Another plant BANISHED!

Day 219
The Daily DuBrule

I just spent the better part of the day digging out a really pretty cranesbill geranium named 'Confetti'. It is pink and white and green variegated with thousands of tiny pink flowers. I fell in love with it at a specialty nursery and had to try it. Little did I know that this plant would take over my world. Last evening I noticed that the seed pods were all starting to split open and I said ENOUGH! 

The weather for the first weekend of autumn is perfect- cool, no humidity, bright blue skies. It fills me full of energy to deal with a lot of problems in my garden that have been bugging me all summer. I was simply too hot and too tired to tackle them. First I grabbed my garden sickle and cut all the top growth down. I must mention that this plant has competed very well with lemon balm, a perennial herb that is ALSO taking over my garden. Both were removed from the bed behind my water garden. The lemon balm is a tough cookie and had to be dug with great force. The Geranium 'Confetti' has a long, wiry root, a wily thing that could easily escape my trowel if I wasn't totally determined to banish this plant. It took me many hours but I did it. When I was done, I laid down all the cardboard I had and covered it with a thin layer of cedar mulch. I will have to pay careful attention to the garden for the next few years to keep this self seeding plant out of everything. 

As I ventured into the vegetable garden, I noticed it in the raised beds, crawling amongst the bronze fennel in my iris garden, and in the pathways. The trowel came back out and those offenders were dug up as well. Too much of a good thing, albeit pretty, can ruin the sense of serenity I so crave when I sit in my courtyard.

Fall is such a great time to take stock and take action. I have big plans for the next few weeks. I hope the weather cooperates as done my energy level. I have lots of rearranging to do, a chore I have to do each fall as spring is just too busy in my business.