Joining my friends at Six on Saturday for some garden-related photos and fun. There’s not a whole lot going on my December garden–nothing that merits taking photos, anyway. There’s not even a trace of snow to photograph. Rather than bore you with photos of brown stuff, I thought I’d finish up a post I started way back in April, but never posted.
April weather in Wisconsin tends to be finicky, but it seemed especially so this year. There were times in April when it felt like we were stuck in March, but there were hints of summery days sprinkled here and there. There were even days where I skipped putting on my shoes and didn’t need a jacket, then the next day needed both an umbrella and an ice-scraper. Based on photos I have posted in past years, our crazy weather delayed some flowering plants.
Spring’s hullabaloo in the weather department didn’t keep my husband and I from being able to check a few tasks off of my gardening to-do list. Weeding is one of those things that never really gets crossed off my list. My habit is to try to fill a 5g bucket with weeds and garden debris each day, but I never seem to get them all. One day in late April I was on a mission to pull a burdock plant, a persistent weed that returns every year in the same spot in one of my front flowerbeds. I had previously tried killing it with Roundup, but even that didn’t do the trick. Digging the entire tap root out seemed to be the only alternative.
Part of me was just curious as to how deep that tap root was growing, so I began digging out the dirt around it with a hand trowel.
We were thankful for our friend Tony’s help in the yard that day. When I couldn’t reach further into the hole, Tony took over and successfully got to the root of the matter.
The root broke off at the very tip, but we think he got it all. Stay tuned…Spring 2024 will let us know.
Barefoot Lily Lady 
Wow, what a big tap root.
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It sure was, Rosie. I hope that’s the end of that particular weed.
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That spade with the red handle looks like my kind of tool. Probably not needed very often, but every so often you’re glad you own it.
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One of my fellow gardening friends recommended that spade when I was having some back trouble. It’s like a long-handled trowel, without as much bending. I still reach for that one the most often.
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What’s the tree you’ve planted? Also there’s protection around the trunk… I’m guessing rabbits are nibbling?
Glad you got to finish the story. ✔️
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We planted Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’ in honor of our daughter Elisabeth. It should have yellow blossoms. Yes, we wrapped the tree, but I also want to get out there and add a cage around it for the winter months.
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Oh, a chara… I didn’t know. 😢😢
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Oh, my friend, I worded that oddly and led you to believe she had passed. She is still alive and well–we just spent the morning together. She’s such a wonderful daughter and friend, and I love her dearly. Her favorite tree is a magnolia. Her husband says that she wants him to stop the car whenever they pass one in bloom — just so she can enjoy it. I wanted to honor her by planting something she enjoys so much.
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Thanks for that, Cindie. What a lovely way to honour your daughter.
I can remember back in 2020 I think, I bought a beautiful Rowan. That week a young Iranian 14yo was killed by her father (family honour killing) and I named the tree after her. It was my way of remembering her.
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