The Cedar is down

Today was the day I removed my massive cedar shrub.
See how nicely I cleaned everything out.
I was hoping to just trim the shrub, but I was told it is stealing all the nutrients from the soil and the roots and fine roots were chocking out my other plants.
Plus to trim a cedar, it has to be done slowly and may take a few years to trim this one, as the whole inside looks brown. So it has to be done slowly.

I came to the sad decision that the cedar has to go :(
First I tried to just dig it out.
Soon discovered that was an impossible task as I couldn't get close enough to the roots.
Then I wrapped up the branches so I could get closer to the roots, as I still couldn't see where the trunk was.
Still couldn't get close enough.

I had to cut down the branches.
This really pained me. I was hoping to get it all intact :(

I only cut as many branches off as I had to.
I was not strong enough, or heavy enough to cut the roots with the shovel. I needed Wayne, but sadly he was at work...and I'm not the type of person to wait, lol.

I finally used the cutting tool to cut the bigger roots.
I have to tell you it was a big job. It took me over an hour to dig the cedar up.
I did replant it it over the fence, in the bush. I hope it takes.
The flower bed was a big mess. It was drowning in dead cedar pieces.

I cleaned up most if not all the cedar pieces and raked it up. Ran a rake through the soil to get most of the roots and fine roots out of the soil.
Then I bought some new soil filled with nutrients.
I wanted a nice clean start.

Here it is all planted up.
It still makes me a bit sad as it was so full and now it looks pretty empty.

So I went back and bought a few more plants to fill in some of the blanks.
Most of the plants are perennials, so they will come up every year and grow bigger every year. 

I am just wiped.
I have been outside working on this flower bed and planters for the last 3 days.
I hope the neighbours weren't watching me take down that shrub. I am sure I was quite entertaining, with my fumbling around, lol.

I am hoping to tackle another flower bed tomorrow.
It is more of a major weeding then transferring plants or flowers.

I hope you all had a creative Thursday :)

Tracy