Final (promise) farewell to cannas/rhizomes, settled welcome to evergreens
So perhaps the Loungeteer will come forward to claim the insight that cannas are hard to get rid of, including by digging up the rhizomes. More recently one said that "canna" means Canna-get-rid-of-them. A couple of years ago I launched (they're water guzzlers, get it?) into my experience with them because glimpses over the years flashed their beauteous blooms. After the first few months of blooms and health, downsides mounted up: The aforementioned water guzzling, the spreading growth almost to the invasive level, of course easily freezing, infestations of grass and weeds in the crowded patch needing weeding, then the next couple of years unannounced mascots/moths chewing them all to pieces.
So at my elderly elder age, my coping strategy in all areas of daily living is to conserve energy, cut out as many things and activities that are unnecessary, and yes sift off negative things and people. In the case of the gardening that was never a big specialty for me, doing away with high maintenance plants - long ago anything with thorns, weedy weak trees in the wrong places possibly crashing into the house and those that call for raking, and anything fairly far away to call for treking to water/whatever. These cannas' negatives have been listed, and the few replacements are some kind of evergreen retail things that are not water guzzlers, unlikely to freeze, and no shedding.
So below is the summary of the operation: Top center from Google the ideal iteration of the blooms; both sides, the rhizomes, first dig on the left, final dig on the right. Bottom sides evergreen shrub perimeters, center tall for privacy blocking.
