Ornamental plants can both decorate our landscape and serve a purpose. This picture–taken March 21, 2013– illustrates my point perfectly! This year the environment provided optimum conditions for beautiful Spring color!

Each of these trees provides shade and a privacy screen. Ages are; redbud (7 years), oak (6 years), Arizona Cypress (5 years). Each Spring provides a beautiful compliment of colors–in Summer, the redbuds are leafed out (green), and the oak leaves fade, and the arizona cypress fades slightly.

(The wood pile is from an oak that died in the drought.)