Monday, June 24, 2013

All Play And No Work Equals Weeds

While we were camping, my flower beds have been taken over by weeds. Lots of them. That nasty invasive wild ginger has woven into the mulch and is trying to crawl up the shrubs onto the brick. Poison ivy is growing into saplings. Little maple trees have germinated from those whirlygigs. Pokeweed, wild blackberries and privet are everywhere. And I don't even want to talk about the crabgrass.

We kept the lawn mowed between trips, but I didn't take the time to pull weeds or trim. I'm making up for that now. I don't mind weeding, really, but this much is nearly overwhelming. One section at a time, and I'll get it done. It's the price I pay for living in the country and having natural, unstructured flower beds instead of manicured landscaping.

I was thinking of using a blow torch on the wild ginger, but since I mulch with pine needles that might set the whole yard on fire. At least my arms are getting a workout yanking up the stuff, but my hands are beginning to cramp. My trigger finger is sore from spot spraying poison ivy that decided to sprout between my hosta plants and behind the shrubs. If I could sell all the poison ivy on these five acres, I'd be a bazillionaire.

Oh yeah, thanks to the state highway workers who sort of mowed the right of way while we were gone. They cut to the ground the iris and vinca under our mailbox but trimmed carefully around a giant thistle plant and left it standing.

On a positive note, while I was taking a break I noticed hummingbirds are enjoying my gorgeous daylilies and butterflies are flitting around the purple coneflowers and blackeyed susans. If you need me this week, I'll be outside weeding, or resting on the porch with an icy cold beverage, or on the phone looking for a landscaping service.


When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.  If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.  ~Author Unknown

I appreciate the misunderstanding I have had with Nature over my perennial border.  I think it is a flower garden; she thinks it is a meadow lacking grass, and tries to correct the error.  ~Sara Stein, My Weeds, 1988

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