New year

Well, here we are again. A New year and a new season. Will be interesting to see how the garden here develops.

We managed to get some raised beds placed before the autumn rain and winter chill took hold.

Because the soil infrastructure to the rear of the house was ruined by the dumping of sub soil from the swimming pool by our less than adequate contractors, we have struggled with clay like you would not believe. Sets completely solidly when wet, is impossible to dig (just sticks to the shovel - when you can get the shovel in) not to mention sticking to boots and then in the heat of summer, sets like concrete. Imagine red potters clay on your feet up to your ankles and you will get some idea of what just walking over it is like. I have sworn more at this land than at anything else, ever. It is not only backbreaking but soul destroying and is fit only for agricultural development. Since we do not have a tractor, we can only manage by hand and it is taking a long, long time. Still, I am determined to have not only flowers, which I cannot live without, and a potager for our own vegetables, salads and melons, so we persevere.

We have, with the help of a farming neighbour, managed to move the 10 tonnes of topsoil from the courtyard at the front of the house to the raised beds at the back of the house. No mean feat, as the house is built on a raised platform and rises around three metres from front to back. So, not only are you carrying soil, but having to walk/climb uphill with it at the same time. Good job we eat well, as my grandma used to say "Strength goes in at the mouth" and we do try.

We heard our first cuckoo today so hope that presages an early start to Spring. I need to organise some more topsoil for the rest of the raised beds but cannot put this in place until the ground is a little drier. It will probably be an "all hell and no notion" operation to get everything done and then planted up before we get the real heat.

Hope the photos do justice to the state of the soil and the scale of our ongoing battle.

Happy new year to everyone and good gardening.