While we had to take a moment out of our regular life, for the crackpot warning yesterday . . . life does go on. Today is Mabon or the autumnal equinox. See my IG account (to the right and scroll down) for a list of things to do today to clear the way for the changing season.

With the cooler temperatures, we’ve ventured outside to do some yardwork. Leaves to be raked and burned, flower beds to be weeded and thinned, overgrown shrubs to be trimmed back and in some cases, removed.

I had a friend who sent me a photo of her plant. She believed she had a brown thumb. This was a Mother’s day gift. To be honest, it looked sad and forlorn when I first saw it – a fern with a wandering jew in the same pot. There were numerous dead leaves from the heat and it hadn’t been watered. So, I suggested she clear out the rubbish . . . all the dead leaves and stems and water it twice a week. It is now flourishing, the leaves are beautifully green and the wandering jew is spreading and climbing out of the pot. It’s amazing what a bit of care and attention can do.

People are a lot like plants. Or maybe plants are a lot like people. Either way, there is a lesson to be learned from the example above:

1. Take care of yourself with plenty of water and sunshine.
2. Get rid of the rubbish in your life. Throw it away, it’s taking up space.
3. Give yourself room to grow.

We have a few saplings that need to be removed via chainsaw. Several hedgerows needing trimming and English Ivy . . . what the heck is the deal with all the ivy? It spreads everywhere. You can grab one end of the ivy and start pulling and it will go back 4-5′ into the bushes. Of course, there are 10 years worth of built up leaves under those bushes, so we’ve been raking and raking and raking and piling up and burning. Repeat the next day. And the next day. Did I mention raking?

On top of all the ornamental plantings, there is a huge bare spot in the back yard, as well as an overgrowth of kikuyu grass. This is a grass native to East Africa that spreads by propagation and by runners both, so trying to get rid of it will be quite the interesting feat. Because the runners have an almost sucker-like quality to them, pulling at them causes them to break off in pieces.

The weeding and brush removal in the front flower beds uncovered some additional Liriope plants that have beautiful, conical purple flowers. Those can stay. The English Ivy and the Holly bush are what I refer to as “gotta go’s” — they gotta go!! While the Holly bush is beautiful with it’s dark green color, it is also painful when you get poked with the spikey leaves. The goal is to plant some Knockout rose bushes on either side of the porch with some ground cover that isn’t that damn ivy, perhaps some iris near the sidewalks. Because of the house’s age, we’re aiming for more of an old-fashioned feel with the choice of plants.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the cooler temperatures, getting their homes ready for fall and winter. The seasonal changes remind me that life does go on — from one season to the next, making way for new beginnings.