1279796419 25 The Journal Gazette, 600 W. Main St., Fort Wayne IN

The early hosta and daylily blooms are gone, leaving scraggly stalks in their wake. Dirt Cottage has huge clumps of both, so clipping and discarding is a major project.

Really comfy seating is a must. Wines might get better with age, but hips whine with age. if I know I’m going to be on the ground for a long time, I spread an old yoga mat and sit on top of a garden kneeling pad.

I also have a large plastic pot or recycling bin nearby. It can be used to hold clippings and help an over-50 gardener reach the upright and locked position after a few hours on the ground. without a little help, my efforts to rise resemble that of a June bug stuck on its back. Plenty of comic action but disappointing results.

Next, grab the sharpest clippers in the garage. A squirt of WD-40 in the joints makes the action smooth.

Use gloves that breathe. For thorny jobs, leather is a must, but cotton is better for hours of clipping. put on a little lotion beforehand, and your hands will be soft when you are finished. A friend who runs suggests Vaseline.

Slather sunscreen on all exposed parts. I usually wear long sleeves and old jeans or sweats. I don’t tan, anyway, so I prefer to squirt the clothes with a little water if I feel the heat.

Don’t forget bug spray. The mosquitoes are particularly voracious this summer.

You could put all of those clippings at the curb, but if you want to tread lightly on the earth, you can compost them.

A few years ago, I bought about 30 feet of wire mesh with holes that are about 4 inches wide. It’s inexpensive and easy to find at hardware stores.

You’ll need to cut a length about 10 feet long to make a recycling bin with a 3-foot diameter. Heavy-duty wire cutters or tin snips and work gloves are a must.

With pliers, twist the raw ends into loops and bend the wire mesh into a circle. you can bend the loops to wrap around the wires at the other end.

Simply place the bin in a convenient spot that you don’t have to look at all day, and position the part where the two sides connect on the far side of the bin so you don’t get snagged on the wire.

I have two bins beside some bushes behind the garage. No staking is needed, and you can train vines to grow up them. I’ve used morning glories, vinca and grape.

Some people make bins with chicken wire, but that requires staking. They also tend to get droopy after a couple of years.

If you have lush bushes that dip to the ground or thick, tallish groundcover, no-bin composting is also possible.

Simply take your clippings and arrange them in a circle under the low-hanging bush. The spent plant matter serves as mulch for the bush, and you won’t have to lug anything anywhere.

I have large patches of pachysandra, and you can slip clippings under the leaves. because pachys are evergreen, the stalks underneath simply decompose over time.

The Journal Gazette, 600 W. Main St., Fort Wayne IN

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