truck to stop by and admit that they come to our house by mistake. Now where’s our money? But, I never discovered who did this for us and never had to pay a cent! Maybe God sent a team of angels dressed in overalls to make my day? The visit turned out to be wonderful, and I had absolutely nothing to worry about after all.

The Kindness of Strangers

Another week has slipped by without a post from me. Some of the recent daily writing prompts have been thought-provoking, but I needed time to ruminate on them. By the time I thought of a response, it was too late. The prompt had moved on to a new day. One such prompt keeps poking me right in the heart. So, I will write about it now.

“What is the best thing that someone ever did for you?”

I got stuck on the semantics of it (as I often do). “Best” implies that I have to choose a winner out of all the kind and surprising things that others have done for me. “Ever” suggests that I have to search the archives of my brain from now until my earliest memory as a child. The task was overwhelming! Of course, the first and best thing that came to mind was when Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins. Nothing else compares to that! But, several other people already posted about that. I have been so blessed to have many kind people help me throughout my 50+ years on this Earth…how do I choose the best? So, I decided to tweak the parameters of the prompt (as I often do), and share about two vivid memories of strangers showing up to save the day.

A few years ago, my oldest daughter called me in distress. Her car had run out of gas (her gas gauge was glitchy), so she asked if I could fill up a gas can and bring it to her. She was stranded downtown. I said, “Sure! I’ll be right there.” I couldn’t find a gas can in our garage or shed, so I stopped by a local convenience store. They just happened to have one gas can left in stock. I bought it and filled it up with gas. When I arrived at her location, I saw that she was stuck in a left-hand turn lane of a busy intersection. I had imagined that she would be safe, pulled over on the side of the road. That was my first “AHHHH!” moment! I pulled up behind her as cars whizzed by, got out carefully with the gas can and tried to pour the gas in her tank. That’s when I had my second “AHHHH!” moment! The gas can’s nozzle was defective. It wouldn’t extend into the opening of her gas tank. I just wanted to pour enough gas in to get it started and out of the road. When I tried to pour, gas gushed all over the side of her car, but hardly any ended up in the tank. While we were freaking out, trying to decide what to do, a huge truck pulled up behind us. The door opened and a petite lady jumped out of the driver’s seat. I had expected a muscular 6’5 mountain man with a bushy beard to climb out of that thing! She yelled, “What are you doing? This is so unsafe! Forget about the gas for now…we need to get you two out of the road. Then, she started barking orders. You, get in the car, put it in neutral and get ready to steer. I’m going to block traffic with my truck as soon as it’s clear so we can push it into that parking lot. You (pointing at me), get ready to push on my signal. Fortunately, her truck was so large that it blocked both lanes of oncoming traffic perfectly while we pushed the car to safety. I couldn’t believe how quick and simple the solution was – we just needed someone to stand in the gap for us. We thanked her profusely, and then she disappeared. Would you believe that no one else had stopped to offer help in the 45 mins my daughter was stranded there in a dangerous situation?

The next thing a stranger did to help me was totally unexpected and anonymous. I was preparing for some VIP relatives to come stay with us for one night as they traveled cross-country. I had not seen these family members for decades, and they had never been to our house. I just wanted everything to be perfect for their stay. I cleaned all those nooks and crannies that you don’t usually bother with when friends come over. I wanted so desperately to make a good impression on them, that I was filled with anxiety. The last thing to do on my checklist was to clean the front and back yard. Pull weeds, trim bushes, cut grass, pick up dog doo…you know, the things that are difficult to do in 115-degree heat. I was dreading it! I left for a physical therapy appointment, where my PT said, “What is going on with you today? I can feel the anxious energy radiating out of you!” I told her about every worry that I had about this impending visit from relatives. She said, “You’ve got to let this go. You can’t control what they think of you or your house. Why does it matter? They’ll be here for less than 24 hours. Just breathe. You’ve done all you can do. You need to relax now.” So, I drove home feeling a little better, but still wondering what I could do to make things presentable. The first thing I noticed when I pulled into the driveway was that the front yard looked…different. The weeds were missing, and the bushes looked manicured. Was this just my imagination? I walked inside and looked out the window to the back yard. There were some grass clippings in the pool. “Oh great! Now, I’ll have to clean the pool too!” I thought. But then, it dawned on me! The entire backyard was clean and organized! Bushes had been trimmed, weeds were gone, grass mowed, and the pile of bulk trash that we had collected for pickup was GONE! I screamed with joy! I asked every family member and friend if they had gifted us this landscaping experience, but everyone said no. I expected a bill to arrive in the mail, or a landscaping truck to stop by and admit that they come to our house by mistake. Now where’s our money? But, I never discovered who did this for us and never had to pay a cent! Maybe God sent a team of angels dressed in overalls to make my day? The visit turned out to be wonderful, and I had absolutely nothing to worry about after all.

