'Bump it with a trumpet'

Lyricist Stephen Sondheim has Mazzeppa tell Gypsy Rose Lee in the Broadway musical "Gypsy" that "if you want to bump it, bump it with a trumpet."

So, that's what I'm doing.

We have a prolific trumpet vine by our lower driveway that sends out runners with a vengeance. Rather than just mowing over the runners, I've started transplanting them to strategic places where they can climb, such as the woodshed posts, the cedar fence by the HVAC units and the infamous fence made from hackberry trees (see post of 5/7/09).

We had trumpet vines, also known as "trumpet creepers" and "cow itch vine," in Indiana which framed our front door. They can by invasive like kudzu if you don't cut them back. Wikipedia says a trumpet vine should pruned "ruthlessly."

I've transplanted about 20 of the runners. If you don't hear from me in the next few days, come running with pruning shears.