first day proper down on the site

Having put it off for several days due to bad weather forecasts I've finally taken the plunge and set off for the site in Kent for a proper work day.

Luck was with me as the rain stayed off until after dark when I'd already moved inside the polytunnel struggling to get the rotovator going for more than the 3 seconds the temperamental beast seemed to want to run.

As I had started I decided to finish despite the wind blowing and the rain lashing and after a few minutes I sussed that the mix screw was probably the only way to get it firing regularly as it must be way out and with a tweak it fired and ran on. More time needed on this next time but for now it was good to try the machine out and cultivate at least the half of the polytunnel that was free of shelving and scattered pots.

So I finished at 6 with the rain in full force but happy to have the grass cut and tidy and the tunnel half clear.

The mower held up despite a very tough job as the grass had not been cut for some time and I decided to run it on wherever it was appropriate as the veg beds were overgrown and well neglected. This mean going through large tufts of grass on the wood chip paths and the remains of whatever was last grown on the beds themselves and the undulations of the ground which seemed a little curious. Maybe the beds had been created as an ongoing project. That mower may not hack this too many times as it is clearly well used and only a budget garden machine. Great to see the drive in all cut and tidy as this leads up to the fab stone wall that borders the site itself.

Through the afternoon I did manage to understand the layout a little better and found the sign which had proudly been hanging from the timber arch erected as a threshold to the plots. I've already thought of a great idea for that. Also the pots seemed to be a little big to me, very wide meaning there is no way to cultivate or plant without having to walk on the bed itself. As I don't want to create loads more paths I may need to adapt these a little.

Also need to chase about who and how to contact the people I was told may pop in to carry on working on the plots. It would be good to inspire this and steer their energy towards common ideas rather than everyone running off on their own. I certainly can't handle the size of this on my own and that's not the idea anyway.

Must get some parsnip seeds in. I keep having visions of large flowing beds of one veg but need to progress from this given the visit to Les and meeting his degree tutor Angus Soutar and his Presiding Diplomate George Sobol again after many years. Must start on a design.

 the site as it was .....