Homesteading Middles: The Marvel of Growth

This seems apparent to note - but plants, like children, change.

Like well cared for children, well cared for plants grow with vigor and joy.

Like curious courageous children, plants do not like staying within lines, following other’s ideas of decorum and placement.

In other words, my new favorite toy is an electric hedge trimmer.

The hedges along our road are encroaching. It is becoming difficult to see when cars are coming toward you.

I really need to take the trimmer and the lawnmower to the situation. This is a safety issue.

That is what I tell myself. But in reality it is SO MUCH FUN!

I approach the green wall of sumac, pig weed, brambles, grape vines, poison ivy, etc.

I plan my approach.

Top down?

Side to side?

I press go and move the blade.

Trimming a thorn bush with a hand loper can take a good chunk of time as you negotiate the curious thorns. An electric hand trimmer takes 20 seconds. The electric trimmer moves quickly and with purpose. I sing the mantra for deathlessness to the plants and animals affected by my clearcutting their homes and environs.

Sat Siri Siri Akaal,

Siri Akaal Maha Akaal,

Like a hot knife through butter, like plunging into a pool, like plunging lobster into lemon butter - a layer of greenery rains down onto my work pants.

Maha Akaal Sat Nam

Akaal Murat Wahe Guru

The green crust is removed and denuded, the dark coolness within beckons.

But only three feet back will I trim this summer. Three feet for the width of the mower deck. Perhaps next summer will be another three feet beyond.

Permaculture talks of life happening at the edges. I know that exposing edges will incite new life, new growth, new opportunities to trim. I started all the way around our home field and will move to the shared road next.

The plants, like our children, keep growing.