Back inside Domestic Executive HQ life moves at it’s usual slow pace. As you can see the Bassets are taking it easy even though there is plenty they could be doing to help.
It was a bit hot today so you can’t blame them. However, if we’re ever to realise our dream of fork to fork there was planting to be done today. Planting fruit bushes has been the order of the day.
Our grand plan is to have a pottager style kitchen garden but it’s going to be at least another year before we can contemplate that. This year is all about baby steps towards growing out own food. But before you can even plant the future food source there is always the requirement to clear the land of gorse, grass, weeds or ferns. So guess what we were up to today?
It’s hard slog I can tell you. And the old adage of Mad dogs and Englishmen….. you can tell Fortnum and Mason put themselves firmly in the sane dog camp. We however were out there enjoying the sunshine and getting down to business.
So we’ve planted two types of raspberries, blueberry, red currant and a thorn-less blackberry. It feels a bit weird to be planting blackberries since there are plenty growing in the wild round here but since this is our first foray into fruit cultivation we threw caution to the wind and got one anyway.
It’s satisfying to have completed work but that moment of euphoria and self congratulation only lasts a few minutes as we trog backup the hill to the house and look down on the acreage and see that the hard graft looks like a pimple on a mountain. I keep telling myself that we’re running a marathon and not a sprint – I guess I just need to develop my stamina a bit more!
We’ve located the plants up against the fence close to where the kitchen garden will eventually be located and not too far from the fruit trees. It’s going to be a veritable fruit salad area!
Don’t be fooled by Fortnum looking interested above. This is where he returned promptly after his brief appearance in the photograph.
Get back you pesky gorse. Don’t think a wire fence is going to stop me.
The fruits of our labour!
Mason is straight in there to investigate.
Can you tell which is which? Me neither which might cause a problem later!
I don’t want you to think that these bassets were really doing anything to help at all. It’s cool under here they told me!
Although Mason did venture out in search of a neck rub
After all that effort it was time to head back up to the house. This keeps those leg muscles on their toes. Can you tell I’ve also be cutting back weeds on the bank to release the small trees to the world? That small piece of clearing took me most of an afternoon the weeds and grass are so high.
Looking down on the fruit planting efforts. In case you’re wondering the piles are the gorse and fern ready to be burned.
No problem climbing for bassets with their 4 paw drive. Come on boys it’s time for tea!
Excellent! I love the way you have put your photos together, thats is something blogger doesnt offer!
As always, such a good post, you put me to shame in the gardening stakes! x
Thanks for putting so many pictures on. It makes me feel that I’m right in your garden. How exciting to have such a big project to plan, though it will be a lot of hard work. Even when it is too wet too work outside there is all the fun of drawing plans and looking through plant catalogues for just the right varieties. As the winter weather confines me to the house I shall look forward to seeing your garden take shape.
I’ve always kept my hens deep-bedded on wood shavings (free from local joiners), and when I clean out the shavings they go straight on as a mulch for my fruit bushes. I even designed both my gardens with the blackcurrants near the hens to save work.
Hi Ruta, it is indeed exciting to see things come to fruition. There is no doubt that it can be overwhelming so I try not to worry too much about the big picture too much. Baby steps is the order of the day. I’ve been doing the same with the chicken house debris, or rather I’ve been saving it to go on the compost heap. The compost boxes are next for tackling on my next procrastination challenge!
I’m back from hols and checking out your zillion posts! Wow – reading this post makes me very tired, but also very excited for you! Perfect philosophy too – baby steps. It’s awesome to see you turning the land around to good use. Damn that gorse hey! I used to do a lot of volunteer work for Manawa Karioi, Island Bay [http://mk.3months.com/] – in ‘BC’ (Before Children) days and cutting back gorse was often a priority! When the girls are older I shall return… with them in tow! 🙂