mo progress

The work around Blueberry Hill continues at a slow pace as per usual. Sometimes so slow that one would have to line up a couple of stakes to see if I have moved. Of course if one would line up a couple of steaks, like on a grill, the reaction time and movement might be a bit quicker. The problem with getting too rambunctious on a given day is that most of the next day I pay for my folly in achy muscles.

The two large fig trees on the north side of the house were in need of pruning and shaping up a bit. Much wood was taken off and hauled to the refuse pile. The one on the far end of the garden was pruned severely because its limbs were in all directions, hopefully it will shape up now. The largest one on the near side of the veggie growing place lost many limbs as well, but mostly just to facilitate getting under the tree without getting slapped or jabbed in the face.

We normally do not have any burn regulations in this area, only if it is very dry for a very long time. Still I do not burn leaves since these are so valuable for mulch – plus they smoke up the place. My refuse or burn pile is made up of limbs and wood placed in a cone shape to burn quickly with as little smoke as possible. Such was the case this time as well, I touched off the fire with a propane torch and with a minimum of smoke it reduced itself to a pile of ashes in a fairly short while. Of course I was standing by with my trusty garden hose if it dared to get out of hand.

It then came time to play “tag” with the big bad Rugosa rose plant that was in dire need of pruning. As I have mentioned before, this plant produces rose ‘hips’ that are good to eat and is one of the most concentrated natural forms of vitamin C. The flower of the plant lasts only a couple of days or so but if properly pollinated, the base of the flower (the hip) will enlarge and when ripe will turn a deep orange/red. The fruit is small and hollow with many seeds but is still pretty tasty.

Anyway, back to the game of “tag”, I became “it” right away and as is my usual MO (modus operandi), I cut off the limb that tagged me – that was my “tag”. The limbs of this plant have one of the highest concentrations of thorns per inch of any prickly entity I have dealt with. The plant was very scraggly at first, with limbs going off in all directions but the pruning of the limbs continued until it was looking pretty decent. Many “tags” and counter-tags were involved before the final loping off of a limb, so I guess the game came out about even.

The next few days of weather promise to be below freezing at night so I am still pretty safe in my pruning – plus the only thing I have left is the main blueberry patch. This patch has space for 21 plants and 17 of the spaces have mature plants residing. One of the spaces is vacant due to a plant death, one has a young plant that was replaced last year and the other two have ailing bushes that need to be replaced – possibly with another variety.

Only four of the mature plants have been pruned, so I still have plenty of work to do – plus many of the plants are on the verge of budding out, so the work must be completed ASAP. We are on the verge of spring!! Spring is my most favorite season, followed closely by the other three. God does all things well and I am amazed at His work. ec