Unwinding

I seem to have spent a fair amount of time this week unwinding tendrils of vegetation.

On Monday, it was wisteria.  A friend called us in to tackle this.  I am not entirely certain that it was the appropriate time of year, nevertheless we did as requested, cutting back and untangling wisteria at the front of the house where it was twining up a cable, and at the back where it had extended itself among the branches of her cherry tree.  With several provisos we chopped and confined the wisteria to her ornamental arch.  

Later this week it was off to the allotment to take up our runner beans.  This was a much easier job.  Although runner beans are perennials in their country of origin, in Britain they begin to die off as soon as the temperature drops in autumn so it was time to pull them out and untwine them from the canes that my husband had erected.  The beans came out easily and the canes went back into store for whoever takes on the plot after us.

Thursday saw me wresting with various ornamental creepers that were taking over the bushes in another border. 

For me, the most fulfilling experience of the three was the allotment.  Many customers call us in when their ivy or ornamental climbers have grown, unchecked, all over fence, trellis and tree.  This is our work, it pays the bills.  But I have enjoyed taking up what I have harvested, tidying it away for a new season.