That tree

A memorial photo for the scrapbooks of the evergreen in our rock wall (dead center):

Kevin hated it from the beginning, but I argued for clemency. Taking a page out of the leather’s book, though, it suddenly effectively doubled in size in a few months. Hmm. Chop away! He dug out the roots (they hadn’t yet compromised the rock wall, but why borrow trouble?). But now it looks so empty. Any recommendations for a slim, max-five-foot plant?

(In other exciting tree news, our neighbours took the treacherous birch down! It was so pretty, especially covered in snow or with its yellow fall leaves, but the top quarter died last winter and it developed a rather pronounced tilt towards our family room. We’d been eyeing it for months, then it dropped a 15-foot branch in our yard in December. It cleared the roofline, but was a bit too close for comfort and there was still a lot of dead tree left overhanging our yard. Our neighbors’ neighbors were having tree work done, so Kevin went over that day to talk to them about it around new years, and they got an appointment set up immediately. We’ve very appreciative – they’re good neighbours.)