Get up to $5,000 to replace grass with water-efficient #landscaping for a limited time - #Sacramento City Express https://sacramentocityexpress.com/2026/09/01/get-up-to-5000-to-replace-grass-with-water-efficient-landscaping-for-a-limited-time/ #LawnReplacement #DroughtTolerant #CAWater #Climate

Get up to $5,000 to replace grass with water-efficient #landscaping for a limited time - #Sacramento City Express https://sacramentocityexpress.com/2026/09/01/get-up-to-5000-to-replace-grass-with-water-efficient-landscaping-for-a-limited-time/ #LawnReplacement #DroughtTolerant #CAWater #Climate

Get up to $5,000 to replace grass with water-efficient #landscaping for a limited time - #Sacramento City Express https://sacramentocityexpress.com/2026/09/01/get-up-to-5000-to-replace-grass-with-water-efficient-landscaping-for-a-limited-time/ #LawnReplacement #DroughtTolerant #CAWater #Climate

Get up to $5,000 to replace grass with water-efficient #landscaping for a limited time - #Sacramento City Express https://sacramentocityexpress.com/2026/09/01/get-up-to-5000-to-replace-grass-with-water-efficient-landscaping-for-a-limited-time/ #LawnReplacement #DroughtTolerant #CAWater #Climate

Get up to $5,000 to replace grass with water-efficient #landscaping for a limited time - #Sacramento City Express https://sacramentocityexpress.com/2026/09/01/get-up-to-5000-to-replace-grass-with-water-efficient-landscaping-for-a-limited-time/ #LawnReplacement #DroughtTolerant #CAWater #Climate

Crossover landscaping can enhance wildfire resistance and save water https://www.allforgardening.com/1936279/crossover-landscaping-can-enhance-wildfire-resistance-and-save-water/ #Codes&Regulations #DroughtResistant #GardeningMontana #landscaping #Montaña #wildfire

Crossover landscaping can enhance wildfire resistance and save water https://www.allforgardening.com/1936279/crossover-landscaping-can-enhance-wildfire-resistance-and-save-water/ #Codes&Regulations #DroughtResistant #GardeningMontana #landscaping #Montaña #wildfire

Want to help Oklahoma weather the impact of extreme heat? Try growing more native plants.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://tulsaflyer.org/2026/09/01/culture/post/native-plants-can-help-oklahoma-weather-impact-extreme-heat/

Want to help Oklahoma weather the impact of extreme heat? Try growing more native plants.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://tulsaflyer.org/2026/09/01/culture/post/native-plants-can-help-oklahoma-weather-impact-extreme-heat/

Want to help Oklahoma weather the impact of extreme heat? Try growing more native plants.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://tulsaflyer.org/2026/09/01/culture/post/native-plants-can-help-oklahoma-weather-impact-extreme-heat/

Want to help Oklahoma weather the impact of extreme heat? Try growing more native plants.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://tulsaflyer.org/2026/09/01/culture/post/native-plants-can-help-oklahoma-weather-impact-extreme-heat/

Want to help Oklahoma weather the impact of extreme heat? Try growing more native plants.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://tulsaflyer.org/2026/09/01/culture/post/native-plants-can-help-oklahoma-weather-impact-extreme-heat/

Take a Tour of Pine House Edible Gardens in Oakland – Sunset Magazine https://www.allforgardening.com/1926584/take-a-tour-of-pine-house-edible-gardens-in-oakland-sunset-magazine/ #2024HomeDesignIssue #california #EdibleGardening #GardenBasics #GardeningCalifornia #herbs #KitchenGarden #landscaping #PineHouseEdibleGardens #PotagerGarden #RaisedBeds #WalnutCreek

14+ Garden Ideas That Turned My Backyard Into A Paradise https://www.allforgardening.com/1859374/14-garden-ideas-that-turned-my-backyard-into-a-paradise/ ##DIYHomeGarden ##Diyprojects ##smallspacegarden #BackyardTransformation #CementGardenDecor #diy #DiyGardenDecor #diygarden #FrontYardMakeover #garden #GardenDecorIdeas #GardenDesign #GardenIdeas #gardenideas #HomeGardenIdeas #homegarden #IderAlves #IderAlvesDiy #indoorplants #KoiPondIdeas #landscaping #NaturalPondIdeas #sustainablegarden #TireGardenIdeas #urbangardening #vegetablegarden

🌿 Have you ever thought about how Upperdale’s unique climate shapes our gardens?

Proper paving and landscaping are crucial here, especially with our unpredictable weather.

https://ukpavingtalkgroup.com/go/javp

#Upperdale #Shetland #LocalContractors #OutdoorLiving #Landscaping #CommunitySpirit #ScottishWeather

🌿 The unpredictable Scottish weather can be a real headache for outdoor spaces in Cabrich.

Quality paving and landscaping are key to creating a beautiful, functional garden that stands the test of time.

Local contractors can offer tailored solutions that reflect our unique style while ensuring durability.

https://ukpavingtalkgroup.com/go/b67e

#Cabrich #Inverness #Landscaping #Paving #SupportLocal #GardenDesign #ScottishWeather

Gates Hall Seen From Hoy Road with a crazy wide 9mm lens

#photo #photography #9mm #wideangle #gateshall #cornell #buildings #computerscience #landscaping

#Cotoneaster #berries. They're similar to firethorn plants but are thornless with serated leaf margins. Their flowers & fruits are toxic for humans but have excellent #WildlifeValue.
These are #larval food plants for several insects. Their flowers attract many #pollinators. Their fruits are eaten by multiple birds - blackbirds especially love eating these berries in Winter.
It's been cultivated by landscapers for wildlife value & soil erosion prevention. It's grown in many public & private areas around here - I see it almost everywhere. Birds have spread their seeds afar.

I don't know which variety of cotoneaster this is - there are a lot of varieties.

Spotted at Burnside Medical Clinic parking lot.

#PlantID #botanical #nature #Saanich #horticulture #VictoriaBC #plants #landscaping #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #PNW #shrubs #hedges #PoisonousForHumans

#FoliageFriday
Ornamental #cabbage has gorgeous, ruffled, variegated #leaves 😍💚

#foliage #botanical #plants #ornamental #landscaping #gardening #PrettyPlants #Saanich #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #PNW #DecemberPlants #HardyPlants #ColdWeatherPlants #WinterPlants