Overgrown.

Sometimes, it's obvious when things in our lives are overgrown. Take these two nameless shrubs off our deck. They have had a good time growing this Spring but clearly, their growth was out of control. By the time I realized I'd need to give them a serious trim they were just starting to bud. They produce sprigs of tiny white flowers that smell so good!
Sitting in the kitchen on a breezy day, you can breathe in their sweet-smelling goodness. So I'd need to wait until after they'd bloomed to cut them back.

Sadly, they were still blooming when I pruned them. They were so overgrown that we were left with barely 1' of clearance on our 4' wide steps. Stepping through that jungle was really beginning to interfere with our daily lives. They screened most of the yard from our view out the kitchen doorwall and were shading my plants on the deck.


Here's the larger of the two shrubs in process. It was amazing how overgrown and out of control it had become.

The after. They're still a bit too tall; I like to be able to sit on the deck and see the entire pool and yard. Taking off too much more would've made them look pretty mangy and I'd rather them look nice.

Things get overgrown in nature and they can get overgrown in our lives. We have a lot of overgrowth in our family that could stand some pruning. Ranging from the crazy school-year calendar, the time spent on video games and computers and TV, the amount of food we eat and even  time spent worried about what we can't control, the things in life that require pruning are numerous and varied.

What's overgrown in your life?