Bushwhacking in Washington

No, not that Bush, and no, not that Washington.

It's time in the garden for winter pruning. Fruit trees and shrubs need to be headed back and shaped up. Dead wood and decay have to be cut back. To promote more blooming and control size, plants like hydrangeas need to be dead headed and thinned. Vines will be cut down at the knees because they bloom on new growth.

Then there are plants that need to be moved or eliminated because they are crowding or not flourishing where they are or are not contributing to the desired outcome. Some have just gotten ugly. Others have been neglected for a few years and need to be whacked back.

Winter storms have caused damage. There are tree limbs to clean up and broken shrubs to cut back and clear.

We began this work last week and have been working off and on since, in the cold and in the fog. We took a few days off for field trips and to install a new president in the White House, but then it's back to work. It's hard to get out there in the mornings, but once we do, the results are satisfying.

All of the prunings, trimmings and storm litter are cut up and shredded to be recycled in the yard. Running that machine is Tom's job. Making the piles is mine. Together we have worked through a mountain of material already.

The shredded mulch makes a great dressing on the pathways to keep down weeds and make for easier, cleaner walking. We do a lot of native, natural gardening, but there is a difference between nature and natural gardening. Nature takes care of itself. Gardening needs tending.

But wait. Cleaning up messes and damage. Cutting out deadwood and decay. Opening up areas to more light. Shaping up in hope of more blooming. Moving or eliminating that which is unruly or not contributing or over reaching its bounds. Recycling waste to provide better footing and discourage undesirable growth.

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It there a metaphor here?

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You bet'cha!