More Landscaping Action

If you remember from this previous post, we recently began the process of deconstructing our yard in preparation for new plantings next spring. Prior to purchasing the house, we started scheming plans for what we would tear out of the yard and what we would keep as we thought about our overall landscaping design.

While new planting won't begin until next spring, we want to have the yard all prepared for that to happen - and part of that preparation includes ripping out some of the plants and bushes that have been in place for probably many years - prior to winter snow falling.

Last weekend, we decided to rip out a really tall bush that was planted at one of the back corners of the house. I've been opposed to the bush since we moved in for 3 reasons:

1. It blocked the entire corner of the house, which has a beautiful brick layout and cement cornerstone.
2. It blocked part of my view out of the kitchen window next to it such that I can't see that direction down the street.
3. It's located where we eventually hope to bring some sort of fence out from the side of the house.

Bottom Line - it had to go.

And given how well our strategy worked with the previous bushes we removed, we decided to use that same strategy again - hook it up to an SUV and heave-ho the thing out of there.

Here is a picture of the tall bush (anybody know what it's called?). You can see we hooked the tow straps up to the base of it.

It took a couple of different hook ups, actually, to get the right grip and leverage to pull this tall, heavy bush out of the ground.

Once Joey got the hook-up right, it took just a few grunts of the SUV for the bush to come out - roots and all. You can see our dads standing in the background watching (and giving advice). We got a few drive-by-lookers who were impressed too.

That is now one dead bush.

Joey took off the tow straps and examined the roots - trying to determine how we would get rid of thing.

I'll admit it laid in our yard for a few days before Joey cut the roots off with a chainsaw, strapped the bush to the top of his car, and hauled it to the compost center.

The missing bush left a hole in the ground that we filled in with dirt.

And now you can see the nice open corner of the house.


This yard needs so much TLC, but it feels good to get a leg up on the prep-work!