u/Pleasant_Source_8141

Anyone have any recommendations based on first- or reliable second-hand experience? I have been on the hunt for a 4-10 carat, vibrant bi-color sapphire (blue and orange or yellow) for about a year and half. My gemologist colleague has tapped her network in Thailand and Sri Lanka and we have yet to find what we’re looking for. I’ve found good-looking stones online, but am concerned the photos have been altered and the sellers are not willing to let us inspect the gems in person before purchasing.

After a big backyard reno, we planted creeping thyme in our partly shady backyard last June and about half of it survived our PNW winter. We filled in the dead spots with more creeping thyme and ajuga in the shadier spots this Spring, but I was hoping to be much further along by now. I’m wondering if there’s something I can put down in the bare spots while we wait—ideally something the thyme and ajuga will crowd out as it spreads. I have kids and 2 big dogs, so something low and soft would be much better than the bare dirt we have now. Any ideas for a ground cover that would fit the bill? Is this a terrible idea? Do I just need to be patient?