The rose bush, I have been writing about removing is gone. This was supposed to be a repeat bloomer, at least that is what the tag said. And the tag also showed a picture of a 3-4 foot nicely shaped bush. Don't believe everything a tag says. I remember buying this at Lowe's about 8 years ago, thinking it would be a nice center for the long burm. The first year it did okay, not great, but it did have several blooms and stayed fairy compact. The next year, it started growing after a poor showing of blooms. Maybe, I thought, it blooms on new wood. So I left it. The following year, huge, ungainly and few blooms. I trimmed it back severely. Again, few blooms and the Japanese beetles found it. I sprayed, but could do no more that year. To make a very long story short-it has never re-bloomed, it spreads like wildfire, it has dead looking spots and it traps leaves and tree seedlings. It has to go!
Hubby, bless his heart, finally has time to pull it out. Here he is taking a log chain and wrapping it around the base.
I was told to stand back! The chain tightens.
It's going.
Going more...
Wait, the chain is slipping. Hubby redoes the chain close to the bottom, again.
Yes! It has popped loose. It is gone!
After pulling out some of the stragglers, digging out some tough roots, raking, and tearing out what would have been a whole forest of baby trees, the job is finally done!
I'm pretty sure I will have to spray some kind of brush killer in the cleared area. We think the roots will try to grow. I will check with the garden center about that and it probably won't be safe to plant for a while. In the meantime, I can plan what I want to put there. I'm sure, though it won't be another 'rugosa rose'.
Thanks Hubby. I couldn't have done it without you!
9 comments:
Hubby did well. We pulled a pampas grass up in the same way at our other house we lived in.
Strange Beckie I have Rosa Rugosa all over my garden and it does well. It is compact and the blooms smell sweet. I will upload a photo in the summer. Be interested to see if its the same bush.
Good job, Beckie's husband! Your garden looks ready to go. I do enjoy all your flower bed stories.
Way to go S. Take charge of the brute.
I have a Rugosa bush out front that is much the same Beckie. It does bloom nice in early summer but it isn't very pretty the rest of the time. I pulled out some of it this spring. DB is all for getting rid of it. Maybe I will get the courage to do this after seeing your success.
Give S a big pat on the back for me! That looks like a lot of work. Seeing the before picture, though, I can understand why you wanted to get rid of it. You are very patient to wait for awhile before planting something new; I'm afraid I wouldn't be so patient and then would regret it later.
Is he available on weekends? It must feel great to get that beast out finally, and what a great new gardening opportunity that opens up.
Cheryl, a ot can be accomplished with a truck and a chain! I'd like to see your rugosa.
Beth, He says Thanks! It does look sooo much better.
Lisa, with it gone, just think of all the planting space you will gain.
Rose, I have a feeling I will be pulling out new shoots for a while yet. So don't want to plant anything just yet. But wouldn't a pink Dogwood look great there?!
MMD, I am just so happy to have that nasty out!
wow, i really enjoyed that rose-bush tale (though a 'true' one at that!). thanks for stopping by and visiting my blog! how's your 'fibro'? mine's just hanging right in there...but thankfully, the lyrica does help!! also, i noticed a yellow impatiens a few posts back! I have NEVER seen one before!! And, thanks for the post where you mention the 'dyanthis'. I have a bunch of them and even posted some and couldn't remember their name!! Now I can go back and 'name' them! Take Care-
They can be so useful sometimes can't they?!! You have quite a hole to fill now! Planning, for me, is the best bit.
Cheryl, this post brought back memories of hacking a huge multiflora rose in NC (the bush was the size of a car) with axes, digging picks, and hand saws. We pulled roots out of the ground as big as my forearm. What an experience. It did always try to regrow from the root frags, but could be managed with a good sharp hoe then.
I am surprised this is a rugosa. I have one -- don't know the variety b/c it came with the house -- that is growing under a pine tree (!) and is perfectly lovely. It has bright red blooms, pretty rosehips and stays gorgeous all year with no care at all.
The multifloras back in NC were one of those dept of agriculture ideas to prevent erosion. Of course they thought KUDZU was a great idea when they introduced it too!! Argh.
Good family effort there to clear your flower bed. Bravo!
Post a Comment