The Orange Tractor Rides Again, to the Rescue!

So, if you remember from earlier today I was going to completely clear out my lawn border and replant it. I figured I wouldn't finish the project today, I expected that I would be replanting tomorrow. I remembered that Siberian Irises are a bugger to move but I forgot the extent of how much of a bugger they are.

After Dirt was done with all of his after-work projects he came by to see how I was doing.

Now mind you, I was already way behind schedule because earlier I decided that I would do the right thing and clear my honeysuckle off of Dirt's unique fence. On top of that I looked for quite sometime for our blower only to come up empty so I borrow Norine's and blew all the leaves and stuff away.

When Dirt arrived home it took him a minute to see why Norine's blower was here, but once he did he was very pleased. (I'll include pics of the other side of the fence when I finish the whole project.) That meant that he was in the mood to help me out.

When he saw my struggle, the shovel completely sunk in under the iris clump had no effect on it, he asked for the shovel with the statement "I'm a big strong man, this is what I am for."

You got that right. I wish he was around for more of my large plant verses Lanny moments, but he is here now so that shovel was released as quick as Dahlias die back from a frost. Well a few stabs and lifts, attempted lifts, with the shovel and he leaned back and suggested he get The Tractor.

"Nah, it would be a hassle to get it into the backyard."

"No, it wouldn't. Remember, I made the gate specifically to get The Tractor into the backyard."

"Okay, if you think."


No sooner did I say it than Dirt went after The Tractor. Yes, you see correctly dear reader, it only has one front wheel, luckily it is what is known as a tricycle tractor. We can talk about that later, for now lets get back to the iris removal.


Dirt must really have wanted to not finish digging the clump out by hand because he really likes his lawns, he had just been noticing how nice his lawn looks moments before he began to help me. I can't imagine him wanting to drive The Tractor on his lawn even as much as he likes his Tractor. It is usually the case with Dirt gardening with me, he is always quick to get out the heavy equipment, I just thought that his lawn would keep him from jumping to that solution. Clearly I'm not the only one who has issues with the Siberian Iris.


On the back of The Tractor is a "shelf" and on it ride a pile of chains, various chains, different sizes for different projects. Dirt carefully chose his chains for the evenings work, he even put one back and chose another in its stead, they both looked the same to these uneducated eyes.

With the chain securely wrapped around the base of the clump and fastened to the pulling chain Dirt begins to pull. Out it came. Slick as a whistle and over in a second and too quick for our slow camera.

Tomorrow I will finish my job and plant my red tulips and maybe if the day goes really well I will pot up my Princess Irene tulips and my Woodstock and Gypsy Queen hyacinths.

Thursday and Friday I will be cutting back my tender perennials that refuse to die back a little. Clean out their home for the winter and get them put away finally. I hope that by the end of this coming weekend I will have everything done that really should have been done last month. Then I can sit around and look at the seed catalogs that are beginning to come in.