Shambolic Shrubbery

A few tentative cuts start us off

If Saturday was a gentle working day we certainly made up for it yesterday, Giles led us to the badly overgrown shrubs by the coach house cottage and let us loose. I'm not kidding the nettles were seven feet high in places! Not to be deterred Alyson and I soon got stuck in with loppers and saw and by tea-break were making good progress, only two hours in to the working day we were already filthy, covered in nettle rash, rose thorns in our hair and green slime coating our arms but strangely enjoying ourselves! We cleared as much as possible by lunch only leaving the renovated shrubs and the big stumps for Giles and the chainsaw to deal with. The end result doesn't look that pretty but we have uncovered a lovely window and  balustrade and the plants will soon recover. The afternoon we spent mowing in the heat, finishing off by raking dead thatch from a recently cleared green area, a task that made me think of peasants toiling in the fields, the sun was hot and the flies bothersome so I wasn't sorry when it was time to go home, I badly needed a shower!


"Now I know a refuge never grows, from a chin in hand and thoughtful pose, gotta tend the earth if you want a rose" Indigo Girls

Alyson is in there somewhere!

Making progress

End result with mountains of shredding to do!