Burning Woman

The Glade from outside..After an enthusiastic start at the beginning of the year we accumulated lots of clippings, garden waste and dead wood. We have been storing in in the Glade but it is time to clear the area out as an old ash tree on the neighbour's land needs to be pollarded and dropped into that area.

Although I am sad for the ash (one of the oldest in the area) because it is reaching the end of its life span and the grand old dame is going to be reduced, it is exciting for us because it will open the Glade up to more sunlight. I'll post photos later to show the project, but in the meantime let me show you the before and after pictures that result from 3 days of chopping and burning.

The start of the ordeal....

It was so satisfying to have cleared a huge pile of waste and the ash will now be added to my new compost bins that are quietly settling down to creating next years feed.

(According to the experts compost should be the colour of christmas cake. Yum.)

and now ashes to ashes .....

Beating the system

I think I have beaten the squirrels. The garden terrorists have been invading my 'squirrel-proof' bird feeders and helping themselves to the birdseed by just lifting the lid. The rain then got inside the feeders and I was doing brilliantly with sprouting seeds. The feeders looked like a plant nursery!

So, here is my solution. The brilliant paper clip. So far no sign of the squirrels and the blue tits are gorging on food.

Spring is here

What better confirmation of the arrival of spring than a posy of primroses! At least the deer haven't eaten them! I have found shy little violets who are starting to show off now that the sun is here. The birdsong is deafening and the garden is bursting into life. Now the projects can really begin.