Super Powers of the Mighty Station Wagon

Today I stopped by Furney's Nursery in Des Moines to pick up a tree I had special ordered, a western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla. Somehow I managed to squeeze this 14' / 4.3m tall tree (plus 2' / 60cm tall root ball) into my small station wagon and then drag it out again without any significant damage to either tree or car:

I am trying to include some native species in my yard. This specimen will hopefully go in the locust grove (Robinia pseudoacacia) where I recently cleared out several overgrown and weedy English laurels (Prunus laurocerasus). Hopefully this tree will thrive in the bright shade under the locusts. The only problem will be getting it up the 6' / 2m embankment to its new home...

I also picked up a nicely grown hardy guava (Acca sellowiana) in a five gallon pot. Hardy guava is a favorite shrub of mine, even though they flower only sporadically in Seattle and never set fruit.

The guava I have in the front yard has leaves at most two thirds this size, and noticeable grayer. On this plant the leaves are larger, greener, and glossier. I wonder if it is a different cultivar or if cultural conditions produce this difference.

Time for some digging.