The hazards of Wisteria removal in Hakone

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Dear All,

Now back in the UK, but enjoyed the 7 days back at Shadowlands.

However, one incident unhappily cut short my gardening antics (and ‘antics’ is how my wife describes them). On the East side of the boundary where there is a 3 foot bank to the side road below, some mountain Wisteria had been allowed to get hold, in the process suffocating a nice cherry and wrapping around some power lines (for the street lighting), which had begun to bow. I could not in good conscience leave it like that, so with the aid of ladder and extendible pruners, I commenced battle with the rogue. Because the bank falls away, and the plants lean over to get light, it was a really tricky job. Several times I had to let the cables take quite a lot of the weight, and I prayed that there would not be a twang to signal a disaster. About 3 hours later, and I was making progress, with just the most stubborn tendrils still clinging to the cherry’s decaying branches.

Suddenly, there was a buzzing and I caught site of one of the Giant Japanese Hornets that frequent these parts, it started to get aroused and aggressive, and at that point I took immediate evasive action by leaping from the ladder over the bank (a fall of about 2 metres) – a descent that left me in a crumpled heap on the road below. The hornet luckily had evidently not encountered such extraordinary behavior before, and deemed pursuit unnecessary. I hobbled off to the house and there remained housebound for the rest of my stay.

I know have the insect repellent version of the flame thrower. A canned blaster insecticide created just for the menace of the hornets, which a modest squeeze of the trigger shoots out a 10 metre blast!

Moral of the story: watch your back in the wilds of Shadowlands.

regs, ptarotuos

• 7 Jul, 2011
• 3 likes

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