Starting to make progress

I didn’t decide to set up the Blog until a few days ago so what I am now showing hasn’t just happened over night!

I have pegged out the area roughly and you can see where I have started digging at the top end. The root system from the briers, the ivy and other creepers, not to mention a holly tree and other shrubs is a nightmare. Having said that the soil is very light and breaks up easily.

You will also notice that the Silver Birch and the Weeping Willow have grown since I originally planted them to screen the old garden shed. When I first moved into the property the garden shed was a real eye sore as it was falling down and looked fairly disgusting. I repaired the roof and the front of it a couple of years ago and then gave it a lick of timber coating which made it look a bit more respectable. Unfortunately during one of last winter's storms part of the roofing felt was ripped off so I will have to get that repaired by the Autumn. It is also in need of another coat of timber treatment although we have done the vegetable plot side which you can see in the next photograph.

If you are wondering what happened to the old apple tree, it has gone. It was blown down in the winter so I had to hire a chainsaw last Spring to get it cleared. What a mess! It hadn't done the grass any favours as it was like putting a mulch over it. This is all that remains:


There is nothing worse when clearing a new piece of ground than the green grass clumps so I decided to put my new "organic" weed killer to work. Just look how it has cleared the top growth:


If you are wondering what it is then I will tell you. It's a flame thrower. The gardening tool for all pyromaniacs.


I bought it in the Spring as the garden had become rather overgrown. I had used one many years ago when I helped my father in the garden. That must have been in the late Sixties and the amazing thing is that it is still exactly the same piece of equipment. Obviously they created the perfect design all those years ago. I have never seen one in a shop and got mine via the internet. (Can't remember where at the moment otherwise I would have posted a link - if you really need to know then email me).

One of the problems we are having this year is the regular rainfall. You start digging and it starts raining so you have to wait for everything to dry out.