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26/09/05: "poison palms"

Could somebody please tell me what the attraction of gardening is? To hear people go on about it you'd think they blissfully sink into some zen-like trance whilst delicately pruning a tiny leaf off an otherwise perfect shrub. They certainly don't mention the delights of carting a trailer load of dead tree branches to the rancid tip after hacking a razor-sharp palm out of the ground with a pickaxe and crowbar, dressed in a full disposable overalls and a particulate mask in the blazing sun.
I mean, who in their right mind plants a palm in their front garden when said palm has pollen that is a well-recognised neurotoxin?
Mind you, there was an upside. I was hot and sweaty enough to actually jump in the pool for the first time since we bought it. 18 degrees doesn't make for exactly pleasant swimming, but I did a lap and it cooled me down. Of course, "it cooled me down" is one way of putting it - "I could have cut glass with my nips" is another. Anyhoo, tick.