Last Gardening note of the night.

[labelleizzy]

I wouldn't have thought (or realized) that a Stick of Whapping could be such a satisfying and reliable gardening tool.

heh.

I have an old chair leg (the rest of the chair went bye-bye but since the leg already fell off, I was like, why not?)... and I have had several bushes in the back yard that died (or mostly died) some months ago when the pump for the backyard well failed for several days last summer.

how satisfying to whack the hell out of old dead brush, have it break and splinter and fracture, to aim blows for the joints of the dead plant and see limbs go flying, stir up dust (ok not that so much) and make something that's literally only in the way of progress, get smaller and smaller.

I think when the shrubs are finally gone I'll dig a nice big hole and plant sets of bulbs, or bunches of herbs that grow well in damp soil and indirect light.

Comments

[temperance14.livejournal.com]

Weeding by hand (or even by hoe when you need to wale the tar outen' something)

reach down, get a grip and a gentle tug (so you know where you and this creeper stand with each other)

pull

sometimes you just pull away the prickly leaves, and burrs and thorns, (and in the spring, regrettably lovely delicate flowers)

and you can still see the remainder of the plant, clutching the soil, white sap oozing out to heal itself, and to stain your offending hand

but often there will be a satisfying pop and release from the earth herself, and an entire egg-white root follows in to your hand

and you start to toss each one aside to throw out, or destroy.
But you always pause, and examine each entact offensive weed, as if it were some amazing treasure, some puzzle you never encountered.

Start again...there more to find.