Chopping chopping chopping

Had a day out with my friend Leila and my new loppers and BOY did we cut a lot of bramble! It was fantastic. In a stunning contrast to her usual fashionable style (well, her own style at least) Leila donned sweats, hoodie and boots and loved using the loppers. So spent a lot of time piling up the wheelbarrow to move the chopping down to the bramble wall.

Also borrowed neighbour's saw (with his permission of course) and chopped down a couple of the hawthorne trees. So here's a pic of me with my first felled tree! (yes, I did yell 'timber')






We had quite a few tea breaks too. Sitting in my eBay old army chairs, purchased from the National Theatre props dept.

Dry at last!

Thanks gods January is gone. And we seem to be having spring days, though I'm sure the frost will be back to haunt us. (We've only had a few nights frost last week, that's been it all winter.)

Wonderful day out...
Planted a bit more garlic. 'Hoed' (with my hands) my 3 beds and it's wonderful how the cold really has broken up the clay soil! One of those things I just didn't believe but I have lovely smooth(ish) soil to putter about with. I smoothed things out and weeded the flower beds. Put in a few more bulbs. Dug out a few bramble roots in order to make a little herb corner - just teensy little parsley plants in now.

Friend Leila bought me 6 primrose plants at the Manor House Gardens farmers market yesterday so I put them in a little row at the front of the flower bed. They look quite cheery!

I also put out 3 ceramic pots, made as birdbaths by my friend Shelagh, on the ground as either birdbaths or little ponds for frogs. Whatever wildlife might like them. Sunk them a bit and made sure there was earth banked up around them, tried to have one a bit hidden in grass.

Also chatted to Hamish next to me and decided to put my shed up at the top of the plot. There's a space I've already cleared, fairly flat and ready to go. So if I can get to the plot tomorrow I'm going to move the sand and paving slabs up to the top. That's a bit of a task in and of itself since I can only carry one slab at a time.

Light out until about 5.15pm. Will get some photos tomorrow.

Day 25 - catching up!

Things got a bit busy with my Open Studios and the preparation so didn't get to the allotment last week. Back in on Monday (day 24, technically) and played with my new azada! Whew, hard work! I'm told it's meant to be easier on the back but the overarm swinging isn't something my body is used to. Biceps are achy, a good thing. But back is achier, bad thing. (I have a bad back anyway.) But I'm sure I'll get into the 'swing' of things with time. *grin* Anyway, it cleared out a huge bramble root so I'm very happy! Not as sure about it's efficiency with clearing the couch grass topsoil vs the fork but will keep trying. The bramble root was the last thing in the way of the shed area so now that's cleared out and hopefully somewhat level. Hoping to nick some old paving stones from a skip down the road, but if all else fails there's actually a building merchant at the top of the road the allotment is on so I'll go ask for leftovers or maybe chipped slabs they can't use. Pic is of the cleared space for the shed.


Today I made the mistake of going to the allotment even with painful back. Nevermind. I did get all my bulbs in! So hopefully I'll have a lovely colourful spring bloom! They're spread about randomly, going for a natural look with about 250 bulbs.