Attacking the Forsythia

A row of overgrown forsythia planted by the previous owners.

One bush cut out and pushed up against other one.

I added some branches to my brush pile.

I took a break from sawing one off at the base to take a picture.

The branches that touch the ground have rooted and grown into my path.

The previous owner had planted a row of forsythia, and, although I prefer the natural look to a trimmed hedge, they were so overgrown that the branches that touched the ground have rooted. They are growing into my path. Although the flowers are pretty for the short time they bloom, they always look out of place to me. They do not provide food for wildlife, yet I'm sure they provide some kind of shelter. In the two years I've been here, I've never seen any birds' nests in the mass of forsythia in the yard.

Although it is not as invasive as other things on my property, they are rather unsightly and not part of my plan. The fact that they are rooting and taking over a large section means they are taking the place of native plants that could be growing there.

I cut one bush the first year and another two this year. The first year, I created a brush pile in another part of the yard to provide shelter for birds and other wildlife. This year I added a few more branches to the brush pile but decided to leave the cut forsythia in place (although I did push it closer to the other bushes). Until I have something to put in its place, I decided to leave it in place.

I was lucky enough to find a few more rocks to use in my future streambed/pond. ~smile~