why did you do that...?

We've achieved a huge amount since we began this adventure in October 2010. I'm delighted with all of our progress.

work begins : the red chair shows where the magnolia will be planted

Folks often say, 'How do you know what to do next?'

And the answer is that I'm one of those compulsive list makers. There's little to beat the satisfaction of a job ticked off.

I've got my list of priorities: building raised beds as well as all the routine maintenance stuff. Usually framed by the foreman. But she wasn't around today.

So, quite why I decided to open another front this morning and begin digging out the magnolia bed (onto which we'll look from our bedroom) - I don't know. Jill was equally puzzled when she got back from work. 'Why did you do that?'

And, you know people, I'm not sure myself. I had a full day yesterday and should have slowed the pace today. As it is, I chose to dig over the heavy clay of this part of the garden which is laced with shoulder juddering bricks and stones: three barrows full.

I'm about a third of the way through digging the bed over for the first time. After its been dug over I will need to bring many many barrows of soil over to build the levels up. Then add organic matter. Then rotavate or dig over again.

Shows why I need the foreman around.