PM2, I think you've done the right thing by cutting the bittersweet at the base of your shrubbery (or trees) and letting it die. For small trees or shrubs, I have pulled and untwisted the vines from the branches, but with large trees I just let the vines decay enough so they can be pulled down (that takes a few years). I use the herbicide to increase the odds that it will kill the root system as well, so there won't be any resprouting. This is a VERY small and targeted application of the herbicide. However, if you are against pesticides, continually cutting the shoots will work as well. I've been an organic gardener for years, and only use occasional organic pest control in the gardens (such as BT or copper sulfate fungicide). But with these invasive plants, it became apparent that control is very difficult without the assistance of herbicides. Last year, since I wasn't getting ahead of the infestations in back, I broke down and tried a Brush-b-gone solution at the recommended dosage on the bushy bittersweet, or thicket areas, and it worked extremely well. It takes weeks, but the plants and roots died back and they became very easy to pull. I also use the Brush-b-gone on Buckthorn, although it has more tenancious root system. Herbicide should be sprayed on a calm, dry, and warm day - thus it dries quickly, and there is little overspray, which minimizes contact with other plants or wildlife. If it were me PM2, and your neighbors are amenable, I would be over there getting rid of that bittersweet myself (but I'm a bit obsessive about it)! Pixie-lou, I will have to try your shovel method too.

I am in the same boat, engk: our property is a woodland/wetland edge, my husband and I love the outdoors and gardening, and I am seven months pregnant. I canÂt currently use any tick spray on myself, because they all seem to contain deet, and my doctor said "no deet while pregnant". So, we have taken the following precautions: If time is spent in the lawn and vegi garden, long pants are tucked into socks, and the pants get inspected before coming back into the house. If shorts are worn, legs are inspected. If shorts are worn but the wearer has been squatting in the grass  full body check. (My poor hubby had a tick in a rather sensitive area last week after a combination of shorts and squatting. Yuck.) The clothes go straight into the designated "gardening hamper" and can be reworn only for more gardening. And a shower before bed is a good idea. For any venture into the woods or swamp, even briefly  full body check. Cloths go straight into the wash. We go straight into the shower. So far this has prevented ticks from being loose inside the house, as far as we know. This makes me feel much safer in and around my home. Since we have started doing this, we have found ticks on ourselves, but we can say precisely when and where we picked up the tick. And the ticks have so far not had time to get engorged, even if they do latch on. (A tick has to bee attached for 24 hours before there is any serious threat of transmitting LymeÂs, to my knowledge.) In addition, we just purchased a ton of damminix tick tubes. I also read somewhere about clothing infused with some sort of anti-tick chemical that isnÂt deet, but I havenÂt tracked that product down yet. This makes our garden time a lot less spontaneous, sadly. But after having half a dozen deer ticks on each of us so far, it seems prudent. I realize it is only going to get harder once we have a toddler running around. But itÂs not like time in the woods here was free and happy before the ticks, either, what with all the poison ivy about. Here is a link that might be useful: damminex tick tubes

Question about your moonflower, Dawn! This is the first year mine actually grew from planted seeds. For some reason, I've planted seed every year, but it has never germinated for me. This year, I planted 2 packets and finally got a few vines up. I love them. My question is whether they will reseed next year, like the other morning glories and cypress vine do? Or, should I collect the seed from them and replant every year? I have blue mistflower going like crazy in the garden right now; lantana 'Miss Huff', Golden Crownbeard (verbesina encelioides-native); native daisy; aster tartaricus 'Jindai' (gorgeous, about 5' tall with purple clusters of blooms with yellow centers); my aster aromatica is about to burst into bloom (very late), asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed), pink/white salvia, 'Black and Blue' Salvia (it is huge this year, it's 2nd, and the blooms are to die for), solidago (dwarf), morning glories (hot pink with white edge, Japanese), white with blue markings, zinnias, senna bicapsularis (Christmas cassia), white cypress vine, hops, hibiscus 'Texas Star', lobelia cardinalis (beautiful!). Nothing looks outstanding really because of the dry weather and heat we are still having. I have watered the things in pots, and the ground. My gomphocarpus (tall milkweed also called 'Family Jewels', or 'Hairy Balls') is putting on a few seed pods right now, and they are about golf ball size and very unique looking. I really want to grow it next year (it's an annual here), so I will collect the seed when it is ripe. The Monarchs love it! Susan Susan

Well, the little birds hatched. There were four of them, not three. I went to check on them earlier and something tore up the nest and the little hatchlings were lying on my porch. They weren't eaten, it just looks like they were knocked out of the nest and fell down. I'm not sure what caused it. I have some cats outside, but they either stay in my backyard, or venture off into the woods. They never go around to the front of my house. Could it have been possums? I see them every now and then on rare occasions, but I always chase them away because I don't like those things. Oh well, the damage is already done. I doubt the parents will come back and rebuild again this year. I plan on buying a birdhouse to hang up on my porch in hopes they choose it as a much safer, out of reach, alternative next time. Needless to say that I'm a little bummed out. :/