I have managed to get involved with 'graveyard gardening' in the city's two listed cemeteries at Warstone Lane and Key Hill. This probably sounds uncharacteristic but it's not really gardening, and in fact filling in a sunken grave with crud taken out of a gully feels much more fundamental and witchy.
This week I've been cutting ivy off overgrown graves, some of which have never been catalogued because they have always been overgrown, and the rest of this post will just be pictures of this satisfying activity. I do have family in Key Hill and keep picturing an arm reaching out of the ground and grabbing me by the ankle.
Incidentally this is yet another confirmation for me that volunteering is much better than an actual job: it was the capitalism that was the problem all along!
It may not be gardening, but you're mucking about with muck and plants so it's good enough for the Garden Photos Event! I particularly like the final photo with the real and fake ivy.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Is that your bag lurking by that tree behind Charles & Maria Louisa Alldridge's grave?
Oh no, I've been caught doing something suitable for a garden photos event! It was really disorientating to cut the ivy off and find stone ivy underneath!
DeleteBlogger spammed your comment and I'm not sure whether it can be stopped.
It is my bag, you know me so well.
English Ivy doesn't understand that in all facets of life one must find balance, therefore, I'm happy to hear you'll be giving it a good thrashing as it'll never learn! Normally, I would not encourage abuse of any kind to anything, but I can't abide bully's that need to be nipped back now and then. You do a great service to your community of both the living and the dead. Imagine that one poor zombie that couldn't harken the thrall call or fresh brains after some dumb teenagers read from an ancient book!?!? The beleaguered fellow stuck in his Ivy chains as the rest shuffle off without him. How frustrating!
ReplyDeleteBlogger put your comment in the spam too but also emailed me to say you'd commented. Very strange.
DeleteHonestly it's one of the most horrible plants there is (with or without zombies) but I have occasionally found myself feeling a bit relieved we don't have poison ivy here. 😱