Oooooh, I love this! Mine is Himalayan Balsam and I too can attest to the therapeutic qualities of absolutely rampaging through its growth on my walks like an angry rhino.
This stuff is also invasive (beautiful though) and grows to be like two meters tall and is spreading all along our local riverbank. It has seed pods that burst and scatter the seeds all over and where it grows practically nothing else does except stinging nettles and maybe some brambles which makes this task extra exciting.
I have declared war last year and it also felt like an unsurmountable task. It grows so fast and once the pods are out it’s basically too late to stop them reseeding for the year and the seeds can stay in the ground for several years.
This year I started yanking it out by the bag full when the shoots were just out of the ground and made a real dent in some of the populations.
Now they’re approaching my height and I just rip as many out as I can and stomp all over it and it is SO freaking satisfying even as it feels never ending.
I love this idea! I love how it lets me let off steam and get my hands into the dirt and occasionally my feet in the stream and my body moving and sweating. I also like thinking of it as causing “good damage”.
Also occasionally people stop and chat and sometimes even join in for a bit.
Love how you have articulated this and agree, this sort of nemesis is really good to have.
Once I’m done with the boss I’m going for the sidekick “little balsam”.
Oooooh, I love this! Mine is Himalayan Balsam and I too can attest to the therapeutic qualities of absolutely rampaging through its growth on my walks like an angry rhino.
This stuff is also invasive (beautiful though) and grows to be like two meters tall and is spreading all along our local riverbank. It has seed pods that burst and scatter the seeds all over and where it grows practically nothing else does except stinging nettles and maybe some brambles which makes this task extra exciting.
I have declared war last year and it also felt like an unsurmountable task. It grows so fast and once the pods are out it’s basically too late to stop them reseeding for the year and the seeds can stay in the ground for several years.
This year I started yanking it out by the bag full when the shoots were just out of the ground and made a real dent in some of the populations.
Now they’re approaching my height and I just rip as many out as I can and stomp all over it and it is SO freaking satisfying even as it feels never ending.
I love this idea! I love how it lets me let off steam and get my hands into the dirt and occasionally my feet in the stream and my body moving and sweating. I also like thinking of it as causing “good damage”.
Also occasionally people stop and chat and sometimes even join in for a bit.
Love how you have articulated this and agree, this sort of nemesis is really good to have.
Once I’m done with the boss I’m going for the sidekick “little balsam”.