I have some love/hate groundcovers myself. I think the biggest criteria for my love/hate ratio is the combination of how it grows (fast/slow) and where it is located. i.e. not all fast growers are hated if they are in the right place I just pulled out about 100 sq ft of pachasandra because it just got everywhere. I will miss it in the winter. (pre-snowcover). I have a huge patch of bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) that spreads very quickly, but it is in a part-shade woody tree-shrub area and it really seems to fit the woodland less-manicured feel. I also suspect it would be hard to eradicate if I wanted to. It has those thin roots that go everwhere and break easily. But I love it where it is. I have creeping veronica Waterperry in a perennial bed and it stays put nicely. Love it. I also have Georgia Blue but it is much more aggressive. I have to pull it back severely twice a year. Dislike it (but not enough to remove it). I have a gold variegated one that barely grows. I moved it this year to a new place it may do better. Lamium 'Pink Nancy' wanders and blends in nicely. It pulls out easily if it wanders too far. Love it. Ajuga, love it in bloom (have Choc Chip and Crispa Metallica). Neutral otherwise. Need to have something interesting (and strong) nearby. I'm trying out Hosta Kabitan. Thymes... love the daintiness... hate that they don't suppress weeds so well. Geranium Biokova... I consider that more as a specimen perennial than a groundcover, but I can see it is somewhat of both. Love it. Sedge, Treasure Island...grows slowly, love it because it can go anywhere safely, but unless it is cut back with other perennials, it looks messy far into spring until the new growth covers the old stuff. Cutting back a groundcover is not a fun thing. I used to when I had a little, but now its out of the question. I enjoyed and saved this old thread about groundcovers in link below. I haven't read it in a while, but it might be interesting after reading this thread.

After a little research I am pretty sure what I have are paper wasps, they are a little longer and more slender than some photos of yellow jackets, and they don't really seem to be too aggressive, I tried photographing one that kept flying around and around my potted golden celebration (my rose with the most leaf damage) it was very obviously checking the undersides of leaves & it payed me no attention at all. It was kind of neat to see this in action, these bugs are obviously pretty intelligent and seem to remember finding the larvae in that area before. BUT don't get me wrong, even if this type of wasp is less aggressive than actual yellow jackets I am still terrified of these little critters. Especially after researching them and reading a few of those horror stories out there. I just hope I never happen upon these guys' nest, I don't see it anywhere on my porch or my yard, so hopefully it's in my neighbor's yard! Michaelg, when you say yellow jackets usually don't do that until October, do you mean that they usually don't show their faces until that late in the year, or that they seem to be more aggressive around that period of time?

Beautiful pictures, Terriks! Is that Mt. Shasta in the background? When we Amtrak up to visit the children, in the PacNorthwest, the train winds slowly around the base of Shasta and then heads into the Cascades, where we are surrounded by the most wonderful forests as we gradually rumble along. On our first trip up, we swung off the I-5 and drove to Grant's Pass, where we had lunch in a restaurant at the edge of the Rogue River. You are so fortunate to live in the area - it's lovely. Who knew? What I should have done a long time ago: have osteoarthritis and had tremendous pain in my lower back and left leg, finally could hardly walk, this escalated over the years, finally went whimpering to my doc a few months ago, said "give me something other than a cortisone shot". He sent me to a sports medicine clinic for physical therapy, I was very dubious. Long story short, my trainer taught me exercises on the floor and with a stability ball, and got me on a recumbent stationary bike (since I cannot do treadmill and regular bike). Now am continuing to work out every day at home and awaiting a on-order recumbent bike for our home; meanwhile the pain has been dramatically reduced, I am slowly increasing my walking distance, decades-long knee pain is GONE, and my weight is coming down. Talk about Who Knew? Slapping my head that I didn't do this years ago!

Yes it is Mountain, but KSWL mentioned her family history is why I brought it up. HCBM makes an excellent point! My 90 year old father, during this pandemic, has gone through so many changes, etc. it just breaks my heart. He declined greatly at the assisted living. He spent a few days in the hospital and is now doing so much better in rehab. In fact, the social worker there feels that he will be able to go back to an AL setting! At this rehab center, there is a pyschologist who for years ran a geriatric program at one of the hospitals in the big city. Sadly, that hospital closed a few years ago. Amazing to find that this dr. sees patients at my dad's rehab facility! Dad was having some episodes of much confusion and it really worried and scared us. Almost like he was hallucinating. He was given a psychiatric evaluation both in the hospital and again when he entered rehab. No dementia. This doctor has been working with dad and he did mention slight cognitive function decline - again, he is 90 years old, so that makes sense. Dad's mind (until this move) has been so sharp - he has a memory like an elephant. He also had extensive blood work done a few weeks ago and it was discovered his ammonia level was high, which can cause confusion. After treating that, he is doing much better. It is just heartbreaking to see what this pandemic is doing to so many older people. Those who are in facilities and are being isolated, it's just awful. That really does affect a person's mental outlook. Visits to these facilities were approved in the second phase of the state reopening here, but most facilities are not yet allowing them due to the rise of cases. I completely understand that, but I cannot wait to be able to actually be in the room with my dad!! We have been able to do window visits, video chats and Monday they had a parade at the facility (drive by cars) and for the first time, dad got to come outside. He is also allowed into the "day room" at times, with limited other patients and he has been enjoying sitting in the hallway "people watching" hehe. He is so cute and funny! I just pray we can find a facility that is a good fit for him. My grandmother was in "memory care" at the same facility where dad was in assisted living. The small family atmosphere (20 or less in each villa) was great for her, but it just wasn't for dad, nor was having one caregiver per villa. So now the search begins for a facility more suitable for him. Of course, downside is we still cannot visit these facilities. Didn't mean to write a book, obviously this is a subject close to my heart.