As the search for more of 'The Good Life' continues unabated, the new plot we've taken on in the village (actually, by pure coincidence, the very same one we gave up 22 years ago, when we moved to 'The Turrets') has handed us a huge restoration job and this bleeding piece of earth is getting a right blasted 'seeing to'.
Because it is in dire need of some TLC, we're giving the plot some institutional reformation, because we're digging out the couch grass by hand.
The diggable area is about 30' by 30' - 100 square yards, and it's taken us way over 45 hours of hard slog to clean it properly. There are about 12 square yards left to dig and clean, and the couch grass will be a thing of the past, but it has been a right sod so far...
That 45 hours has yielded about forty wheelbarrows of the dreaded weed, and somehow, I find the work very therapeutic, being able to dig a few spits with the sod flicker and from there on in, by applying a flurry of clops with a clod breaker, (fashioned from a WW2 Land Army cultivator, and a piece of yew from the tree behind 'The Turrets'), which makes the poor old soil sit up and await some TLC from the gentle hands of Mrs S...
Update - Just found this, which explains why Scrobs walks tall and without a hump...
Next time, try C4
ReplyDeleteMuch quicker results...
Scrobs... my fellow blogger monkey and I plan to get stuck into my patch inbetween jobs this week....my spuds are chitting as I write, I just wanted to write chitting, childish I know.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha Lakes!
ReplyDeletePerfick!
Thudders, are they earlies? I've got some ready to chit too; they're resting at the moment...
ReplyDeleteLike the word 'chit' - there's nothing more pleasant than a good chit to get the 'eyes' working...
Ha ha ha ha ha.....
So as you wield your clod basher you can hum along to Chitty Chitty bang bang then?
ReplyDeleteWe just had our lawn redone with cow grass - much prettier than the 5ft high pampas like stuff that used to over-run the place.
OOOh I have digging envy. I LOVE digging. We are hoping for an allotment soon....been on the list for 5 years :-)
ReplyDeleteHa ha Reevers! It really is a gem, and made by trial and error from just the old head from the WW2 hoe, and a chunk of tree left hanging around, reaqdy to trip someone up!
ReplyDeleteDennis, an old boy who has a close-by plot, suggests that I look as though I'm prospecting for gold (i.e. sitting on a low box, with my feet in the trench, clouting the clods), but has given me the serious nod of someone in their eighties, which means that he approves, and I'm doing it the right way! He also never stops laughing at anything, and between us, there is quite some banter...
Lils, with your gardening skills, you'll love it!
ReplyDeleteI really can't believe how long you have to wait for a plot, five years is one hell of a long time!
On the field with the plot we've taken on, there are at least 7 full plots just full of couch grass and silly things like ponds etc. Ours is about three and a half rods, and is classed as a half-plot, so the rent next year will be about £8.50.
When we were there in the eighties, the Parish Council used to patrol once a year and inspect the edges, and grass cutting etc, never mind if you were growing cannabis, or Afghan's best...
Nowadays, it really is a bit of a mess, and I'll show you some posts when I get the pics out of the old PC which blew up last week...
You have empty plots down your way? Arrgh they are gold dust here. I would love to see some pics. The Allotment Stasi here have been shaping up their act and chucking off anyone who so much has a weed or fails to turn up for a week (I exaggerate) so the turnover has increased lately. There were 50 people in front of us five years ago. Now we are at No.2 on the waiting list.
ReplyDeleteI had an allotment on the understanding and agreement that a couple of male friends would help dig it over and fill in the deep hole (it'd been left to wilderness for a few years - they were opening up a section not used). One couldn't get off work and the other came round frequently to drink my coffee and talk about his intention of defininitely helping me at some time but can he just tell me about his dream about me naked. I gave up the allotment without planting a single thing :-(
ReplyDeleteI still dream of having an allotment and your latest task sounds great fun, Scrobs. More pics please!
:-)
Pips, the pics are in the PC, smouldering with desire to get out into the ether, I've run out of hours so far to get them edited...
ReplyDeleteSorry about the definite-maybe 'men' of straw, I'm afraid that just sort of attitude doesn't get your radishes on cue!
Ah yes, couch grass. I know your pain. Enough said. Good luck keeping it at bay!
ReplyDelete