Recycling projects

Surely you weren’t going to just burn those chestnut fence posts? Perish the thought.

They were heavy to move for a start. And they do have some wire attached from my inexpert cutting away of the fencing.

I decided to use them to mark out the asparagus beds and brassica beds up at the top potager.

With the fences down and the weeds cleared, this vegetable garden is a bit exposed.

I am amazed the deer who walk out of the forest and pick their way down the mountain haven’t climbed over to this vegetable garden and worked their way through the entire field of kale, cabbages and greens.

They have never touched the asparagus. Way too tough and chewy.

But with the fronds cut back for winter, I’m nervous about stepping on the bed and not actually spotting where the plants are.

So I placed the chestnut posts end to end, and then piled on the grass cuttings.

It makes a rather pleasing bed.  Keeping the crowns covered and toasty if we have a very cold winter.

And I did have a small matter of twelve bags of grass mulch from my lower terraces mowing this week.

This mulch might even kill some of the annual weeds which are on the slightly mounded bank.

I want to plant more asparagus here.  It’s such a wonderful luxury in early spring; and a favourite treat for our neighbours.  So I might try and extend the bed along into Jean Daniel’s potager which abuts ours.

The fence is now down between the two bits of land. So it might be possible to dig out the bed this late winter.  I did try and plant asparagus a few years ago at Jean Daniel’s plot.  But the crowns all failed. Too hot during the planting? Too dry for the settling in period? I didn’t plant them deep enough perhaps?  Lots to ponder.

I didn’t ponder alone; Artur thinks this warm fluffy mulched bed is a perfect playground.

He isn’t often outside and frolicking in daylight. But the sun almost shone and I think he spotted me from inside the potting shed where he was lurking. I was happy for the company. It has been a long week of noisy machines and ear protectors and ranging far and wide.