Hacking out the overgrowth

It has been a year with abundant rainfall and heat here in the High Country.  Many of the gardens I have been caring for and creating in the last 3-5 years are feeling overgrown & chaotic.  I am spending my days cutting back Iris, daylillies, and huge tarp loads of perennial & woody growth.  I am making a list of everything that needs to be transplanted come a break in the weather. Tree's are being trimmed and inspected for overall health. Invasive weeds are being hauled out by the multi tarp load as well. Despite the excruciating demand of energy to accomplish garden health in so many gardens..., I keep going. Be it repelling ever increasing deer destruction, fungus, aggressive weeds, poison ivy, kudzu, and overcrowding, I conclude that it all needs to be rearranged!

Perennials are funny that way....every 3-5 years, it all needs to be dug up and rearranged.  Otherwise there is no definition between plantings.

I love this opportunity to redesign and rebuild and regain some symmetry and balance. Overgrown gardens are suffocating and repel entrance by the sane in any attempt to venture into areas that threaten to leave your ankles vulnerable by those  mysterious & silent legless, venomous creatures that are hiding with in. There is beauty in the void.  

When everything grows together as one giant blob of over planting by those innocent beings that think it is cute in the pot at the nursery...it results in a nightmare for those of us that design for the genetic mature size of the plant. A great deal of this over planting I inherited. Air circulation is important, otherwise, everything rots....

The more aggressive plants take over valuable space.

In this heat, every gardener and outdoor servant of nature seems to have hit the wall of pretty much total exhaustion, myself included.  So, forgive us for stumbling around in a heat and forgetful stupor....we are really making plans, and envisioning a better way.....come a break in the weather and a new season.

In the meantime, I am eating all the garden produce I can devour, drinking gallons of water and doing the best I can to enjoy the beauty of beautifully groomed perennials, bountiful gardens and healthy trimmed trees.