Thirty Days Hath Stobtember

Before. Or, actually, just after I tripped on what was just above ground and started to dig it out.

During. A weird clump, with a vasty and nasty root system. The usual solution, when I get something like this uncovered, is to grab hold and twist. This one twisted and twisted, so tough and fibrous that I thought I'd never be able to wring it from the ground. But I did. 

After. Clumpy, lumpy soil, with some wrenched-up roots here and there. But no longer a stubby, stobby menace.

South by southwest

North by northeast. I'm sitting on the ground here, with the spot where the stob battle took place at the right of the picture, just below the Boston ivy.

Stobgap Measures

South by southwest. Fine, warm weather. Things are inching along. The bower vine, lower left, has grown through the fence, which isn't exactly what I wanted it to do. I think the next purchase is trellises. 

North by northeast. I've been raking stuff back and forth, trying to get the dirt to settle out and the leaves and other detritus to rise to the top. Still stumbling on stobs and trimming them back. Persistent little rooty buggers.That pole, leaning against the fence, right, is for the Boston ivy to twine upon. It isn't. Yeah, trellises.

Happy Birthday to Me

South by southwest. Raked, hosed down the kitchen greenhouse window.

North by northeast. Pulled up yesterday's volunteer. Still monitoring the dicots to see what they may turn into.

Volunteers

This volunteer has sprung up between the basil and the stephanotis, and there are gaggles of little dicots around the other plants where I've been watering them. Several of the stobs have been leafing out, too. Why is it that they're growing so much faster than the plants I've set out and fussed over?

South by southeast. That concrete-blocky thing in the lower left corner is one of the old piers for the deck I tore out. I've been taking them to the dumpster, but I don't want to take them all at once (there are four left, counting the one that's holding down the lid to the foundation access) because I don't want to overload the dumpster. 

North by northeast

Slow day

South by southwest

North by northeast, through the gate

A Day Away, Everything's Okay

North by northeast

South by southwest

I don't know what this is. The leaves look a little like geranium leaves, and there used to be a geranium out here, but they don't smell much like geranium leaves do. I'll leave it alone unless it gets obstreperous. 

Survey

South by southwest

North by northeast

Winter daphne

Boston ivy

Climbing hydrangea

Pink bower vine

Basil

Jade

Equinoctial

Is there life in Miss 'otis yet? After yesterday's unseasonal rain I noticed some new growth. 

South by southwest

North by northeast

The Last Day of Summer

North by northeast

South by southwest

Miss 'otis Regrets

Looks like the Stephanotis is doomed. Note the discolored leaves ...

... and the withered tendril. Serves me right for choosing something without checking the book first. 

North by northeast

South by southwest

Boston Among the Stobs

Boston ivy

North by northeast

South by southwest

Status Quo

South by southwest

North by northeast

Basil

Jade

Stephanotis

Vine

Pink bower vine

North by northeast

South by southwest

Waiting

North-northeast

South-southwest

Climbers

Climbing Hydrangea

Stephanotis floribunda. It's not supposed to grow here, but it doesn't know that. Anyway, I didn't until I got it home and read the Sunset Western Garden Book. Maybe with global warming? We'll see. 

Basil on the third day

Jade on the third day

North-northeast

South-southwest