I started trimming one shrub a day on February 9. Even that was a daring thing to do, since February is a winter month and usually much colder. Yesterday I finished all the Rose of Sharon plants along the back fence. Both David and I wanted to cut the large bush next to the garage down to size. It blocked a path the dog liked to use. On the last day of the month, I went out armed with loppers and great determination. The light was not the greatest, nor was my eyesight. I trimmed almost a quarter of it when I noticed some small green branches. Uh oh! This was new growth. I should have consulted a gardening book before wildly whacking away at it. Too late. David joined me and used the loppers that are too heavy for me. He cut the largest bits and also made two trips to the burn pile. I should have gotten a photo of what looked like a small tree walking down the hill. I made three trips with the lighter branches. We had great satisfaction in seeing the road from the back porch as we ate lunch there.

For once, I took before and after photos.