Beating Back the Encroachers

I've mentioned before these creeping encroachers at our home. I decided today was the day to deal with them. They're so quiet, so slow, but like sin, if I don't cut it back and deal with it, eventually it will take over and destroy. Julia, my imaginative child, would like ivy over the whole house, I believe.

A few tendrils had crept under the window and were wheedling their way indoors. Note the lovely blue sky reflected in the pane. But beneath the pane, faded and blending in, is the ivy.

I wonder how long it would take before I could no longer reach the ivy, and I'd need a ladder to get it down? When we first moved into this house, it was worse, and took quite a bit of work to control.

Working outside is a pleasure on a day with skies like this, and trees like this. No mosquitoes either.

So much tidier. But in a few months, I'll need to do it again. I've often wondered if vines are the snakes of the plant world. We think they're lovely at times, and snipped into a flower arrangement, ivy adds an attractive touch. But if you've ever used loppers to cut ivy vines from the trunk of your pine trees -- vines the size of your wrist -- you know what they can do, unchecked.

The camellias are preparing for their winter blooming.

Sandy came along to help.  She doesn't really understand about vines and sin, but she loves to be outdoors.