Feeling Chipper

31 March 2020

I like wood chipping.  It does two jobs in one: clears away brushwood from wherever we've heaped it up; and creates a useful commodity.  We have decided to mostly use woodchip on our paths, as it can be quite acidic for the veg beds.  On the paths, we still have the goodness from it rotting into the soil, and the plants in the beds can access it underground.

 Dave doing the chipping, while I roam the garden dragging up brushwood

We decided this batch of chips would go on the path by the pond, where there is still some black liner showing, as this would finish off the landscaping there.  On the way down with the barrow, one time, Dave spotted a flash of colour in a remote corner of the land, so we went to investigate.  We were very surprised to find an enormous iris happily blooming under a tree.  We didn't plant it!

 During a pond-gazing break, the cat came to join us, and seemed to notice the goldfish for the first time - oops!

 The cypress to the left of the car is getting to the stage where we need to bring it down or it will get too big for us.  So Dave moved the car (phew!) and did his lumberjack thing.  More stove fuel, and lots of sweetly resinous cypress chippings for the pond path.

 Man of action.

 Today the first radish was ready.  Ants were starting to measure it up, so I decided it was time to pick.  A very fine radish.

 I didn't take a 'before' photo, but the pale green pear tree was engulfed by broom and cypress.  It is the only mature fruiting tree we have, and in previous years we have neglected it due to the building work.  So I chopped back the broom and cypress and cleared space all around.  We will apply manure and hope it fruits again this year.

 The pond path very nearly finished on the near side.  The last bit of visible black liner is just behind the fork.  The path will turn brown very soon, and should look settled in at last.

 This is not very easy to see, but in this water lily pot there is another long tangled string of toadspawn.  At least three days old.  We can't think how we missed it.

  A long shot - the house, watertanks, hugel beds, new path and pond, all looking rather pretty (in my biased opinion!)

 Another surprise!  A fourth string of toadspawn, this time just by the beach, and new laid, possibly even this afternoon, while we were working.  We may have a plague of toads coming ... (look out, slugs !)

While on the beach, I discovered a whole new angle to photo the pond from.  

As our friend Malin said, 'pretty pondy'.