Every other weekend, I am pulling out agapathus plants and privet tree’s.
The philosophy and tactics are very different for each.
The Yin
Agapanthus’es are hard work. They need to be dug out of the ground while making sure you have got all the rizhomes, otherwise they will grow back.
Because of the shear size of some of them, a block and tackle is sometimes needed. It’s a slow and cumbersome process, but it’s still easier than using a shovel.
Sometimes you just get nowhere with a big one, and your expending lots of effort for no gain. It’s best just to walk away and leave it for another day
The smaller ones will sometimes just pull out by hand, others need a shovel, but you never know until you actually try.
In conclusion, you need lots of patience and a ‘just go with the flow’ attitude.
Those privet tree’s….
Even small privets have to be dug out of the ground, rather than just pulled out. Their roots tend to snake along the ground horizontally making them rather stubborn buggers to get out.
Given the shear number of them, that doesn’t sound like much fun..
Time for a different strategy..
The Yang
A chainsaw and stump paste is a far easier method…
You can rip thru the privets in double quick time, making it immensly satisfying to make a big difference to the garden in such a short time.
I then haul them out with the ride on mower, rather than labouriously dragging them out by hand.
Uncoffined 
Agapanthus and privet trees sound exotic. I’ll bet you could sell them in America for a high price.
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Alas, the freight cost would suck up all the profits..
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