One of the cool things about this old farmstead is the lilac bushes. They were brought here on a covered wagon many, many moons ago. So it is with great pain and anguish that I tell this tale.
You see, after 100 years, the bushes have grown to an insane size and they sit directly next to the road.
That alone wouldn’t necessarily be so bad except that they block the view as you’re trying to exit our driveway.
The speed limit in front of our house is only 35 miles per hour, but nobody seems to know that.
They come whizzing along and because of the wooded areas that surround us they don’t even realize our driveway is coming up. We finally managed to get the highway department to put up a sign. But not only do folks around here not know their numbers, they apparently can’t read either.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve nearly been creamed by a reckless motorist coming around those shrubs. Up until now I have refused to remove the shrubs just on principle. I don’t feel I should have to destroy a 100 year old living thing just because modern society has no regard for anything outside of their personal space. But that was before I signed my baby up for drivers ed class.
He’ll be getting his drivers license this summer. We went out and found the closest thing to a Sherman tank we could find for him to drive, but you still have to exit the driveway with the drivers side facing the oncoming traffic.
So with a heavy heart, we started removing some of the shrubs this weekend.
We didn’t realize what we were getting ourselves into. It turned out to be a MUCH bigger project than we anticipated.
But two days later, my baby is safer.
And I’m sure Mrs. Kurtz, the woman who lovingly brought the lilac starts all the way from Kansas on a covered wagon would understand, she had babies too.
7 comments:
I'm so glad to see that you have now cleared your view and yet the lilacs remain!!!! You did well on the tank part and he's very lucky because it's still "cool". I had to drive a hUGE ole Buick car tank that was ugly.... lol
I enjoyed catching up on your blog this morning. :) Love it! XO
One of the things I miss most being in central Florida is the lack of those amazing purple flowers with the heavenly scent. Every year, growing up as a child up north, I looked forward to lilac season - going out and cutting the massive blooms and bringing them inside to put into the special vase that my mother set aside for those extra large displays. Forsythia, pussy willows, lilacs and snowball blooms all went into that vase at the appropriate times of the year. I miss those bushes. But I still have the vase - it was the one thing that I personally requested from her before her death. Some day I'll find a lilac variety that is tolerant of the heat we have here and will grow them again, here on my own homestead in Florida. http://homesteadlightcondensed.blogspot.com/
And, by the way, since I found you on facebook, I've enjoyed your posts. LOVE the pics. You really have a great eye for photography.
did you save any plants so that you can re-plant elsewhere? I love lilacs!
xo, Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
There were four clumps of lilacs growing and luckily we were able to save two of them.
Plants or the safety of your family...
I think you made the wise choice.
And you also saved some of the 'historical' plant.
Good all around!
Take slips, if you still have the branches.
Bodecoa, Descanso hybrid lilacs, like Lavender Lady, grow in warm climates. I also had a forsythia that grew well in my old northern California yard.
Actually, I think forsythia might grow anywhere :-) I've had a rooted cutting outside in a pail of water waiting to be planted for at least a month (think: three weeks of bronchitis) and it's flourishing like a green bay tree.
How about having the town put in a couple of speed bumps.
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