Still Digging (Part 10)!! Muscle Strengthening

The past weeks weather has been changeable almost hourly here, with a good mix of rain, hail, sleet, high winds, overnight heavy frosts, sub zero temperatures and sunshine with temperatures up to 12 degrees C. In fact good old British gardening weather. It wasn't until Wednesday last, that I achieved anything constructive down my plots.

Hailstones on the Coldframe

  Having decided that my hip was strong enough to do some digging I resumed the battle against the Dandelions on the central bed of N2 Plot. About a quarter of the bed still needs to be cleared of Dandelions but most other weeds have been held in check by this years cold and frosty conditions. Wednesday morning was damp but sunny and I managed a few hours digging during the afternoon, clearing back another foot or so of the bed. Another half days digging on Thursday, before the rain showers set in at about 1530, saw another foot of the bed cleared of Dandelions.

2 Minutes of Hailstones

 After some overnight rain on Thursday I left the next visit to the plot until Friday afternoon, by which time a slight breeze and some sun had dried the soil enough to work on again. By 1600 work was called to a halt by a heavy hail storm and I lifted some Leeks and pulled the first half a dozen stalks of Rhubarb of the season to take home with me. A couple of hours of digging and Dandelion clearing on Saturday afternoon was again brought to an abrupt end by a massive downpour of hailstones the size of split peas at about 1500.

First Rhubarb of the Season and a Few Leeks

 Hopefully next week will see the final few feet of ground cleared on the central bed of N2 Plot, after which I will make a start on the last Dandelion infested bed on the plot. After that the battle against the Ranunculus repens inhabiting the paths and perimeters of N2 Plot will commence.

Central Bed (Right) Almost Finished Last Bed (Left) To Be Cleared

There's Always Tomorrow!!