I like this UI better because it’s more compact than Photon, but I like both so far because it’s easy to turn on dark mode. I also like the previews better than old.slrpnk. I like how Alexandrite discussions open up in something that lays over the rest of the content, and I could close the sidebar to get a better view. I’d like it better if I didn’t have to scroll back up to the top to close the discussion, but maybe that’s a work in progress or something I could post as a wish on their development site.

PS—Oh, I can just press Esc. Oh, I think there’s also a navigation bar that will let me close the thread.

Also, I like how it shows the number of unread posts since my last visit, but I don’t think there’s a way to either take me to these posts or to highlight them while I’m scrolling the thread.

Privet also does just fine as a hedge, and people in the UK actually use it for this purpose. Ironically, that’s where I’ve seen privet growing—along borders, so people who hate privet might as well leave the stuff unless it’s in their way.

Try this search engine for native plants in your zip code.

Try clover again for the fall and winter. You can sow clover seeds until late spring. If necessary, you can start back again in mid summer.

I don’t wait for rain, but when I see there’s going to be a few days of rain, I try to get some seeds out there before it rains. A few days of rain might give the seeds a good start, and then, you could mulch the seedlings to help them make it to the next rainfall. You could use a handheld tool to cut competing plants like grass and use them as mulch. If you can spend a little time every day or week, then you’ll figure out what works.