Mountain Evergreen Tree

There is a tree and/or tall shrub that I always see when I drive up in the North Georgia Mountains, and it is an evergreen with dark green glossy leaves, long and tapered. It has an almost tropical look, but it obviously likes cool mountainous climates rather than a tropical climate. Mountain Laurel? I don't know if it has blooms in the spring or not....
Okay, nope, it's not mountain laurel... I'll keep looking!
Okay - it is Rhododendron!! Rosebay Rhododendron, to be exact. I love it!!! And it does produce a flower in June, either white, pink, or pale purple. It IS sometimes called "Great Laurel", so maybe that's where I got the mountain laurel idea.

Pink Mulhy Grass

I was in Greenville, SC last week, and in beautiful Falls Park on the Reedy River, the landscaping is lush and gorgeous!! I particularly fell in love with what looks like a Pampas Grass, but with lavendar plumes rather than the off-white that I'm familiar with.
**Update**
Pink Mulhy Grass!!  Thanks to a Pinterest follower, I now know what this beautiful plant is!  :)  I love the internet!!

Something ELSE I love and am going to research...

I have so many favorite trees, shrubs, plants, etc. I can never even remember them all, and I sure can't name them all, or know which ones grow best in what environment. So here's where I'm going to collect all my research!