It's been over a month since my last post, I know. I'd like to say I've been too busy, but uninspired might be nearer the truth. Well, maybe not uninspired- unmotivated (if that's a word) might be a better description.
I have been doing stuff- trying to get the garden ready for next year, and re-editing some of my older ebooks, as well as editing and re-editing Barry. And my electrician has been in and upgraded the ground floor for me. We may have to wait until Easter for the upstairs to be done, but, in the meantime, I've got a bag full of extension leads and adapters, if anyone needs some.
Why am I re -editing my older books, I hear you ask. Well, I was thinking of having a go with CreateSpace, if for no other reason than to present my son with my works to date in paperback (he's already told me he'll read them in that format, and as they were originally written with him in mind, I feel he should be made to keep his promise). However, I've heard a few bad reports about CreateSpace, so I thought I might investigate further before committing myself. Anyone reading this who has anecdotal evidence, please let me know your views.
The garden has been and will continue to be, an ongoing project. This summer has been about cutting down and back all the shrubs in the back yard, partly to let light in, but mostly to stop my neighbour's jungle spreading to my little oasis.
We have done our last stint on the allotment and cleared it of tools and any plants I want for my kitchen garden (mainly rhubarb and raspberry canes). It is now a case of reorganising the garden so that it works efficiently for me from the food production point of view, and provides a haven for wild life (though preferably, not rats!) and a place we enjoy.
There are two major projects we have to dispose of first, and at least one will require a man with a chainsaw. First, I need to finish cutting out parts of the old apple tree that are potentially dangerous and/or dying. We started that in the spring, but haven't got any further on. If we get good weather for the half term holiday, we may be able to get that done, and then I should be able to transport the plants currently where I want my kitchen garden to be, down to the other end of the garden.
As you can see, there are a fare few branches to come off, some of them quite awkward. You might also notice the yew and the branches on the left are entangled by vines and creepers growing from my neighbour's garden. This part of the project is going to have to be done carefully, or the weight of the brambles and stuff might pull the fence down.
Once this has been done, we can start planting the ground under it, which is currently weeds and bags of compost. The greenhouse is just to one side of this, and the ultimate plan will be to plant the ground with plants that will attract pollinators and birds. Pro-tem, we will just replant what's in the proposed kitchen garden at the moment, that we don't want to keep there- the crane'sfoot, for a start, and probably some lemon balm. I'm debating putting some patio slabs down here, to put the compost bins on. However, there is a raised bed on the other side of the greenhouse that is set on already laid slabs, and it might prove simpler, and perhaps more aesthetic, to put the composters there, perhaps with some wicker screening in front of them. The raised bed might be more convenient nearer, or part of, the kitchen garden. It's deep enough for potatoes and has given us reliable harvests for the last few years.
The hardest part of the project-and the bit for which I need someone with a chainsaw- will be cutting down, or back, this shrub, which creates a lot of shade on both sides, and is, like the apple tree, being overcome by plants from next door's garden. I don't know what it is, but the wood is very difficult to cut. This isn't as urgent as the apple tree, as it won't impact so much on the proposed vegetable garden. I'm in two minds as to whether to keep it or not. The birds seem to like it, but it is starting to die back in places, and maybe, if I did cut it down, I could plant some dwarf fruit trees. It's something I'll have to think about at a later date, perhaps once we've got the kitchen garden going.
So, this is where the kitchen garden will be going- right outside my back-door and, hopefully, all in one place. It would be helpful to have the greenhouse nearer, but I accept that is asking too much at the moment. Should I have a small win on the lottery, maybe I can arrange it. In the meantime, its current position will mean a regular walk to the other end of the garden in the summer, so at least I'll be keeping an eye on things up there.
In case you're wondering, the shrub under the window here is a blackcurrant. They're pretty easy to grow from cuttings, so if I can get a new one going, I may plant one further down the garden, for the birds to enjoy. So that's where we are now. We'll see if there's any progress by the end of October.
