Three-plus weeks later, my post-hail, rain-soaked cleanup continues. Even I can't believe how much "debris" (read: precious garden bits) keep finding their way into the wheelbarrow, and compost heap. Crazy! But also probably good for me, because it's forcing a hard look at what needs to go for good, or otherwise be improved. More on that soon...but today, let's focus on some bright spots: a brilliant, problem-solving shrub, and one of nature's architectural miracles.

tough beauty: a true powerhouse shrub

Its newish name sounds like something you'd take antibiotics to kill off, but in fact Eleuthrococcus sieboldianus 'Variegatus,' or five-leaf aralia, is the plant that you can count on for spots where everything else dies. (It should have been called cast-iron plant, but Aspidistra laid claim to that common name.) A splashily cream-variegated shrub for any condition but waterlogged soil -- sun to substantial shade -- it's moderately resistant to deer, and you can even shear it as a hedge. Eleuthrococcus is a must-have.

how the biggest birds build their jumbo nests

They're the McMansions of bird nests, though I suppose not necessarily as luxurious as that as just plain big -- too big to fit into the first half of our recent Q&A on the topic of nest-building. The nests of eagles, herons and other big birds require a space of their own, in nature and on the website, right here.