Rooting Out Evil Junipers

The day started quietly enough with scattered clouds and a pleasant temperature for some light gardening. I decided to plant some of the grasses that I have been saving for the new garden in front of the house and busied myself with my spade preparing the soil and getting rid of weeds...and some roots...and some branches buried under the weeds. And some bigger roots. And as the rain clouds rolled in and the sky darkened I realized I was dealing with a formidable foe - an old juniper bush, buried under weeds and, horror of horrors, interwoven with landscape cloth, cleverly installed by some evil genius gardener before my time. The rain poured down. I dug and clipped. Mud dripped into my eyes. I sawed and dug. I chatted with my perfectly groomed neighbor, wondering if she could tell that I had just wiped my nose on my manure stained sweater. I dug up some bones. (hopefully those of the previous gardener) Several hours later I pulled and staggered backwards as soil sprayed into the air and victory was mine. I think I am going to be sore tomorrow.