Back to landscaping in the orchard

Dirt. Just about everywhere. In the turn ups of my trousers (a design mistake if ever there was one), under my nails, in the pockets of my gilet, on the cat.

I’m back in the orchard at long, long last. I don’t dare go back and find out how long it has been since I’ve last done this work.  I suspect it was June.

Better late than never I guess.

And if there is one constant in my exposing of this steep hillside to the fork, the trowel and the weeding glove, it is that the cat will just love to race across the newly cleared dirt.

He zipped down to where I was working and threw himself down the steep bank with what looked like glee.

And then came and sat on my lap and bothered me for ages.

But how can I resist such a happy cat?

Actually I can after about ten minutes because there is work to be done.

So I staggered back down the slope, in the perfect weeding kneeling position, and kept on with my finicky removal of couch grass roots, stones, bramble tendrils, mess.

But Artur was not to be deterred. So he came down too and did his favourite sport of calf surfing.  I am completely trapped while he stands on the backs of my legs purring and ecstatically kneading.

One day I’ll actually manage to capture the imagine properly.  But as I say, I had dirt everywhere and I didn’t need to put more grit into the camera than was necessary. I had neglected to remove my gloves.

With every fork into the steep bank there is a at least a handful of stones. So it’s not fast work.

And where to put them? I am using the larger of the stones for a mini wall at the top of the bank. But I really have a surfeit.  I have been building up the soil around the  apple trees – poor things need much more love.  So I started to lob the stone around the apples and went a bit mad.

I think I will dismantle it. Or else plant a whopping big eragrostis grass in front of it and let it blend in. Right now it’s sticking out like a carbuncle.

If all goes well tomorrow I will be back in the dirt. And if I can – get things planted up.  That will be cause for celebration.  But I know someone who won’t be happy when all the bare dirt gets covered in mulch.