I’m home now after that great camping trip to Scenic Beach. I’ll head out for another camping trip in a week or two. But now it’s time to pick up the mail, pay bills, do the laundry, get some yardwork done, etc. In other words, I need to get some chores done here around home. But I also get to enjoy my home. 🙂
I discovered that a plant on the north side of my house was starting to bloom. It sure looks like a tropical plant to me … and the Pacific Northwest is surely not a tropical climate. What is this plant? Does anyone know? It’s a fascinating plant.
The photos below were taken over a period of a few weeks as the plant progressed through the stages of buds, flowers, and then as the plant started to brown out.
Please do tell me if you know (or can find out) what this plant is. It needs a name.
While I was doing some weeding close to the edge of my home, I found a LARGE root (photo below) coming from a nearby tree and running directly under my house, directly under my bathroom. Given that my home sits on a concrete slab, that means the plumbing is buried under the concrete slab. This LARGE root seemed to be aimed right at the bathroom plumbing … yikes.
I dug around and under the root as close to the house as I could get, then I exposed the root for about two feet out from the house, then I got out my trusty hand saw and cut out the two-foot section of the root. And then I researched root-killing systems for in-ground plumbing. It seems there are two types of products … one for drains that are already plugged, and another for drains that are not plugged. Since my drain/s were not yet plugged, I purchased a good-sized bottle of ZEP Root Kill and followed the directions for application in both of my toilets. I love trees. I hope cutting that root doesn’t hurt the tree. But I love a free-running drain system in my home more than I love that tree. If the tree dies, I’ll plant another tree.
And then I started tidying the yard on the east side of my house, around my back patio. A few months ago, I had discovered some rectangular concrete pavers in various places outside my house. I wanted a walkway between my patio and the lawn, so I arranged the pavers in alternating colors in the photo below. I’m liking it!
In between yard maintenance projects, I chatted with neighbors. I have two neighbors who are both/each quite the expert gardeners. I like gardening, but my knowledge isn’t too extensive. I’m happy to have neighbors who know lots more than I do.
One of those sets of neighbors has a wonderful Mountain Ash (below) outside their back patio. They didn’t know what it was and neither did I, but a bit of research gave us the information we sought.
Being home means I need to do a bit of work around the house and the yard. It also means I have neighbors and friends who are constant. Being home also means I have even more fascinating things to see and do in this world. I sure have a good life! 🙂 I hope all of you folks do too.
I think your plant is a yucca. Beautiful!
Thanks Gumo!
It looks like a type of yucca.
Two votes for yucca! 🙂
That’s one big root! My house is on a slab too and I found two smaller roots heading under the house or so I thought. I had an arborist come out and take a look. He said roots usually do not continue growing sideways when they encounter a concrete slab, they usually grow straight down looking for water and food, because the earth under your house is bone dry. He did cut my roots, like you did, but he said not to worry about them after that. But I did exactly what you did Ann and apply root killer through the plumbing, in fact I do that every year. I think we’re smart. 🙂
Now that you mention it, when I was digging close to the house and trying to get as far under the slab as possible, that root did turn and go straight down. I didn’t think about it at the time, but I bet your arborist is correct. And yes, we are smart! 🙂
Yes indeed that is a Yucca plant, family Asparagaceae. It is native to hot and dry regions of the American continents (there are three Americas — three American continents — citizens of the USA are not the only Americans). Yuccas are certainly not native to western Washington where it is cool and wet, but yours looks healthy, Ann. The Asparagaceae family includes asparagus (no surprise) and spider plants and hosta and hyacinth and bluebell and many other beautiful plants.
(Sorry for the little rant about “americans” but it just bugs me that citizens of the USA think they are the only people who live in America or who are American. Please delete my comment if you wish, I will understand.)
I just love that little walkway. How apparently simple, but how very attractive!
I’m with you about “americans” Ruby … no problem, your comment will not be deleted. People who live in Central America are Americans … same with South America and Canada. When I lived in the Philippines, the USA was called “the states” … it was not called America, since “America” meant anywhere in North or Central or South America. Much of the rest of the world seems to know this. Many citizens of the USA have co-opted the terms “american” and “america”. So no worries, it bugs me too Ruby. In fact, even calling the USA “the states” is misleading … there’s the United States of Matsya, the United States of Brazil, the United States of Belgium, Indonesia, Venezuela, and the United Mexican States, to name just a few other countries that could rightly be called “the States”.
Thanks for the nice comment about the walkway. 🙂 AND for all the info about yucca plants!
Definitely a yucca plant, Ann. My next door neighbors at Fawn Lake (Shelton) have one next to our mutual fence and we all enjoy its fantastic spiral growth and ensuing cascade of white flowers. Lovely!
I don’t remember ever seeing a yucca plant before, Kathie. And yet here you have one right next door, and I have one too. I love it. 🙂
Absolutely LOVE that little bird in the header photo. What a charming photo.
Isn’t he just a sweetie? A reader here, in the original blog post where I shared the photo, said this fellow was likely guarding a nest … and doing a very good job of that too! 🙂