My journey into the land of poison ivy and brambles is temporarily over. I do have some more brambles to deal with on the other side of the house, but that will have to wait. We have a lot of poison ivy around here, coupled with old trees that have had vines snaking up the bark for years. I bought inexpensive pruners and some gloves and I did my best to snip all of those vines, which resulted in a lot of contorted body positions in order to get to the vines. It won’t eradicate the poison ivy, but it will temporarily stop the growth all the way up the trees. And then I threw the pruners out.
Brambles are a never-ending battle. But I did my best to cut them back where they needed to be cut back. I don’t want to eliminate them entirely as they bloom in the spring and the flowers and scent are heavenly. I wanted to cut them back where they interfere with walking the property and where they send up their shoots and envelop other plants and trees. My hands and legs have several little wounds from my attempts to wrestle with the brambles. To be expected.
All of which made Claudia tuckered out at the end of the day.
Today: rain. Tomorrow: rain.
And I have to recycle today!
A few photos taken in the evening yesterday. These are meant to give you an idea of what is coming up out of the ground. Hostas, day lilies, sedum and coneflowers. Don’t mind the leaves. Since I keep the leaves there all winter, I need more than one pass to get them out of the beds. I haven’t got a chance to do a second pass.
More day lilies and hostas.
This grass is so consistent. Always one of the first plants to come up in the garden, it has spread over the years. That’s a narcissus in the middle of the grass. And the hyacinths are in the distance.
Last night, at the end of a sunny day, I stood at the front door and looked out at the green grass and the gardens, watched the birds flying here and there, caught a glimpse of a groundhog (Henry?) and watched the reflection of the sunset in the waters of the river that is just across the street. Pretty darned lovely.
And Don is coming home on Sunday night. He really misses his home and who can blame him? Especially as winter has departed and spring is here.
Happy Friday.
Poison ivy is a bugger to get rid of, however we had a yard service that used a spray on it and it never came back–a garden center could probably tell what is best! My son had such an allergy we had to do something or he couldn’t go in the yard!
I don’t use pesticides in my gardens, but I understand the need to if your son was allergic!
You are really whipping those gardens into shape! They will be beautiful, as they always are. I especially love your coneflowers. Maybe I’ll try to find some this year and get them started at the lake. I know that a few people in the area have them, and I love that they come back after a long, rough NY winter. Next, to get some morning glories planted!
Coneflowers are, to me, the perfect cottage flower. And they last a long time.
Happy Friday Claudia. The gardens are coming to life – and look lively. Have a great weekend with your husband.
Thank you, Karen. He’ll be home Sunday night.
You have been hard at work on the gardens. A little rain will give you some rest maybe? I bet Don enjoys coming home and he is lucky he lives as close as he does! I think I might go junking a little today! Hugs!
New York is wonderful, but it’s hectic and noisy and Don does 8 shows a week, so he’s ready for the country!
Have an enjoyable indoor day after your recycling run. Do you take the brambles and poison ivy to the recyclers? I don’t have them here. And have a great visit with Don. How long will he stay? I’m going to see part 1 of Angels in America this weekend also a huge book fest/event in Berkeley…https://m.baybookfest.org.
I just pile them on our ever growing pile of wood and tree limbs.
Don only has Monday off, so he can only stay until Tuesday morning. The schedule is 8 shows a week, 6 days of work.
i think it’s looking really good! i especially like the big stones. i know they don’t bloom … lol
but they give balance to the plants and a different texture always. it will be lovely when it’s fully awake in a few weeks! we all have bed-head when we wake up from a long nap!
so glad Don gets to come ‘home.’ the word probably never sounded so sweet after this long winter and his job away from it! xo
Most of the big stones were here when we moved in. I’ve added some smaller ones to the edges of the garden beds I created, but I wish I had big rocks for all of those spaces.
Could spring really be on its way??? Finally – and with welcoming arms!
I think it is, Deb!
I love those big rocks around your garden too Claudia…I would love some to border a nice garden also…I think I would put a bench inside the garden so I could sit there and read and enjoy all of my flowers that I plant…Just a sweet fantasy but if I ever get those rocks it will be real…It’s so nice to hear that Don is coming home again…There he is in NYC with so many things to see and do and all the he wants to do is come home…Such a sweet man he is…
There are a lot of things to see and do in the city but the fact is, with working 6 days/8 shows a week, the last thing he wants to do on his day off is do anything but take it easy!
Sounds like you have good times a’coming with better weather, Don home more – – and the lovely surroundings of which your beautiful cottage is a part.
Spring has definitely arrived, Vicki.
No kidding? Tools used to battle poison ivy can’t be used again? There’s no way to adequately clean the cooties, huh? Wow, never knew that. I’m learning new garden facts all the time here. And I love it. Have a great weekend, Claudia [and Don]. Peace.
#Resist
#ProtectMueller
Nope. I suppose you could try to salvage them but the problem is that you don’t want to transfer anything to any other plant. Thanks, Janet.
