Hedging

No, not me hedging my bets, but the real plant sort of hedging. I just felt like having a vague title.


July is hedge pruning time.  It's a job Tom and I both hate, but we like the final results, and it is heartening to know that we can both still handle the work - barely.


When we moved into our newly constructed house with no landscaping 34 years ago, we had more time than money.  We spent a year just clearing our half acre of bramble and ivy and broken down willow.  Then we watched to see what would emerge naturally.  The birds supplied us with lots of holly seedlings, some of which we left in place and the others Tom dug and planted along the fence row along the side of our property. 


All these years later we have free standing holly "topiary"  and a thick holly hedge that keeps out dogs and stray kids.


On Sunday we got started on the pillars.

 Today we tackled the holly hedge and began on the fir hedge along the front of the property.  The ladder awaits more work tomorrow and Wednesday.

 A pillar and the hedge by the deck.

 Another pillar that awaits trimming.

 The beginning of the holly hedge in the upper part of the yard.

 Along the secret garden, a cedar pillar and holly.

 The holly hedge is looking good now that we have all of the trimmings picked up.

 The secret garden was buried in holly trimmings until I got it cleaned up.  That's my job, along with ladder holding where the tall ladder and uneven ground are involved.

Tomorrow I get a reprieve, as I have a haircut appointment at 10:00 AM and we have a lunch date with teacher friends at noon.  We are hoping to get a few hours work in in the afternoon, and Tom will work at it in the morning.  We're hoping to be done with all but the back side of the holly hedge on Wednesday.  That last part will wait until next week.  We will need a day to work in the rest of the yard and then rest up before getting ready for overnight guests.


On Saturday afternoon Isaac and Irene helped me pick crops.

 And, as promised, we got out Irene's rainbow umbrella, and that is where they shelled and ate the peas they picked.  Why cook them when they are so good right out of the pods!