tree is down

No more juniper tree in the backyard. After I cut all the branches off, I decided not to try to cut the trunk off at the ground. Instead, I have left upright two trunks, one about 3 foot tall and the other maybe 5 foot. They will serve as the base of a trellis for a vine to be planted later this summer. I'm not sure what vine - maybe another clementis. I have white and blue, so pink would be nice. I have managed to pull out and cut off the wild honeysuckle that was growing amidst the clementis on the fence. This is an ongoing chore, as I cannot get at the roots of the honeysuckle, so it keeps growing back. The leaves are similar to the clementis, so I have to look closely to ensure that I am cutting off the correct stems. While I was cutting up trimmings, I discovered that the old buddelia (butterfly bush) had finally died. It mostly died last year, but yesterday, I realized the main trunk was rotted at the base. So, out it came. I think I will put another one there, as I really like them. Maybe a white one. I don't have many white flowering plants and white would look good against the fence.

The backyard has been almost covered by the branches of the juniper and clippings from forsythia and beauty bush. Yesterday, I cut up the smaller branches of the two bushes and bagged them for recycle pickup. I have decided to just load the juniper branches into my van and haul them to the dump. There is a small fee, but it will be worth it because I won't have to cut them up into 4 foot lengths and bundle them, as I would for recycle pickup. I'll get that done this week, before the needles dry and start dropping off the branches. There was, however, a cost to the cutting I did yesterday. Today my shoulder and arm are sore. This should not have been unexpected, as I was using muscles that weren't used all winter. Those muscles will get more use this spring, because I need to do more clipping. I want to try once again to get the forsythia under control. This is an ongoing battle and one I am destined to lose. However, I'll cut it all the way back again this spring and at least get a year's break. I will also lose next year's blossoms, but that can't be helped.

As you can tell from the above, the weekend was spent on yard work. There is more to do, of course. The deck really needs to be cleaned. It's littered with shells from bird seed. I must get remember to bring the hose down from the upstairs bath tub, where it sat all winter, and re-attach it to the outdoor faucet. Yeah, I know the bathtub is a weird place to store a hose, but I don't use that bathroom and if the hose still has water in it, at least it won't drip on the floor! There is another hose somewhere in the basement. When I find it, it will go out front. I know it's down there, but my basement storage room is so full of boxes and bags of decorative stuff that it's hard to find anything. I really need to get in there and get rid of some stuff. I've been saying that for at least a year and made no progress. Maybe Kate will help me this summer. She is the world's expert at throwing stuff away!

Yesterday was such a lovely day and we have more to come. I hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous weather. I'm sure the cold, rainy weather will return, but not for a few more days.