Here's a better view of the empty bed that I want to plant something in this Fall (between the Emerald Greens and the Yellow Ribbon and also to the left of the Yellow Ribbon. Secondarily, this is what I see when I walk out my front door and then from the sitting area on my veranda; right on a corner so very exposed. Since unfortunately there's a huge utility pole RIGHT in front of my house, I have to make the best out of a poor situation. I was thinking of having somewhat of a screen eventually with the Ginkgo biloba, Alberta spruce, and Bloodgood Japanese maple; then taper downward toward the walkway with the (please excuse any spelling errors) Picea pungens 'Globosa', Chamaecyparis obtusa, and Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Gold Mop'. Also in that front bed there's Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound', Sagina subulata 'Aurea', and Sedum acre 'Aureum'. Here's what I have at the other end; a few of which will be getting moved this Fall. This bed consists of Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star', 3 Euonymus (that were salvaged from previous homeowner's beds), Purpleleaf Sandcherry (was also there from previous homeowner but I never moved it due to its size). I replaced the grass around the Sandcherry with what you see here. In this bed there's also Juniperus sabina 'Calgary Carpet', some Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue', Picea abies 'Nidiformis', Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Vintage Gold' (definitely getting moved this Fall; notice right side of plant that's not thriving due to lack of direct sun light...plus it would need to get moved anyway due to proximity to Sandcherry and Euonymus). This is directly in front of my veranda that all I've done is get rid everything that was there except one shrub (planted too close too), and put down some mulch to help suppress weeds until I can redo the walkway into something wider and more flowing, and then figure out what to do. This was from Spring 2011 when I was figuring out the new main walkway. Notice a few less plants. Thank you very much. Looks I'll be doing a lot of reading about the suggestions made :) Regarding the large Alberta spruce beside the entrance; it's unfortunate that it's so close to the house and not in more of an open space. It looks very bulbous in relation to the scale of everything else, but it'll probably stay for a while until the yard is more complete and then I can reassess. Sorry for the large low-end photos.

We have these in a deep purplish/pink color on the forest floor of our property. They grow under the Madrone trees. We have oaks on the property, but these don't grow under them. I loved seeing them come up, but didn't know they may harm the trees. Should we try to knock some of them out? (We don't use poison on anything here) This is the first internet source I have found for any information on these at all - I know I'm not in a similar region as the original post. However, the photo shows an identical plant to the one we have (just a different color). What family of plants do these belong to? Are they a fungi or succulent, or are they in a category of their own? Are they identified by the fact they take their nutrients off of another plant (the roots of the tree)? Thanks.

The Buxus Microphylla 'Green Mountain' I have has dark green foliage with white variagation on mature leaves, and a slightly looser habit of growth than my Buxus Sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'. The 'Green Mountain' has been in the ground for two years and has grown about six-eight inches in that time. Be prepared to wait or else shell out some dough for mature plants. Good luck.

could be moles or voles as well we get little dirt hills where they come up in our lawn--maybe not perfect cones I did not try the links for pictures we have terrible time getting rid of them from our yard-- have tried the dry bait pellets and also spraying the yard with castor oil--was out there yesterday doing that... if it is moles/voles--and you use the spray-- you should spray only part of the yard and try to move them outwards in sections-- like one third--then add the next third--then the final one--that encourages them to evacuate...