a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Monday, June 16, 2014

Doing It Over...

This is one of our figs that had produced quite well in years past.  It grew so well I did not even want to trim where it knocked repeatedly against the window.  I decided while it was dormant I would prune the intersecting limbs and give it more room to grow.

Then our winter killed it back to the roots.  We won't have an abundant crop this year but we will have figs. At first I thought I had killed it but the one I did not trim died back to the roots also.

This past week I decided to trim it back.  There were plenty other plants mixed with it.  The wisteria which Dad planted and wished he never had, the Virginia Creeper and Granny's rose bush had made quite the stand here.

All the dead limbs were removed plus all the invaders.  I used some of these for stakes for other plants. Then I burned!  The joy of seeing all your hard work reduced to ash that will feed the ground is indescribable. Maybe I just like fire.
Oh, no, I needed more to burn!!!  I started weeding and pruning all the bird poop plants from the fence. Honey suckle, Virginia Creeper, briers and seedlings were joyfully added.  I am over run with Money plants so many of them were pulled and placed on the fire.
With the green added I had some great smoke.  Burn, baby, burn.  These ashes can be added to the garden.
I had some help
and some more help.
I decided to weed my water garden
and clean all the climbing vines so you could see the fence.

I'm gonna have to quit
This is too much work.
Only three more corners to clean.

17 comments:

Cait O'Connor said...

I am like you by the sound of it, one job leads to another but I like nothing better than pottering in the garden.

LilliStJohn said...

Good Lord, I took on a cleaning spell yesterday and cleaned the big closet in my bedroom, a chore I had been avoiding for quite a while. Three large bags to go to the shelter, articles separated, many articles of older clothing packed and given to "New To You" shop. Now, you see, my large bedroom closet is also known to all the little ones as "The Magic Closet". When everyone comes to visit, the kids just have to go to the Magic closet and maybe, just maybe the magic fairies have left some trinklet or toy for them. My great nephew Kyle is the newest member to visit the Magic Closet and his Dad (my nephew Geoff) visited the Magic Closet long, long ago. So much fun for its always a different bunch of fun - that OLDE fairy is pretty cool. You worked outside, I worked inside - we both accomplished a lot - the sun is shining today and I am outta here. Have a good one my friend and hugz to Marcy. lol

Lynne said...

I can identify with that kind of work . . . it is wearing me out! Day after day . . .cleaning, sorting, weeding . . . I have hauled piles and piles of overgrown branches, vines to the fire pit area . . . "The Burn" will have to wait for a time when it isn't so dry . . .

Indeed . . . the ash will be great for the gardens . . .

What a worker bee you are Gail . . . and you wondered what you would do when you retired!

Lynne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm tired just reading this. I won't complain that all I have to do is mow and trim a hedge now and then.

MadSnapper said...

everything looks great and by the time you get to the other corners this corner will need it again... over and over and over... you know i wish i were there to play in that fire and add fuel. the plan would be you pull and hack and i put it on the fire and poke said fire to make it burn better... love the water garden and all your helpers. i foudn a 7 inch black snake in the roots to eh ferns i pulled today

TexWisGirl said...

you're a goof. :) my sis likes fire, too - too much. :)

Ginny Hartzler said...

I've never heard of a Money plant, what is it? I know Sandra is deliriously happy with this post! You got a good picture of the fire. Fire is not all bad, it can be very cleaning, and it is the chief component of God! He says many times that He is fire!

Debbie said...

i think we can all relate....our yard brings much comfort but is also sooooo much work. we really need someone full time to keep up with all the chores and we are trying to do all of it by ourselves. we didn't even open our pool this year. it's so much work and the water is so warm by july 1st it's not even refreshing!!

in nj, you are not allowed to burn your brush!!!!

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

So jealous of your energy. I'd love to be doing instead of feeling icky. Maybe today I can push myself and get some "gotta do's" done. You make me want to be back to my old self so badly. Carry on.

Farm Girl said...

We have been doing that kind of cleaning. Doesn't it feel nice to look out and see all of that work accomplished.
I wish we could burn like that. It would help so much to get things done.
I hope today you get to have a rest day.

Sandy Livesay said...

Fire.......(reminds me of the song).......

The cleaned out corner looks really nice, you said you have 3 more. I think it's time for a siesta!!!

Enjoy burning stuff, be careful you don't get too much sun outside. It's so hot here today and humid.

LindaG said...

And here you told me you hadn't done anything.
You did more than I do in a week!

Have a good day, Gail. ♥ :-)

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

I like the kind of fires that you can roast marshmallows over. :)

Buttons Thoughts said...

Wow you sure are enjoying this whole retirement thing I am glad I have not gotten there yet it looks exhausting:)Great shots. HUG B

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Not time to burn here...and we leave the brush piles for the birds to use. All that ash will be good fertilizer!...:)JP

carolina nana said...

I lost my fig tree also this winter.
I wonder if all those little sprouts will really produce figs ?
Love the smell of an outside fire.
Blessings and don't work to hard
Marilyn

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...