Wednesday, February 14, 2007

14 February: Overdoing it

Feeling a bit restless today, and being without my car - DH's car still at the garage after a fortnight, so he's been using mine to get to work - I walked to the shops for a few bits and pieces. It was so nice out of doors that when I got home I decided to make a start on the new border in the back garden.

The lawn was laid on top of a layer of sand, which in turn was on top of our lovely solid clay soil, so I knew it might be hard work. Making a start at the far end, I found it difficult to begin with. Then I discovered that the soil would hold together in blocks, and if I dug up a sort of cube I could replace it in the ground with the grass at the bottom and the earth on top. Once I got into the swing of it, it was easier to carry on than to stop.

I never expected to get the whole area dug over in one go, but that's what happened! And it only took a couple of hours - the bed is about 4 yards long and 4 feet wide. Obviously, it will need more work done on it before anything can be planted, but I'm feeling rather pleased with myself at the moment. Tomorrow my back and shoulders will almost certainly be immobile, but I can sit and knit tomorrow.

The lighter coloured soil in the picture is not all sand - some of it is dolomite. But it's not as solid clay as I expected. And lots of worms. After I came indoors the local robin dropped in and inspected it.

As I always say, if a thing's worth doing, it's worth overdoing.

And Hooray! Hooray! DH has got his car back. The bill was so big they felt guilty and valeted it for free.

4 comments:

Christina S said...

What a nice neat border. That's worthy of a Bury St Edmunds park keeper. I hope you don't plant a municipal style flower display in there though ;-)

Glad to hear DH has his car back at last!

KAZ said...

So ... can you move today? I often find it takes 2 days to reach maximum pain.
It's being so optimistic that keeps me going.

Rog said...

Blimey! You've discovered Dolomite?! In your own garden?!

stitchwort said...

It's done nothing but rain since I dug that.
Shoulder stiffness has now subsided, thanks kaz.
No floral warts here, ruby - it will probably be potatoes!
murph - the only use for the dolomite is to mine it and sell to a builder.