YES, that “tree” is a Ligustrum! It is quite old and forms the perfect canopy for our outdoor place of refuge and reflection! It is evergreen and as evergreens do, it pushes out the older leaves as the new leaves grow out. So, it is not dying; it’s sloughing off old parts.

Complimenting that old lady are other evergreens:

• Along the northern perimeter, on the hill, are Viburnum awabuki “chindo”, commonly called chindo viburnum. These large tall-growing evergreens respond well to pruning to encourage them to grow together. They have a small cluster of white flowers that will turn to lovely clusters of red berries. As the shrubs establish their roots, they will stabilize the hill and form a lovely dark green wall.
• Enclosing the western (along sidewalk), southern, and eastern sides are lustrous green hollies, Ilex x ‘Magland’ Oakland, which will also attain a height of 8-10′ and form a comfortable enclosure.
• 3 white sasanqua camellias (Camellia x ‘Winter’s Snowman’) anchor the access points of the garden, will bloom in the fall, and continue the flow of white sasanqua along the Fourth Street side of our church campus.
• A dwarf variety of viburnum, Viburnum obovatum ‘Raulston Hardy’, is planted inside the garden to add a transition layer of greenery with little spring-blooming white flowers and purple berries, loved by birds.
• The medium growing white sasanqua, Camellia sasanqua ‘Mine-no-yuki’, also fall-blooming, will be soon planted outside the garden on the south side of the Oakland hollies, and compliment the same around the chapel and church retaining wall.

The predominantly green palette was used to minimize distractions, allow one’s senses to pause, reflect on the sculpture “The Divine Spark”, and the soothing bubble of the fountain and allow God’s Holy Spirit to be one’s company.

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