Japanese Barberry & Lyme Disease Go Hand In Hand

After learning that there's a powerful link between Japanese barberry and Lyme disease, my husband and I have become "barberrians". You're apt to find one or the other of us out in the woods, gloved, hatted, booted, pants tucked into socks (such a sexy look...), pitchfork in hand, dripping sweat as we battle it out with one or more of the massive thorn bushes that are rapidly taking over our woods.

I've just written a new post all about this thorny problem over at Care2.com. Read it and weep (which you may if you have this stuff growing around your home).

As I write this, my hands are covered with tiny, painful splinters -- the razor sharp ends of barberry thorns that poked through my gloves and then broke off in my skin. I plan to purchase a pair of thick, leather gloves and keep on pulling it out by the roots. Barberry, be gone!