The Garden Got In The Way of Sewing

HI blog readers!

I’ve been super busy with a HUGE gardening project that had to be addressed immediately.

Remember the Asian Jasmine I planted as a ground cover for TWO beds around my house–one on the shady side that also had azaleas and one around the back screened porch that has the red roses?

And:

Isn’t it pretty. But it turns out it is also a nightmare planted around other plants and near the foundations of a house. A nightmare! Along the side with the azaleas, it started going UP, behind the hardy planks and behind door frames. On the roses side, it went up the inside of that white corner wood piece and came out at the top to wave at me. (Son Bryan to the rescue for recaulking.) And it went UNDER the screens at the bottom of the porch and had to be pulled out with brute force with a pair of narrow nose pliers. (I love that tool.)

Yikes!

Asian Jasmine is NOT a true jasmine, and it is NOT a ground cover, but a VINE. Earlier this spring, its third summer, it started to increase its depth and its top was covered by its long vines that run in straight lines–so there were now two or more layers of tough vines in the depth, with the bottom layer well beneath the soil top.

There has been nothing to do but dig it out, and that has been what I’ve been doing for several weeks now. It is a really big and difficult job that requires a lot of muscle strength. I’ve gotten some help here and there–which has been so appreciated. And I’m feeling really encouraged. But there is a ways to go yet.

When I’ve cleared the ground as well as I can–the roots are often deep–I’ll put a thick layer of pine straw down that will smother any attempts of this plant to send up green vines and leaves. This plant has to have green leaves showing to spread. If I see shoots, I’ll be able to locate them easily under the pine straw. So, this this project will not be “done” for some time I suspect, but this part is the worst part. For sure.

I come in at night really tired–it is hot and the work is dirty–so most days have been two shower days. I have been cooking foods I can easily reheat: a lamb roast, a batch of grits (yum), and a whole sheet of mixed veggies roasted in the oven.

I try to use up what I have on hand with chopped veggie roasts like this one. I would have liked one of the sweet onions now in season chopped to add, but I didn’t have one. What I did have was a head of cabbage, red and yellow sweet peppers, carrots, garlic, and some frozen cranberries and broccoli heads. I seasoned with a dried mixed herb mixture and salt and topped with good butter for the fat. (The town is spraying for mosquitoes at night again, so I won’t use my garden herbs again until fall.)

I check the dish about every 20 minutes and turn over the veggies to mix them all up with the butter. It takes just under an hour as the mixture is thick, and veggies can exude a lot of liquid that needs to be cooked off.

This mixture refrigerates well and heats easily–as do the grits, which I pour into a pan so that I can cut squares out to reheat.

For dessert, lovely, lovely fresh summer fruit cut up or added–especially the seedless watermelon and all the berries. I usually have a glass of my raw whole milk with the fruit.

I’m feeling really healthy, all in all. The physical work has been good, and I’ve loved being outside so much, especially in the cool of the early morning. My farmer’s tan, though, is getting…tanner.

I’ll post pics when I’ve got these two long beds sorted out.

We need rain again. And we’re having a few days of really hot weather, but have been promised another cold front is on the way.