I can sympathize with you. We have so much vines growing on our fence in the back. It is so back breaking. It seems like the job is never completed. Take a nice relaxing week end.
Marilyn
It’s never completed, Marilyn!
Sometimes I think winter is given just so we will have so much joy in our hearts when spring finally arrives, that doing those yearly chores is just a bit easier to tackle and accomplish. And then the rainy spring days feed the gardens and give us time to rest our weary bones! All part of that circle of life.
2 weekends in a row with Don home for a bit. How wonderful. He misses MHC and needs the time to refresh his soul, too. Glad you will have somewhat of a rain reprieve so you won’t overdo. Ha! There is always so much to do ~~ inside or out!! Have a great remainder of your Friday!
Well, you’re right, after winter, especially a long one, we appreciate every opportunity to be outside working!
Thanks, Chris!
your hard work is paying off and the gardens are looking great … hooray! same for the rain that might require you to take a break. :) and you are brave to tackle the brambles and poison ivy. stay well!
and an even bigger hooray for don coming home for a couple days! know you are happiest together.
today i took off from work (hooray for me) and went to a “junk jubilee” here in town. dozens and dozens of vendors, but wouldn’t you know it? the thing i bought (a big, thick, old, square wooden box for $15) came from a local shop owner. despite finding the thing i hoped i’d find within the first five minutes, i walked around and around, covering the whole thing four times … so now i am home to take it easy.
happy weekend!
kathy in iowa
How was Amor Towles, Kathy?
hi, claudia.
my sister and i enjoyed very much amor towles’ talk about “a gentleman in moscow “, the metropol hotel and revolution, his writing process and a one-line hint about his next book (don’t expect it for a couple years) and q+a. we were about his last stop on a very long tour to promote that now two-year-old book so one could understand if he was slick in his talk and more than a bit tired, but if he was either of those things, it didn’t show. he was funny, interesting and stayed a long time to answer questions and sign books. and he shaved off his beard, looked very tom hanks-y.
i’d only heard his first name pronounced like the spanish word for love, but he said it as “a-more”/rhyming with “hay-more” and with the emphasis on the first syllable . i like that together his name sounds a bit like “immortals”.
He takes a long time to write a book, so I know that it will be a while! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
amor said the idea for that book occurred to him when he saw some people in the lobby of a fancy hotel year after year so he went up to his room and wrote a brief summary right then and there … and that he took a full year to outline the book (wow … sounds like I have lots to look forward to), another year to write the first draft, then reworked it again and again over another couple of years. paid off!
He works slowly, but it’s worth it in the end.
i printed out and gave amor towles a copy of your review about “a gentleman in moscow “, given he said he read reviews about his books and it was your review that made me want to read his book. thanks again for that.
kathy in iowa
Oh, you’re so sweet, thank you. I hope he likes it!
i didn’t see him read it claudia, because i put your review in an envelope and gave it to amor (like i’m on a first name basis with him … ha) only after i asked and he said yes, he does read reviews of his work and the line of people behind us wanting to talk with him or get books signed was very, very long.
i am thinking he does like it … you wrote a wonderful review!
He’s a wonderful writer. It’s an honor to read his work, Kathy. Thank you.
Your gardens are coming alive. Mine are a tad slower…but I can see progress. We decided we are going to be planting more things specifically for the hummingbirds….trying to avoid the eventual arguments at the feeders, that I know are coming. Glad to hear Don is coming home again….guess he’s hearing the call of your porch! Enjoy your evening! ;)
NYC is wonderful, but it can be exhausting. I think a little time at the cottage helps keeps things in balance.
Thank-you for sharing your beautiful garden … while I continue to await the awakening of our own. I’ve done the walk about with my camera and captured a variety of things for notes in the garden journal.
After a full year of debate I splurged on a beautiful set of Majesty Bells in the scale of A to hang from the Oak within the shade garden this year. It was a worthy splurge.
So I began watching Netflix Monty Don garden series you recommended. So different from our gardening programs no longer offered. THANK-YOU for sharing! My favorite episode was the ‘Sensory Garden’ for a couples lovely child with Downs Syndrome coupled with hearing loss, etc… BEAUTIFUL in so many ways.
Have a relaxing weekend …
You’re welcome. I loved the Sensory Garden episode as well. It was so moving.
I’m not familiar with Majesty Bells so I’m going to google them!
Oh, they’re wind chimes! Good for you. I have my parents’ wind chimes on the porch and I can’t tell you how much their music means to me on a daily basis.
Your wind chimes are a bit more special with sentiment & memories!
Unfortunately, these appear a bit dwarfed to me in the shade of the Oak. I almost think I won’t be happy unless I get the bit larger size though they were green & these are a hammered sort of brown/black … I suppose I’ll sleep on it & see what we think in the morning?. I try to purchase locally.
– Anne
Good for you. I hope you find the perfect chimes for your oak tree.