Almost halfway done...did the easy part first
By JJ
@JolietJake (50190)
May 30, 2016 5:25am CST
The east boundary between my property and the neighbor is a bit choked with 'junk' growth...honeysuckle and young trees and Rose of Sharon...Mom planted some of those years ago and they kind of went everywhere...plus ivy and regular old weeds.
So I finally decided to try to clean it out a bit. It's on the back side of the house, and no one really sees it...except me...my computer is right in front of a window looking back there.
So I spent a little bit of Saturday and Sunday mornings over the weekend with a set of pruning shears and a bow saw cutting stuff down and hauling it to the brush pile at the end of the property.
The top photos show how it looked before I started, the bottom photos are the same angles after I was done.
I'm saving the rest for next weekend...if I can make myself get out and do it.
39 people like this
42 responses
@Juliaacv (53798)
• Canada
30 May 16
Wow, those are quite the before and after pictures, it hardly looks like the same yard! We have 1 rose of Sharon, but we have to be very diligent to keep it to that number because, as you know, they spread quickly and easily.
I thought that we had every tool known to mankind, so when I read about the bow saw I actually had to ask my husband. It turns out that I've nicknamed that tool the hand saw, so I thought there was a new invention, or you were using a really old tool. As it turns out I learned something already this morning.
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
The Rose of Sharon get really tall too, I didn't know they would actually get that big.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (53798)
• Canada
30 May 16
@JolietJake We keep ours trimmed back and it is only about 5 feet tall, of that. But we trimmed her back every year the first few years and now I think that the height growth is gone from her, but we always keep her trimmed just to be on the safe side.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
@Juliaacv I have a big thick stand of them at one corner of the house...Dad never really kept them cut back...I need to see if any of my sisters want any young growth before I tear into it too much, plus I think Dad wants some for where he is living now.
2 people like this
@vandana7 (101973)
• India
30 May 16
@JolietJake .. That is a lot of hard work ... and the difference is obvious.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
So do I, and the south border is well grown and will stay that way, but the east needed cleared up
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45635)
• Philippines
30 May 16
great improvement. hope you didn't get any calluses or blisters from using those tools.
nice to see more and more members creating collages.
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
I'm finally figuring out how to edit photos a bit better.
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
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30 May 16
@hereandthere I'm using a combination of Windows Paint and Free Image Converter
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (356286)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 May 16
@JolietJake I am a great one for procrastinating although I have to admit I'm not as good at it as I used to be. Not too sure why.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
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30 May 16
@JudyEv I thought about procrastinating but decided to wait until later 
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
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30 May 16
It depends...the work I ended up doing yesterday I was originally going to do today, but I got tired of looking at it. I'm not much for procrastinating.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
Scar was out there watching me...I think he was hoping I might scare up a chipmunk or two.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (175868)
• Boise, Idaho
30 May 16
You did a nice job of clearing that all out. Good Job! You get a gold star for your work.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (175868)
• Boise, Idaho
30 May 16
@JolietJake ...Any way to retard growth?
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
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30 May 16
I went ahead and got started on the nasty section now, it's gonna be a real pain
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@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
@celticeagle Haven't really looked into it, but I can try to keep it mowed back at least now
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72544)
• Philippines
30 May 16
@JolietJake 4,6,8 would be much better.
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@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
@toniganzon It would get it done faster, and I will probably need a pair when I start taking a couple of big trees down, but I work better alone most times. 
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104619)
• United States
30 May 16
If you fly me out there and pay me $11.00 an hour I'll do it...
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
@sugartoes I think I am doing some Polish sausage today
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39504)
• United States
30 May 16
wowzers! ya sure got lots done, hon. sure wish i'd been nearby coz i'd been diggin' me some'f those honeysuckle 'n rose'f sharons, lol. yepperz, i'd brought'em home'n planted 'em :D
looks great!
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39504)
• United States
30 May 16
@JolietJake wish i could make such a journey! i'd be most happy to take a truckload off yer hands, lol.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
You'd be more than welcome, we still have plenty more
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (10400)
• United States
31 May 16
@JolietJake I ran into some as well. Just a small patch. Today I will visit Lowe's for some good gloves that go up the arm.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
31 May 16
First thing I did was buy a good pair because I knew I'd run into brambles and such...unfortunately, I appear to have run into a little poison ivy too, it's only a small area on one arm but the itch is driving me nuts
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
31 May 16
The desktop tower is under the table where the sun can't reach it
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@transcendent (709)
• Xian, China
31 May 16
So, what's your feeling after all of those done?
1 person likes this
@rebelann (114145)
• El Paso, Texas
30 May 16
Oh how I wish you could send that rain to the southwest corner of TX we really need more rain @JolietJake
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
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30 May 16
We've had a bit more rain than what we really need up this way, looks like more probably Wednesday, I'd like to see a dry week or two.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64350)
• United Kingdom
30 May 16
@JolietJake Tell me about it! I used to be able to spend the whole day gardening, but about 3 hours at a time is my limit now. Mind you, I don't do the hard physical work that you've been doing - just digging and weeding and planting.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
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30 May 16
I just wish I didn't tire out so easy, a few years ago I could have done the whole thing in one morning, but now I get short of breath and my head starts pounding after 15 minutes or so and I have to take a break, but I'm slowly getting it where I want it.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
30 May 16
it does look much less like a wilderness now
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
30 May 16
@JolietJake you are motivated! I...made tea. lol
2 people like this
@JolietJake (50190)
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30 May 16
I went ahead and started on some of the rest today
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
30 May 16
I'd say you did a dang good job @JolietJake . Are the arm muscles hurting a little today?
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
31 May 16
@JolietJake I can commiserate. I spent 2 days cutting low-hanging branches.
1 person likes this
@JolietJake (50190)
•
30 May 16
Not as much as my hands, and I stupidly started doing more earlier...the rest will have to wait until next weekend after all
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
30 May 16
wow you made a huge difference in the way it looks. Nice job and I don't envy you the rest of it.
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@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
30 May 16
@JolietJake But you know it's never easy.
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@JolietJake (50190)
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30 May 16
It won't be too bad keeping up with it after I get everything done, it was just neglected for too many years.
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@miniam (9151)
• Bern, Switzerland
30 May 16
@JolietJake
Getting started is always the hard part.
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