More on the New Plot

Here are some more pictures of my new plot - in sunshine this time (still very cold though). I have spent the weekend moving all my useful bits and pieces over there from my old plot, and yesterday bade my final farewells. I met some people who would have been my new neighbours if I'd stayed - they seemed to be making great progress, they have already dug over nearly half the plot.


There was a pile of wood chippings on the new site, which we had been told was for general use, and one of the first things I did when I got up there was fill half my builders bag with them, ready for when I put my raspberries and blackcurrants in, I'm going to use them as a mulch around the fruit.


This area at the very end is the most overgrown part, with nettles, brambles and couch grass in abundance, so this is where I have started to clear first, partly so that I could get my compost bins set up, and also because this is where the fruit bushes will go. It's pretty tough going so far, but I think it will probably get easier as I move further up. I have also sent off for an azada, or Chillington type digging hoe as they're sometimes called. Apparently these are the answer to your prayers. One reviewer claimed that he was able to clear one square metre per minute. Well, I'll believe it when I see it, but I have heard such good things about them that I decided it was worth spending around £10 to find out for myself. The action is very different to how you would use a spade, thus preventing the sore back you would normally expect when digging. You can read about it here.


So this is what I managed to get done today, or most of it anyway, I started on it last week, but today I cleared the area where the compost bins are, and filled them both up, one with almost-done compost, the other with compost-in-progress. All of which I brought with me in numerous bags from the old plot! Well I don't know how much had been added by the previous occupants, and you can never have too much compost can you?

Then I cleared the bit to the right of the bins, where you might be able to see a few sticks poking up - this is where I have planted the comfrey I brought with me. I hope it will be alright - when I tipped the plants out of their pots the soil they were in was frozen solid. I managed to break them into separate pieces and just stuck them in and will just have to hope for the best. They're pretty tough.

And that's about it so far....

I also made 10 jars of marmalade today.