Elderberry jam
Blisters on my hand from using the hoe. Must work harder on toughening them up. And to do so I started on the future potting shed. Right now it is disguised as a chicken shed. With years of accumulated chicken poop knee deep on the ground.
I don’t think you would call it gardening, but I have been shovelling chicken droppings and soil for the last two hours. First a barrow load onto the compost heap. Then into two large barrels beside the chicken coop doors. And now onto the soil outside. It looks precious as it so enriched with manure. But I have too much of it (a tonne?) to store. So out it goes. And soon I will get to a level of soil in the shed where I can stand up. 
And pot up plants, and store seeds and keep books. And generally pretend I am living the life of a gardener. Reading Monty Don’s epic garden tome last night wasn’t that encouraging. His is a perfectly manicured and busy and productive garden. And ours is just beginning. Apart from the fruit trees. And the land. And jostaberries. I really ought to mulch around the base of these prolifically fruiting trees. But I can’t reach them right now. They are buried beside a mountain of grit that Tony placed for me in preparation for a future path. Another day another pair of black hands. I’m making batch number two of elderberry syrup. And I thought I used good gloves to keep out the lovely blue black stain the berries leave behind when I squeeze the bejeezus out of them. But no. At least it’s not as bad as last time. And I know that if I scrub like mad I will end up with merely purple than black. And two more bottles of precious elderberry syrup. Words to the wise. Don’t make elderberry syrup after drinking too much beer. Put the heat way too high and have ended up with elderberry jam. In a thin necked bottle. David discovered a fruiting Mirabelle tree tonight. Never noticed it before as it is on the top side but it’s full of fruit. What a shame we can’t reach them. 
Must buy a step ladder. And later tonight I am slug hunting. Something I have never been able to do before. Just walk out into the garden with a torch and check for slugs under the lettuce. Two of them look a bit smaller than the rest. And I suspect my clever straw mulch was a complete mistake. They can lurk under there and attack at will.