Done

We spent today in the veg garden, blessing the cardboard and old rug mulch we put down last autumn as there was really very little serious weeding. Potatoes and onions are now in, albeit a little early for here, but hopefully they won't succumb to the wind and rain. Our next big task is to hoof out all the remaining shrubs in the raised beds; they were only supposed to be there for a season whilst building work happened and a few years later (!) really must move.

I also cut back all the willow 'hedge' around here plus the enclosure above which we are gradually infilling with native trees. The willow had thrown up metre+ long shoots from last year. It's a fantastic survivor but the most useless hedging as it's growth habit is all Up and little Out. I do wonder if I could make some sort of living fence or arbour with it by doing a spot of weaving the cut shoots - something to experiment with maybe.

The rhubarb is gradually unfurling in its usual sci-fi way. We have a big patch which thrives on the remains of a previous owner's Clydesdale's 'leavings'; very kind of it to do some forward planning on our behalf ;-) sadly I think we will be south when the crop is at its best.

The old rugs adorn another gate for my collection. This one a remnant of a time when we believe goats lived here. We could've done with a pen for Poppydog who wandered off rabbit investigating and then manifested utter deafness (not totally feigned) when requested to come back.

A trip to the tip (we love that place!) and then into town.