Allan's New Best Friend

Al loved the robins and finches and whatever other birds hung out in our old yard but they can't compare to this guy and his friends!

 

 

We have seen pheasants running around but this is the closest I have seen one.  It was even closer but by the time I got the camera out and went to the patio door he had wandered to the neighbor's yard.  They are so pretty!  Well, the males are anyway.  In the typical way of nature, the females are plain brown.  I don't know why they are around here.  I wouldn't consider this neighborhood to be wooded or on the edge of town or anything but there is a large park full of bike trails and a seasonal theater across the street.  I haven't been down there yet because I don't like riding my bike on arduous hills and I don't think there are any kids playgrounds down there.  I keep telling myself I should drive in there and check it out.  People have weddings in there so it must be nice.  The pheasants must come from over there.

 

We have a different kind of yard than I ever imagined having.  There are two tiers of rock retaining walls with a terraced lawn.  There are plants growing from between the rocks.  Most of them are weeds and volunteer trees but there were certain ones that I had a feeling were supposed to be there.  I researched "plants for rock walls" and came across an online business that sells such plants and looked at the most popular categories. 

 

I discovered that this plant, which there are quite a few of, is a variety of sedum.  We had a sedum at our old house but it was more like a bush.  Sedums are hardy and drought resistant plants and apparently they can grown between rocks. 

 

Here are some of the trees that are growing in the rocks.  Some are pretty well established already so we will have to take care of it before they start damaging the wall with their big roots.