Today was curtailed for a number of reasons - I was busy in the morning, so didn't get around to start working in the garden until one thirty. And then within forty-five minutes, I'd managed to break my trowel and hadn't taken my spade with me, so that was the end of digging. Also the light was beginning to go - I can't wait for the start of spring!
It's been a few weeks since I have worked here and all the leaves are now off the tree, so it makes the garden look much more open.
What was very obviously apparent from this visit was how dangerous some of the tree roots were - I had sawn them off quite near the ground, in advance of trying to dig them out. But with the leaves laying on the lawn being the same colour as the tree roots, they are now a tripping hazard. So I tried to get as many out as I could.
I hadn't left too much above the ground when I cut them, so hadn't left myself enough wood to get a proper purchase when trying to pull them up. I had to lift them a little and then get my hands right underneath the fibrous roots that had grown at right angles to the main trunk. What makes me pretty optimistic is how shallow the roots are - less than a spade's depth, so I think I will be fairly easily able to dig up the others.
Time spent working in the garden today: 45 minutes only
Jobs completed: filled brown bin with stuff cut down already; daffodils planted underneath tree and over by left hand fence;tree roots pulled up;tulips planted up in terracotta pot under tree and into pots in the "trench"; mint cut back and tidied; tulips planted into mint pot; hellebores rescued and weeds taken out of pot; all pots topped up with compost; hydrangea hard wood cuttings being monitored.
Jobs for future visits: level area by gate for compost bin and wheelie bins; move soil from this area into the trench; dig out more weeds; empty remaining plant pots; dig up more tree roots; cut grass with shears before mowing can commence in spring; grass seeds to be sown (March) for planting out in small clumps; dig up excess foxgloves from my own garden to plant; sow iris bulbs; research water butt coming off shed; concentrate on area behind bike shed and patio; split osteospermum into separate pots; acquire more plant pots; plant bluebells under tree; research solar lighting and tealights in tree; research stepping stones; sprinkle seed mix.
