The big change was back in May 2013 when I was made redundant .i.e. put out of work.I thought I would have more time for my allotment but as the year progressed I found that I had to start a business if I ever was to work again and that one fact took away any spare time I might have had. I harvested my potatoes and onions and pruned the grape vines. I managed to tidy up the compost bins and mulch up the Rhubarb. MY final act for the allotment society was to chair the allotment society's AGM. A had given in my notice with a month to spare so I was a sad time to be giving up something I had been doing for ten years. However I think the Society is in a better shape than when I started there. My soil is in fantastic shape. My plot has been divided into two plots, the two new people that have taken over seem very enthusiastic. The fact two people have taken over what I did myself says something about the effort I put in. One of the consequences of giving up the plot was having to tell the folks I got the manure from of the decision. We had a great system which worked beautifully. I enjoyed having the run out to the stables and a lean on the fence chatting about the horses.
However I can now concentrate, what little time I have, on doing my own garden. On Saturday 29th my friend came by and brought his shredder. An Alder has grown into a monster in the time we have been in this house. It was decided in the Summer that the tree was coming out. We got the ladder up and got busy with the bow saws. It always surprises me just how much wood there is in a tree. We trimmed the smaller branches and passed them through the shredder. The bigger branches were put to one side. Once the crown was removed we moved to taking down the trunk. That went well, nothing and no one damaged. We logged the trunk in to manageable pieces for Steve to take away. The bigger branches were sawn into small pieces and wheelbarrowed to the top of the garden to be fuel for the Chiminia. The shredings were put on the Raspberry and Blackberry beds as a mulch.
Whilst Steve was about he pruned the Blackberry bushes. I have not been brave enough to tackle them in all the years they had been in. They were way to dense. I pruned the minerette Apple and Pear trees in preparation for their move. I also did the step over Apple tree to. The Hawthorn, Willow and Hazel from the border hedging got a light pruning . Just enough to clear the path. All the prunings went through the shredder. The shredder is a marvelous thing if a little noisy.
Part way through the day Hazel made us some Bacon butties. Is was really nice to be working outside after almost a week of Christmas indulgence. It was barely above freezing yet I was soaked in sweat by the time we were finished. The garden looks much brighter. Now the tree is down to manageable proportions I can start cleaning out the jungle that is the fence. The fence is hiding behind three feet of Ivy, Honeysuckle and Berberis. I think more tea and bacon butties will be needed to help clear this area.
