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31 August 2018

GONE FOR NOT FORGOTTEN!


The recently mentioned cotoneaster has gone! My new gardener (Pete) and his young mate laboured over it for quite a while, drilling, cutting, sweating and swearing. I could understand the swearing as I watched the operation.

What I had called a gentle shrub had turned into a monster. The hitherto unseen ‘stalks’ were a circumference of twelve inches (yes, we measured it) which had to be drilled to get the mini tree sized shrub out of the ground. The remaining stumps had to be left where they were.

They emerged triumphant after an hour drilling the twisted and gnarled overgrown trunk. I call it a trunk for want of another name. Pete then had to saw it all into pieces in order to transport them to the garden rubbish bin from where they would be collected by council workers.

Eventually the entire strip opened up to a previously intended flower bed, stones, bricks and all. The cotoneaster had been in situ since before we moved into the bungalow because it was well established then. Add on thirty years and you get the drift of the its age. Going by the height and spread when we moved in I would put it at around forty years.

I should have got rid of it sooner but, never mind, the job is done. The soil in the ‘flower bed’ is healthy enough to plant some flowers which I will definitely try to produce. I am not going to buy much, just take specimens from the rest of the garden.

So now I can see the whole of the garden from the window and am thrilled. 

17 comments:

  1. Looks like it was a busy planting. We've had to take the chainsaw to a few things that had aged and gotten out of hand.

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  2. Sharon, this job should have been done sooner but with my Joe being ill it wasn't a priority. There is some more cotoneaster out front but I am keeping a close eye on that. Lesson learned!

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  3. The cotoneaster is gone!!! Yesssss!!!

    It is amazing, how many items of nature, are relentless. But then, they wouldn't still be here, if their ancestors had not been relentless, and passed that trait on... Now would they? :-)

    But when they are in our little plots of nature, we really don't want them taking over. And what a job, to get rid of!!!!!

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    1. I love plants of all descriptions, but the size has to be within reason! I should have removed this one when I was younger and more able!

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  4. I have been potting up my Cotoneaster cuttings today. They are really easy to root. Look forward to seeing your garden pictures when it gets planted up where the old Cotoneaster was.

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  5. Who knew such a pretty bush could be so nasty.

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    1. A lot of my cotoneasters were self seeded... after the experience I wrote about I shall be keeping a watchful eye to make sure they don't grow in size.

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  6. Oh, that's AWESOME, Valerie! I am so glad you found Pete the gardener because he sounds like he knows what he's doing. And WOW...those stalks were HUGE! What an undertaking that must have been for him.

    "So now I can see the whole of the garden from the window and am thrilled."

    And I'm thrilled for you!

    Enjoy your garden, my friend! Have a fantabulous weekend!

    X

    P.S. It's Labor Day this weekend here in the US, so everyone will be at the beach for one last hurrah before the summer ends. I am so looking forward to Fall after this long, hot and humid summer.

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    1. Good morning, Ron. I have managed to plant some cuttings taken from elsewhere in the garden so the flower bed is looking good, and easier to cope with.

      I hope you have a great Labor Day. A day at the beach sounds good but I bet it would be crowded with everyone rushing to make the most of the day.

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  7. That's great Valerie. I could do with a few things being removed around here. It can be a daunting task.

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    1. Don't leave it too long, Denise, my cotoneaster was like a tree!

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  8. Oh, so awesome that you found a new gardener. I have so much to do in my garden but am unable to due to the bad back.

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    1. I too suffer from back problems which are so incapacitating. Thank goodness for professional gardeners ... and thank you for visiting my blog.

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  9. How exciting to have a whole new space to work with. Looking forward to its development.

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    1. kden, I have managed to sow some grass where the digging took place. Pleased as punch that I achieved something.

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  10. Wow, that was some project. So glad you found a new gardener and that he and his helper managed to get it all out. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with that area, the new plantings, I'm sure it'll be lovely.

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  11. Hi Mary. It was hard graft for the gardener but it would have been impossible to do if he hadn't been so obliging. I will show pics when the new flower bed is showing life.

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