​​After the Christmas break

Thursday 5th January 2017
No! This isn't my first visit to the plot since I got back from my Christmas break but it was the first where I did some useful work!
My first visit on Monday was with my neighbour in his van as we brought down two of his very large and three of my new not-so-large builder's bags of leaves from his garden, dumping then around the leaf bins. One was too heavy and bulky to get through the gate so we left it outside for me to shovel over into the bin by hand later.
I was then soundly told off at home for not bringing the veg required for dinner with my son and his family so I made a quick visit to do the harvesting on Tuesday.
Too my disgust something has had a go at another of my cauliflowers! The middle one had been eaten away just like the other before Christmas. I pulled the bigger of the two that ere left and covered the head of the last one over with bent/broken leaves. I left the half eaten one hoping the rats (I am sure it must be rats) will stick with eating that one. I also picked a load of Brussels and pulled some leeks. Finally I dug up a few parsnips, quite small and misshapen but useable.
At home we discovered most of the Brussels had gone brown in the middle and were not eatable so I made a quick trip to Sainsbury's!
Today I planned to sort out the leaves a bit and start digging over inside the glassless greenhouse. There is so much grass and weed in there it will be easier to work on it before I glaze it. However, it was so cold and the ground in the greenhouse was so frozen I decided to concentrate on the leaves.
The bags and bins are already compacting down and with a little help from me there was soon space to add more. It didn't take long to scoop handfuls from the 'too big' bag into the bin until the bag was light enough to lift and empty. Having covered the bin over with carpet and bricks I started on the bags at the back.


​Bags are only half full when they arrive otherwise they are too heavy to lift so it was a quick job to finish filling the two bags stacked on top from the second very large bag and one of the new smaller bags. The rest can wait until my next visit!

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​Just before leaving I set out more rat poison, more in hope than expectation, though all that I put out before Christmas has disappeared and one of my traps has been sprung - though empty.
It was good to get back into the swing of things, especially as I met quite a few friends and neighbours to wish a Happy New Year to. We also had a last visit from my neighbour who has been conspicuous by his absence. He came to collect his tools having been given notice for the end of last year. With luck I shall soon have a new neighbour to swap ideas and tips with, though there will be a bit of heavy work to be done at first to clear the wilderness!

​Home into another lovely sunset.