The Space Invaders - Part 1

There is a space in our yard - which once was grass - that we dug up to put in a modest rose garden. It flourished for many years; but over time the crabapple tree grew up, and that spot became too shady for roses to grow. My wife replaced the roses with other plants more tolerant of shade, and they also did well for many years. But the crabapple tree got bigger and bigger, the grass under the tree died, and the plants in the old rose garden began to suffer. Then from nowhere, English Ivy began to grow. It took over the old rose garden and grew under the tree where the grass had withered away. The Ivy had no trouble thriving in the shady environment ... and nature seemed to be in balance once again.

But my wife was not happy. The Ivy was squeezing out her flowers and she decided to fight back. She took the trimmer and cut the ivy down to the dirt. She says English Ivy is an invasive species and has to go. But something has to grow there. You can't have a big brown patch of dirt in your yard. Well, in about a month the Ivy came back as vigorous as ever. Eradicating an invasive species - once it has established itself - is not an easy thing to do.