roses are... pushy

in anticipation of our landscaping coming in a few weeks, we are staining our deck. There's only one problem. Our rose bushes. They were planted way too close to each other -- and the deck -- so they don't have room to breath and are growing over and through the slats. I love roses but not climbing over my shoulders while I'm enjoying a beverage on my new patio furniture.

It may not look like much here but, at the rate they are growing, they will take over half of the deck in a month. There is no way we can stain the deck in this state, especially the outside and slats. 

So off to Home Depot I went and made my favorite home purchase yet:

I went to town with the hedge clippers. It was fun. 

I cut and cut and cut until there were a few inches of space between the bushes and deck. 

Then I went in and cleaned out the really thick areas and the dead branches all around the bush. 

I had to contain myself, hedge clipping is way too much fun. 

It will be so much easier to paint the deck now. We won't have to worry about rouge branches poking out and petals shedding on our fresh paint. 

And I'll be able to enjoy my Summer Shandy in rose-free peace.