The arch trellis

I have written before about the arch trellis in the back yard behind the bird feeders. Last November, I dug up the Mermaid rose that had been growing beautifully on it for years. It just got too big, and the huge thorns were a problem. I moved two clematis roots from other parts of the yard, one on each side of the trellis. They grew well, happy to have more sunlight, and made it to the top of the trellis by midsummer. While the top of the arch was bare, the red tailed hawks and Coopers hawks perched there frequently. About a month ago, my husband said he would really like to have the Alachua red climber rose in a place where we could enjoy it. So I got two more red climbers from the nursery and we dug up the clematis, with some regret. The clematis had grown well and looked pretty until it got a bit scraggly. However, I admit the rose will bloom most of the year and be green through the winter, and it has very small thorns. So, back to having a rose on the trellis.

I considered moving the clematis roots to another part of the yard with other trellises, but it was just going to be too big a job. So I chopped them up (back by the compost heap, where the rest of the garden couldn't see what I was doing) and put them out on the curb with the rest of the yard waste for collection. They smelled of cinnamon at the heart of the root ball. I still have the two original clematis roots that came from my mother's garden, growing on another arch trellis in the front yard.

The main job this summer is finishing the clearing of the front flower bed by the driveway. The last patch has English ivy, smilax, Virginia creeper, and skunk vine. Then there is the invasive passion vine to deal with, and the continuing battle with invasive vines and ardisia in the woods. Things are a lot better back there, but there is still work to do.