A day’s work … in My things ……
- March 19, 2014, 8:23 p.m.
- |
- Public
… and half sitting down!
Bramble & Blackthorn.
We have plenty of both on the Meadow part of our garden, both have an over abundance of thorns, the bramble has short curved thorns and the Blackthorn are strait, both have no respect of leather garden gloves; as my skin would agree! [No photographs – so no need to look away]
I thought the fencing man was coming tomorrow, now I think he could be coming, so yesterday I set about the Bramble and Blackthorn that has grown in abandon in the area of the fallen fence. Tackling the bramble starts with severing it at ground level, then I grab several thorn laden shoots and pull, this is dun adjusting your hold until it hurts less ….
At some time during the pull I have to stop, where bramble shoots touch the ground they rote on that very point, then you have pull out of the rotes from the earth, or snip them through. Then I pull once again, as it come away it also brings a quarter of a mile of out of the trees and bushes growing on the steep side of the valley.
Once I have the bramble free I take it to a clear area adjacent to out picnic table – with built in sets, this is gone through several times until I have a enough to sit down and set about the stuff with my secateurs. I like to cut it into short lengths, as longer lengths brake out of the rubbish bags, and that was the pattern of work, cutting through the bramble and removing; then sitting in front of a rubbish bag and trying not to drop your secateurs in the bag with all thorns! There wasn’t that much Blackthorn there, it’s a very stiff bush and as your pulling or ‘talking’ to the bramble; you tend to back onto the Blackthorn – and do you notice.
After lunch Sweetheart came up and worked with me, four hands are quicker and we were dun by tea time, we both felt a stiffness in our secateurs hands, I suppose we are not used to extended gardening; but by the time we had finished all the brambles & blackthorn cuttings were reduced to four sacks. All that pruning dun and no one arrived today, then we had a phone call to inform us there are coming tomorrow; so things are fine I think – or hope!
Dusk and sunset last Sunday ….
TruNorth ⋅ March 19, 2014
Nasty work with all those thorns! Your area looks quite pastoral.
ThoughtsAfter ⋅ March 20, 2014
I always find it feels good to have tackled a big job like that one and completed it. As always I so enjoy your photography.
Fishermanswife ⋅ March 23, 2014
I'm impressed! I hate everything with thorns. Therefore my blackberry is a species without thorns, only quite tasteful berries. Yet, I do have a sore left hand too, because of pulling wild daisies and creeping strawberries.
Sabrina-Belle ⋅ March 23, 2014
We have masses of bramble in our garden too. It keeps attacking a favourite fuschia and I keep cutting it back and pulling it out, then it's back again. I think I am ahead of it at the moment!
jamez Sabrina-Belle ⋅ March 23, 2014
There is a weed killer that works on bramble, I haven’t tried it as the garden is large and in several places vertical, we would need it by the gallon! We are renting here, and bramble is all over the valley, I think to really get rid of bramble you would need to git it up as will as treat it with a suitable; I doubt a week killer would go the job one its own. In a garden of my own I would to eradicate it, the way it spreads is remarkable where a shoot touches the ground it self sets, and I’ve seen it set in the young branches! The fruit is lovely and makes nice jam and fruit pies, I would quite happily go into the woods to pick the fruit ….
NorthernSeeker ⋅ March 23, 2014
That was a lot of work!
Tick Tock Tick ⋅ March 26, 2014
Ouch! Your description of your Thorn Wars brings back bloody memories! At this point I use my longest loping trimmers (over a two foot handle) for ours but invariably end up wounded. Four bags worth! Good Work!