Back to the goo

view of oaksIt feels so great to be behind a strimmer again.   And we have a new strimmer head which works much more efficiently.

Where to start after a few weeks off strimming?

I decided to just launch right into the brambles that grow on the bank above the road.  So it wasn’t so much goo flying at me as little nasty missiles of bramble bits.

Good thing I wear a full face helmet. I look like a fencer.

I very carefully strimmed around the oaks on the top bank above the courtyard, and then whizzed all the way along the road.  It’s more a case of holding back the brambles up there than actually doing a good job of eradicating them. strimmed oaks

But that’s fine. At least it’s more controlled.

And I strimmed all down the walnut path because I knew I’d never get organised enough to bring the mower all the way up to the top of the farm just for one strip of grass.

And then I actually downed tools and did something I haven’t done in ages. I looked at my original To Do for Summer list.

Written way back in July.

shade garden weededSo that meant two nasty jobs I have been putting off for ages: digging out all the green gauge / mirabelle suckers that have taken over the shade garden area.  And weeding said garden after I could see the plants for the weeds.

It took hours.  You have to really climb onto the back of the garden fork and lever like mad to get out the small trees. I loathe suckering plums.

And in fact it makes me nervous even contemplating planting new trees this autumn. But the current stock is ailing and I am greedy for good plums and green gauges. I just have to think hard about where I’ll put them.

I had a good idea while I was gently frying in the sunshine at the far end of the shade garden. I’m going to make a simple fence as a backdrop to this part of the garden. It’s a problem area as it is so ill defined. And I had thought of putting in a huge hedge of shrubs.  But having measured it out – both sides – it’s 24 metres of length. So that would make it a huge shrub investment this autumn. So why not make a simple chestnut pallisade and look at the effect?

I was so thrilled with the idea I downed tools and started cutting branches at once.  But it’s late and it will have to wait until the morrow. I need to close the pool, search plaintively for Artur (who hasn’t appeared for two days) and water the seedlings.