Exactly 40 years ago Dec we received from a friend what turned out to be a Dwarf Alberta Spruce, to welcome us to our 1st Christmas in our new home.

New to conifers (before the advent of google) books & our nurseries were our only sources of info. She survived my lack of plant savvy! After a few years' moves from pots to wine barrel, eventually this baby grew lovely, undisturbed by arch-enemy (spidermites)! Nearly half into her 40 years of life I finally decided to sink her in a sunny spot of ground w/ the help of our digger-Finnish Spitz (a hole nearly as deep as her wine-barrel home of 15+ years) she looked great there! So, as a focal point I created a 4-leaf-clover shaped herb garden around her. Grew even into a great beauty of a lady & bore witness to many a happenstances in her surround (threats of blizzards, heat-waves, droughts, tornadoes, soppy grounds of endless rains etc etc) survived them all including occasional freeze burns!

She bore witness as well to my growing addiction to dirt-digging guided by books & later by âÂÂTrowel & Errorâ famed book, as a source of further learnings! She offered refuge to winged critters in all seasons & surely loved all the scents & colors that grew around her!

She endured & reveled much thru the years & now I was told (by an arborist) that she is at the end of her life-span! As many like us, old folks suffer from pattern baldness, she is, as well ~ my heart sank at the news. My grand-dau teared up & got me a tree-shaped Rosemary (has shed her needles & some branches, sigh!) to ease both our sadness! My dau, as well, send me a beautifully decorated baby Dwarf Alberta for Christmas also now sheds her fine, scented needles ~ I fear for her life if she doesnâÂÂt go outdoors soon! Still unsavvy HELP!!!

thank you much for reading & any help!