There was a bit if a chill in the air this morning. Not unexpected as the weathermen had predicted the first overnight frost yesterday. They’d got it wrong this time but the low temperature and cloudless sky suggested it was only a matter of time. As it happened the day developed into a lovely mild and dry one with only a few spots of rain in the afternoon.
Conscious that as Autumn draws in there is an increasing chance of weather which will make it difficult to work in we threw ourselves into work with the intent of making major progress.
We picked up the new sleepers and re-commenced work on the front garden. Much of the soil had been cleared of weeds and grass already so the main task was to cut the soil bed back to 4’ and to reduce the height of the remaining soil. All surplus soil was transferred to a corner of the front plot. The soil is predominantly clay and whilst in most places it is compacted it is in remarkable condition breaking down to a crumble with a few sharp blows from the edge of a fork. We’d dug into the soil in the growing area previously and were ecstatic about the clay there too. We have been told that a large area in this part of Leatherhead was allotments prior to the houses being built, so theoretically the soil should be good.
After many hours of serious digging the area was ready for the sleepers to be laid and bracketed together. They are untreated and at present are a glorious deep ginger/brown. What a stunning difference they make to this part of the site – which undoubtedly was the most unattractive of the entire plot. It shouldn’t be too long before the bed will be ready for planting, which will transform the look and feel of the site for our neighbours as well as ourselves.
Mid morning a new recruit turned up with no obvious intention of helping out. He inspected our work, visiting each of us individually, spoke to us rather loudly and, when he felt ignored, he’d stand on our feet to demand attention. It’s probably fair to say that he slowed proceedings a bit, but this young cat made the day that much more enjoyable and stayed with us until we left.
The compost bins were finished (the 10% left over from last week) and home-made handles made from leftovers and Freecycle bits were added to all compost bin lids. It was essential to clear all possible vegetation into the compost bins with the grass cuttings being layered between shredded material. Three hours of shredding later the task was complete and the 2nd composter was full.
Over the past week we have agreed the garden design. The plot is a strange shape and not symmetrical in the slightest. We agreed that the design should accommodate the maximum number of vegetable beds mostly of a size around 8’ x 4’ with some smaller beds of around 4’ x 4’ for children and for herb-growing. The pathways will generally be 4’ wide for mobility of those in wheelchairs and some beds will be built high enough to be reached by those that have difficulty in bending down. All in all we wanted the design to be interesting – and so that’s what we have laid out on paper. Today we pegged out the first two beds in preparation for them being dug out next weekend. We need to remove the top foot or so of soil as the site contains some rubble, probably from the time the surrounding houses were built.
With all tasks on our list ticked off we bid the little cat farewell and went home for a bath perhaps but definitely a rest!
Conscious that as Autumn draws in there is an increasing chance of weather which will make it difficult to work in we threw ourselves into work with the intent of making major progress.
We picked up the new sleepers and re-commenced work on the front garden. Much of the soil had been cleared of weeds and grass already so the main task was to cut the soil bed back to 4’ and to reduce the height of the remaining soil. All surplus soil was transferred to a corner of the front plot. The soil is predominantly clay and whilst in most places it is compacted it is in remarkable condition breaking down to a crumble with a few sharp blows from the edge of a fork. We’d dug into the soil in the growing area previously and were ecstatic about the clay there too. We have been told that a large area in this part of Leatherhead was allotments prior to the houses being built, so theoretically the soil should be good.
After many hours of serious digging the area was ready for the sleepers to be laid and bracketed together. They are untreated and at present are a glorious deep ginger/brown. What a stunning difference they make to this part of the site – which undoubtedly was the most unattractive of the entire plot. It shouldn’t be too long before the bed will be ready for planting, which will transform the look and feel of the site for our neighbours as well as ourselves.
Mid morning a new recruit turned up with no obvious intention of helping out. He inspected our work, visiting each of us individually, spoke to us rather loudly and, when he felt ignored, he’d stand on our feet to demand attention. It’s probably fair to say that he slowed proceedings a bit, but this young cat made the day that much more enjoyable and stayed with us until we left.
The compost bins were finished (the 10% left over from last week) and home-made handles made from leftovers and Freecycle bits were added to all compost bin lids. It was essential to clear all possible vegetation into the compost bins with the grass cuttings being layered between shredded material. Three hours of shredding later the task was complete and the 2nd composter was full.
Over the past week we have agreed the garden design. The plot is a strange shape and not symmetrical in the slightest. We agreed that the design should accommodate the maximum number of vegetable beds mostly of a size around 8’ x 4’ with some smaller beds of around 4’ x 4’ for children and for herb-growing. The pathways will generally be 4’ wide for mobility of those in wheelchairs and some beds will be built high enough to be reached by those that have difficulty in bending down. All in all we wanted the design to be interesting – and so that’s what we have laid out on paper. Today we pegged out the first two beds in preparation for them being dug out next weekend. We need to remove the top foot or so of soil as the site contains some rubble, probably from the time the surrounding houses were built.
With all tasks on our list ticked off we bid the little cat farewell and went home for a bath perhaps but definitely a rest!
