I garden just like my father did. He would begin by pruning the roses and then part way through move to the rockery and have a little weed there always leaving behind a rake here and a fork there. That's me. It's a miracle anything ever gets finished. This morning I am going to try to weed out all those extra seedlings growing between the stones in the sunken garden.
Last week I completed a very pressing job. That of trimming the fig ivy on the outside wall before it begins new growth. Our extended fall had resulted in a lot of growth too late in the year to trim. Then along came some very cold spells and all that extra growth was burnt to a crisp. It was a chance to use my newly acquired hedge trimmer purchased for just this purpose. And it worked a treat removing all that extra growth within 20 minutes. With the hand shears it would take me more than an hour.
But of course that is never the end of the job. That his just the beginning. It is inevitable that fig ivy will not stay just where you want it to stay. It had crept over the top of the wall. That I had to tackle from the inside garden using hand clippers. Followed by the growth at the bottom of the wall spreading across the path. When all was done it was time to rake everything up. A full garbage can of material. Then a quick blow to remove most of the smaller debris. All that remains is for me to try and remove, once again, the garlic chives growing along the bottom of the wall.
You may question why I planted fig ivy on the wall in the first place. I felt the wall needed something to break up the monotony of the long house wall and this extended retaining wall. I love the look of a hedge and for most of the year that is how this looks. Plus it is a favorite hiding place for anoles, preying mantis and green lacewings. Worth that little bit of extra effort in the spring and an occasional trim through the growing year.
I'm was feeling pleased with myself that day that I had actually finished a job. Now back to weeding the sunken garden.
You did a great job with the fig Ivy! It looks like a living carpet.
ReplyDeleteI garden exactly the same way - it's so easy to look up and get distracted by something you hadn't realized you needed to tackle until that very moment. Still, that sense of accomplishment you get from finishing a task, especially one that's a bit of a headache, is tremendous.
ReplyDeleteIndoors or out, I follow your dad's pattern. I make lists of jobs to do but find myself so easily distracted by something I see while I am working. I find if I think about the garden at bedtime I will be awake half the night, making plans and redoing things. I do love the hedge effect you've created.
ReplyDeleteA very accurate description of living with fig ivy, what we call creeping fig -- the good and the annoying! Keeping our wall clipped is a big, boring chore, no doubt about it. I love the look of your freshly trimmed wall with the opuntia leaning in.
ReplyDeleteMagnÃfico!
ReplyDeletejanicce.
I love creeping fig. It looks beautiful growing on walls, and yours is no exception. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete