Thursday was as good as we’re going to get in November with almost unbroken sunshine all day. It was a little breezy through the morning which seemed to disappear during the afternoon.
We decided on a plot visit to do a little bit more tidying up and I thought I might try to make a little bit more progress on refurbishing our blackberry bed. I decided I needed a bonfire to burn some of the rubbish sooner rather than later as the pile of debris was taking up lots of room in an area I needed to work on.
First job of the afternoon to get a bonfire going with some shredded paper, left over cardboard boxes and bits of timber. I wasn't too sure that all the material piled up from yesterday would be dry enough to burn but there was only one way to find out.
Now I thought that the westerly breeze that was blowing in the morning would blow the smoke away from where I wanted to work but once my fire was burning the wind rather miraculously disappeared. The smoke didn't go in any particular direction.
Despite my reservations about the dampness of the material my bonfire burnt nicely and I spent a couple of hours swapping between stoking up the bonfire and cutting back more old blackberry canes.
By the time the light was fading I’d managed to burn virtually all the rubbish I’d created over the last two days. There’s quite a bit of wonderful bonfire ash beneath that final heap of green material still left to burn.
As for the blackberry, well that’s now all cut down to ground level and I've taken down the old fencing and started to dig out the old posts.
The bed is already starting to take shape. It will be 1.6m wide and about 14.0m long. Digging will be hard work as I can’t remember the last time this area was turned over. This is the first plot we rented and the blackberry was probably the first fruit we planted back in the mid 1980’s. The ground is full of nettle and blackberry roots and is going to take a bit of clearing. Just as well I don’t mind a bit of a challenge.
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That will be a job you're glad you've got out of the way. Are you going to leave this blackberry in the ground to reshoot?
ReplyDeleteI think it's already looking much tidier. I reckon it will be easier to let it regrow than try to get all the roots out. Despite everything it produces lovely large juicy berries so I don't want to loose it.
DeleteIs/was it a thornless blackberry Sue?
ReplyDeleteIt is both but the thorny one has muscled out the thornless. It will be interesting to see what regrows.
DeleteIt will be so satisfying once it's all done I think. It is certainly worth keeping the blackberry if the fruit are so good. Completely different to the little wild ones in size an juiciness no doubt. I have a pile of pruned blackcurrant wood to burn, but it's been sat on the plot soaking for weeks now, I'm not sure how to dry it out. I'm waiting for a dry spell - maybe the week after next?
ReplyDeleteI need a dry spell to give the grass a last cut this year - I'm thinking I might be out of luck!
DeleteDigging is absolutely a hard work. But a good digging will support plant growth. Our garden will do well.
ReplyDeleteDigging is hard work but very satisfying once it's done.
DeleteThe new beds look to be coming along just fine. I'm glad all my digging is finished. We're only allowed bonfires once a year, it's one thing I miss down the plot and I feel sorry for the plot holders without transport to help them dispose of items that could be burnt.
ReplyDeleteOur council have some "advice" regarding bonfires but don't seem to do much to enforce it.
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