Sunday, July 27, 2008

Art of Alzheimer's





Mom picked a burdock leaf and hung it in the squares of the gate.


It reminds me of when people would hang the severed heads of their enemy on a stick as a warning to others.

I have a new weapon in the eradication of burdock here at Maple Corners. In Missouri anyway, it is called a sharpshooter.





Friends from Kansas City were up for a visit last weekend, and showed me how you can shove this down right at the stem of the burdock, rock back and forth a bit until the root pops, pull out the burdock root and all, then remove the shovel. Step the dirt back down, and you never knew the burdock was there. It might grow back from the root remnants, but it will take a while and won't be as strong as before. They were out there all weekend pulling burdock. I may have mentioned I have great friends?

I had always just cut it off at ground level, and this stuff is so hardy it would grow back almost immediately.

Burdock beware!

3 comments:

rilera said...

I just googled 'burdock'. That stubborn plant growing amongst my salvia is burdock. I keep pulling the leaves and they keep coming back. Now I have an idea of how to get rid of them thanks to you!

Glad to see Mom is still doing her art.

Unknown said...

It's called a sharpshooter here, too.

I lived in Kansas City for a while, actually Gladstone. I enjoyed it. I made an early website with images of all the fountains.

I think there's interesting symbolism in the lone leaf hung from the gate and how the image is portrayed.

Turtle said...

we used to have one of those tools, no longer though! and no burdock...trade you some bamboo though!