The Jungle Out There

The previous owners of my house planted no less than three invasive species in the yard and flower beds. These include vines with root systems so developed that you can't dig in some of the flower beds because the earth is a mat of roots. Two summers ago, when I moved in, I cut the vine back entirely, and last year I drenched every stray emergent sprig in extra-heavy-duty R0und-up. And still, this summer, the woody stems (the size of small tree trunks) produced enough vine while we were gone to cover the entire garage. It's pretty and picturesque, but horrifyingly undead to those who know the backstory.