Looks to me you might be in a serious need of a repot...Too, if you can't provide all the sunlight like you once did, it is common for a tree that size to drop branches, twigs and leaves to find a way to survive for such little sun...It can not support all that growth on much less sun. This happens to one of mines once in a while after a great growth year and then it will do that once you rob it of it's happiness.. You soil concerns me now that it will not dry out as frequyently as it once did in lots of warmth and sun... Take a lokm at the roots and examine the mix and please tell us what they look like..I always look to the roots first if bugs are not doing it... I am sorry it is goiung through this, it stinks to be quite blunt. Been there done that. I have one just like it and I can't wait until it gets lots more sun soon..It went from a 4 foot full 3 feet wide lush canopy to about 20 leaves left and no branches..Disgusting for me in my eyes( The best soils are the ones that come as close to 'nonlimiting' as possible. The one property of soils that presents the most limitations is the amount of water they hold at container capacity. Container capacity is the measure of how much water a soil retains after it was fully saturated and just stopped draining. If parts of the soil are completely saturated and devoid of air, the saturation limits root function and can cause root diseases, usually fungal in nature. Soils based on a very high %s of fine ingredients (peat, compost, coir, composted forest products, topsoil, fine sand ...... hold more water than most of us consider conducive to good root health. Ideally, the particles a soil is made of would be large enough that they can't hold water in the spaces between the particles. This means that roots always have access to the air they need to drive root function/metabolism, no matter where the roots are located in the pot.

The buttons would have surprised me too, I don't think you could have anticipated that. I don't find fresh berry juices to be a problem but I do try to wash the same day dirtied. I picked wild blackberries in a white 100% cotton sweatshirt yesterday. Tide HE, hot, and sparkling clean this morning, no soak.

Yes. We went on a two week cruise. The dogs were at boarding. During this time, the remediation company did the tear out, repair and replacement. It worked out beautifully. We had used this company previously. So, we had a pretty good idea of their work standard. I'm a control freak and they met my comfort level. Prior to departure, I had a meeting with the foreman. We discussed the project thoroughly. I placed an order on file with their preferred tile supplier in advance. I also left the tile setter a document with illustrations explaining what I wanted. They texted me pictures of the progress. It went really well. They did a great job with clean up. I couldn't be happier. We decided to go with a reduced project. We did not get into changing the countertop or flooring. We didn't get into the bath surround, either. When they did the tear out, it would appear that we discovered the leak very quickly. The Advantech flooring base had gotten wet, but was not soaked, or damaged. The tile setter advised us to keep it in place. He was afraid if he cut it out and replaced it, we would have cracking around the base walls very quickly. The material appeared to be in really good condition. We went with his recommendation. What we ended up doing was trimming the entry surround in the same manner as the other doorways in the room. Originally, the surround was made of tile. I thought the transition to a different tile would be too jarring. Thus, the doorway trim and base trim in wood painted to match the rest of the room. I think it works. I only have two complaints. One, the shower seat is narrower than it was before. It's really not much of a seat anymore. But, it works as a shelf and place to shave your legs. Two, the new tile wasn't quite as thick as the old tile and the shower door doesn't seal quite as tightly as before. It's acceptable, but not perfect. I had them take down the huge sconces over the tub and not replace them. I'm going to buy new ones to replace the old ones. I'm going to apply Rub and Buff to the lights above the sinks to tie them all together. The biggest improvement was the removal of the gross green walls. We painted them Sherwin Williams 2017 Creamy. It's a huge improvement. It's amazing what a coat of the right paint can do to update a room. Why did I not go for a full renovation? We have decided that our tenure in this house is only around five years. It didn't make sense to pour a lot of money into the bath. We would never get it out when we go to sell. This is plenty good enough and very functional. New doorway surround and paint job. New tile. We kept the old shower door, grab bars and shower controls The tile is a 12"x4" white porcelain subway tile with a bit of a relief. It doesn't get any simpler than hexagonal tile in white with white grout. We used an upgraded white grout that does not mildew throughout.

"... My objection to wood product mulches---besides being ugly and evocative of a fast food restaurant..." LOL Not much to add here - I think everyone has given great advice about mulch and shredded leaves etc . I rarely fertilize plants but am always adding compost and I shred, shred, shred leaves and mulch in fall and spring. Most of my beds started as lasagna beds. But I also agree that one needs to have the right plants for the right spot. Two examples. When I first bought my house my very first garden was a shade bed (well, most of my gardens are shade beds since I have so much shade lol). But it was on the north side of the house. I put it here because it's very visible from my living room windows. So many people - non-gardeners, granted - told me, you can't have a garden THERE. Not enough sun, everything will die, etc. Well, we all know that is hogwash. Second. I had a gardening business and a then-potential customer called me for a consultation. The back of her yard was a swamp. Standing water many months of the year, her lawn guys always leaving ruts in the grass, etc. I once came right out of my muck boot when I went to walk because the boot stuck in the mud up to my ankles and my foot came out of it! There was a small garden in there that wasn't doing great. I told her I could do something, she hired me, and now there is a beautiful garden there. Not tooting my own horn here, but this is just to show how the right plants can work. I just planted all stuff that loves water, moisture, even standing water. Once she had the right plants there, it took off and was lovely, and I've tended her garden for 15 years. So it would indeed help us to help you if we knew your gardening conditions, and what you've already tried. One last thing I just remembered. I once went to a talk by an organic farmer (who was such a great speaker another farmer told her to give up her farm and take her show on the road!). She said how when she first started out, everyone in the business told her to put down leaves. Leaves, leaves, leaves, was what she heard. So she did. And the next year she was like, what, was this a joke? But she did it again. And again the next year. And she said her soil ended up being spectacular and her farm started taking off. So it does take time, and effort, and patience, but those leaves and organic matter do make a difference! :) Dee