9th March 2022, Like Laying Carpet, Groundworks Are Very Satisfying
To us groundworks are a little bit like laying carpet in a house or like laying a lawn. It seems that a huge transformation can take place with minimal effort. Groundworks are a bit like that, as we’re finding out.
The simple task of putting up wood surrounds, levelling off the soil and building a few simple paths with a bit of simple design built in, is transforming our little plot into something we are becoming very proud of and really enjoying working with/on.
The path we have been preparing… Desi has now filled it up with some woodchip but there is more to go.
In the 3rd picture is a view from the fireplace area. We are loving the organised tidiness of the plot now… This is going to be way more manageable with cutting grass and using the strimmer up the wood boundaries, as well as with weeding and the general maintenance of things. The wood surrounds also give us a basis to build frames for the locating of nets, making that whole process way easier!
Having now laid the wood wall by the polytunnel for the top plot in front of the doorway, we can begin to think about the relocation of the water tap from the road area down to where the concrete slab is. Notice the blue pipe now tucked behind the wall where it is to be buried, before going under the wall and traversing the path to its final destination. This should be completed at the end of March when the water is all switched back on again.
The final picture for today highlighting the groundworks on the lower section of the allotment now almost all completed. Looks like the Purple Sprouting Broccoli under the white net might have survived the pigeon onslaught. Notice the slightly grey patch of soil on the right hand side of the plot by the fire? This is ash that has come from the fire. Wood ash is pretty good to dig into the soil as it provides some valuable nutrients (but not for all plants) such as potassium and other trace elements. It can also be useful to balance acidic soils (similar to applying lime).
