More Over Abundance

From one kind of over abundance to another. Some people are always whining about something...


This used to be a perfectly lovely bougainvillea. If you like bougainvillea (I, personally, DON'T but I'd still rather have a healthy, upright plant than one that's collapsed under the weight of a broken trellis). I took this picture after I'd cleaned it up and lightened it as much as I dared. I took off well more than 2/3 of the foliage. That's, of course, a major no-no but what could I do?

I should have been attending to the fact that it had become over grown and was badly in need of a trim. It's a vigorous grower and almost ALWAYS needs a trim. I suppose I should have known there are things I can ignore and things I ignore at my own stoopid peril!

Here's a pic of what I trimmed off in preparation for getting a heavier duty trellis and remounting what remains of the vine.

I'm not sure there's anything in that photo to give a sense of proportion, but that pile is about 4 feet high!

And here's The Great Beast and its Terrible Maw that will break that down into mulch for my compost.

It seems to fit into the Officially Ugly Part of my backyard, no? But then, sooner or later I would have had to fess up to the fact that there is an Officially Ugly Part of my backyard. I don't know if I'd be able to get anything done if I didn't alllow myself that area to work (and procrastinate) in.

I'll have to add the pics of resurrecting the bones of the bougainvillea. But first I'll have to pound in seriously heavy duty retaining poles, buy a really durable new trellis and arm myself to deal with the thorns of this ancient relic. I'm hopeful it can be saved which, even if I don't like bougainvillea, is much preferable to trying to plant something large in that narrow bed between the house and the concrete patio.

More to follow.