One thing leads to another...

 Too big.
Yellow Wave Phormium

It so often happens that one thing (chopping overhanging Gunnera leaves by Willow Bridge) leads to another (shifting the path) which leads to another (deciding to chop down the monster Yellow Wave Phormium blocking the bridge and the path). That's what I'm in the middle of doing.

Seeing one obese Phormium (commonly called a flax) leads my eye to another, and my garden is suddenly over-full of monsters which have outgrown their positions. So this week is dedicated to the destruction of fatty flaxes. It's jolly nasty work. I use a sharp knife, and an axe, and a (sadly blunt) shovel. If I'm tough enough I should be able to dig one out in an afternoon. Some of the flaxes might be tougher than me, though...

And here's a thought. This is the second such Phormium I've planted here, far too close to the end of Willow Bridge, making dismounting difficult and/or eventually impossible. The first was dug out in 2002. But did I learn anything? Not a jot! In 2004 I optimistically planted another one. It looked oh so pretty when it was small...

The End of the Gardening Day...

Yippee! Yes! Yeay for me and all other strong-arms women gardeners who shovel slowly, slice by slice, for hours, without sulking, crying, or giving up and going to get a man to help (not that men can't be jolly useful and helpful). Success - after two more hours, the Phormium is finally out, and I've rolled its huge root ball over to slumber underneath the hedge.

 A favourite flax.
Cream Delight Phormium Stripes

I've relaid the stone edges of the path, and now I have this enormous gap in the garden, just by the standard blushing pink Iceberg roses. And the Willow Tree Bridge can once again be used. Wonderful. I am so happy. OK, it doesn't take much. That's why being a gardener is so satisfying, I reckon.

Sunday 13th March

OK, a new gardening day. And why not make a habit of it? Digging out oversized Phormiums, that is. Today I removed a large one growing up against the garage. This was definitely an axe rather than a shovel operation, and a lot easier, since the soil was very dry.

Most of the flaxes along the water race are safe for now, since they don't block paths or squash their garden neighbours. But the coloured hybrids in the mixed borders need further inspection. Some are definitely past their use-by date, others have suffered leaf-burn in the hot summer temperatures. The worst ones have thick wadges of embedded dead leaves, are too tall and too fat, and are taking up far too much space.

 Ready for the shovel.
Phormium Destruction - Stage One

The idea is that I first trim any serious offenders right down to ankle-height. Then, if I feel magnanimous, they can be given a reprieve and allowed to resprout. This will happen reasonably quickly. But if the base of the Phormium is breaking apart, better to dig the whole thing up.

Monday 14th March

Ha! My Fat Flax Crusade gathers momentum. We've just got back from the dog park (Rusty seems to have hurt his back leg, so he's in his kennel to rest). I've identified two more that are far too big. They are the same variety - an mixture of dull olive and drab brown, and they are starting to block the route to the bonfire for cars backing trailers full of rubbish. And since much of this will soon be happening...

So how exactly do flaxes get too fat? For years they put on sneaky weight (AKA height, girth), unnoticed. One year they start looking 'chunky', then 'rather bulky'. A couple more years and then whoosh! A monster! Same as people, I guess. Oops.

Five Hours Later...

The bad news first. I've spent four and three quarter hours slicing down the large green flax by the old dog kennel. Attempts to use the axe have been hopeless, and trying to dig into the roots with the shovel simply hasn't worked. Yet. Humph. And I have scratches and scrapes all down my arms. But I will live to fight another day.

 A pile waiting for the bonfire.
R.I.P Phormiums

Now the good news. I've removed the Jester flax on the corner of the Stables Garden. It had started flopping and falling apart, and the pretty pink stripes were fast reverting to the plain dull species green. A quarter of an hour with the axe. Easy as. All the mess is piled up by the fence, and I've finished for the day. Since this journal page is work-related rather than whimsical, I am including boring photographs - as evidence of reality gardening. Enjoy?

Next Morning...

A surprise - one moderately large branch of the Eucalyptus tree by the dog kennels fell down in the night. Nobody heard it (the dogs didn't bark). It didn't hit anything. There was even room for the car(s) to sneak past. Nature's destruction rather more delicate than my own, for once...

 Yet more firewood!
Rusty and the Fallen Gum Tree Branch