NATCHEZ &045; There were no sirens early Monday morning. But members of the search and rescue team were given their orders and were ready to venture into the shaded woods south of the antebellum house Melrose.

With pruning shears, kneeling pads and gloves in hand, the Melrose Garden Friends methodically moved into enemy territory.

The enemy Monday morning &045; poison ivy and wisteria. The victims &045; azaleas, cherry laurel and hydrangea.

Monday was the first work day for the group of volunteers who have set out to help in the restoration and eventual preservation of the historic gardens on the Melrose property.

And for the volunteers, day one was indeed a search and rescue effort. Over the years, invasive plants like wisteria and Spanish moss have begun to strangle many of the plants that are part of the garden.

Walking in between camellia bushes, magnolia trees and cherry laurel, one could see the long thin tendrils of wisteria and poison ivy creeping along the ground in search for the next victims.

&uot;We rescued two azalea bushes from wisteria,&uot; volunteer Grace Steiner said pointing to two tiny bushes now set free.

&uot;It felt good,&uot; she said as she marched off with her pruning shears propped on her shoulder.

Other volunteers were scrambling under bright blue hydrangeas, unwinding the long stringy vines wrapped around the blooms.

&uot;She believes in getting to the root of the problem,&uot; one volunteer remarked as Elaine Gemmell stuck her head into the large plant. With pruning shears, Ken Attenhofer followed clipping the vines down at the base.

For Natchez National Park curator Kathleen Jenkins, the all-volunteer group is a chance for those interested in gardening to come together and work with others who share the same interest.

&uot;It’s a way that (volunteers) can contribute to a public garden,&uot; Jenkins said. &uot;It’s beautiful here, and it’s fun to work and learn from others.&uot;

From gardeners who have a great deal of experience to others who are trying out gardening for the first time, the Melrose Garden Friends are group with one goal in mind &045; to help restore and preserve the garden and have a good time doing it. &uot;This is a part of something Natchez can enjoy,&uot; Steiner said as she was pulling vines. &uot;The social aspect of it is good, too.&uot;

From 7 to around 10 a.m. the volunteers scoured the grounds ridding the area of &uot;the demons&uot; that had begun to take hold, as one volunteer described it Monday.

&uot;We did what it would take one person a week to do,&uot; Jenkins remarked.

The next scheduled work day is from 7 to 11 a.m. July 11. Anyone interested in joining the Melrose Garden Friends can contact Jenkins at the Natchez National Park at 601-442-1431.