As the bonfire is in the way for continuing with the seating area at the moment, and as it is too wet to burn, and as it is way too big to move, I decided to clear the area behind the garages instead.
Meanwhile OH laid the final slab on the new steps (at the top of the ramp-to-be). I had to leave it yesterday because it rained heavily just as I was finishing making the area level.
So the area behind the garages. It is covered with elder and the usual 4 - 6 foot high nettles and brambles. This area stands between the new patio and the vegetable garden. Elder is lovely in the spring (when not smelling of cat wee) and the berries are useful for the birds in late summer. So why do I want to clear it? If you stand on the new patio and look towards the vegetable area, you would be facing due west. As we all know, the sun sets in the west. With all those bushes in the way however, it shades the patio from the sun and makes it seem rather dark. The patio gets full sun from the south all afternoon, but if we wanted to use it in the evenings, it would be too shady. So there is nothing for it but to clear the area.
The area cleared this morning measures about 10 feet by 15 feet. If you look closely, you can see that under the bushes yet to be cleared, there is a mound of earth. It is some years since we first looked at the possibility of making a patio here - the mound is all the soil that was dug out to make the area level (over 35 feet, it lost 18" in height, sloping; not practical for a patio). I never quite finished it, which is just as well, because the seating area is now going to be raised a little higher than the rest of the paved area - not finishing means I have less work to do to refill the raised area, if that makes sense.
The mound
The mound of course used to be completely bare. But then the nettles and brambles invaded and so did the elder. So too did the rabbits! This is where they have set up their home on our property. Unfortunately for them, the demolition team is starting to move in!! Storm (our dog) has already started excavating - she loves it under there and comes out completely filthy from digging to see if she can find any little bunnies. Well she finds it impossible to catch them when she chases them off the lawn.
[Funny story: the other day, a small rabbit ran away as we approached in the garden. Storm started to chase it, but then lost it. As she ran across to the gate into the long garden, where the rabbits usually go, said small bunny hopped into the middle of the lawn, saw Storm so did a quick U-turn, and fled into the bushes nearby. Storm ran past it without so much as seeing it! No wonder she doesn't catch any of them!]
Some of the roots are huge and spread quite a distance - this is an elder root, that is still attached to the ground:
Naturally, the bonfire is growing rapidly.
I am leaving some elder along the fence line, because yes, they are useful - and they make a rather pleasant, delicately flavoured wine too.
A good start, I think J
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