a fruitful afternoon
this afternoon i went out into the garden and gardened =smile= something in me perked a bit/enough to get me out there, and being out there seemed to perk me further[0][1] =smile=
fence repairing/replacing today had necessitated work, and consequently clearing the area, around the compost heap. the compost heap has required my attention for some time - it's a simple box structure, divided into two compartments, so one side is 'cooking' while the other filling. one side has been full of compost that needs removing and using for some time now... and the box has also kinda fallen apart a bit over the years. it was made from a pallet or two i acquired and dismantled when i first moved here, and other bits of reclaimed wood along the way. so with the job part started by paul[2], i set about completing it. somehow i managed to make the pile of wood[3] stretch to the job, despite some of it needing to be set aside to go onto a woodpile cos it's so rotten - go figure =wriggles eyebrows & grins= and both compartments are boxed again. and one side is cleared into sacks for the potting of plants, leaving an empty compartment to start filling, and the other side covered over to cook gradually =smile=
i then set about clearing and moving the tyres that i've grown potatoes in over the years that are up by the compost heap.. with the intent to put the wormery[4] in their place. i hadn't planted any potaotes this year (haven't planted anything, what with going away in the spring), but i noticed when i got back from my travels that some had grown, i'm guessing from tubers left in/overlooked from last year. the green stuff had died back some time ago, and had only been a little bit, and i went about emptying the tyres with little expectation of potatoes. the first set of tyres didn't surprise me and produced only earth... but while clearing earth from the second one a couple of medium sized poatotoes rolled out =grin= and later two small ones popped up from amongst the earth =smile= i really like how they come out/appear all bright and clean, from the dark soil =grin= i'm looking forweard to eating them sometime soon =smile=
the tyres are now stacked at the back of the 'vegetable patch'[5] where i think they'll give me a bit more growing space than i usually use there... and at different heights/of different depths. and i moved the wormery bit by bit/layer by layer to near the compost heap, where it's a little shadier.. and the worms can receive the choice bits of compostable stuff =smile= i would like to have sorted the wormery out, but i've forgotten what mymouse said i needed to do to it, especially to tempt the worms out of the layers i want to take the earth/compost from, so i will gather information/advice/assistance and do that another day.
a lovely green frog appeared from amongst the grass of the 'vegetable patch' while i was working/wandering there =smile=
and i harvested tasty blackberries from some of the brambles that're enjoying[6] that corner =smile=
[0] after the days incredibly slow start and rottne-feeling-ness.
[1] that, and i wanted to do stuff while i am still relativley fit to do so - i think i will be less mobile after friday's surgery on my 'good leg'.
[2] the fence-replacing guy. anmely the cleairng part of the job.
[3] that had previsouly been the compost boxes.
[4] i have been 'looking after' mymouse's wormery for some years now... it was initially going to be a temporary thing while they and scousecat found a new home a year or two ago, but has stretched into a long term thing... and expliclty became a permanent thing recently when mymouse received her sisters worms & wormery when they left for the americas late last year. being a temporary thing they were just put where there was space... but the space they've occupied until now has been in the area of the garden that gets most sun, which i don't think is ideal for worms in a black box.
[5] again much neglected... but it's the patch where i have grown vegetables in the past, and hope to again...
[6] and i contained their enjoyment a little (with secateurs) - attempting to keep them from establishing/growing everywhere...