In my first year at Manchester University, I joined two societies in the first week, Freshers' Week, when at least 40 student societies set up stands in the large hall of the Student Union building to woo new members. The two that I joined were the Folk Dancing Society (a very strenuous 3 hours on a Wednesday afternoon) and the Conservation Society. They didn't meet up so often and I only went out once with them and that was to chop down trees that shouldn't have been in that area and to clear the land.
Recently, I have persuaded one of my three landlords to let me have a go at the small strip of 'garden' in the back yard. Frankly, I couldn't do any worse than the caretaker of the building who hacked all the living plants to bits and left the dead trees and shrubs in situ. Thankfully, I can see some tentative [zahhaft] signs that the poor plants are recovering. A lot of plants are bloody-minded [stur] and refuse to give up.
I've tackled some of the easier parts of the strip - those that aren't blocked by the 101 bikes that seem to breed in but never leave the yard. And today, it was the turn of a large bush that was being choked by horrible thick tendrils of ivy. (I really hate ivy, although I'll put up with the variegated variety, having daintier leaves and being more interested in colour.)
An entire "Biotonne" or green waste bin was full by the time I had finished and the little corner looked a lot brighter and the bush seemed a lot happier at being free and able to feel the breeze through its branches. Once I get a good grip of that area, more plants will join those that I've already planted out.
It did, however, amuse me to think that a lot of gardening seems to be hacking nature to bits in an attempt to allow the plants to thrive and live in harmony with each other.
Horrible ivy
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