Training the blackberries

Sunday 6th March
As always Sunday mornings mean there are lots of people around, many of whom I needed (or wanted) to talk to, so I never get all that I want done! Today there was the added complication that it rained whenever I was at a critical stage of a task so I had to leave it and run for shelter in the car. Sitting in the car waiting for the rain to stop is never much fun even with the radio to distract me!
I did manage to repair part of my compost bin and remove a wooden bar from my runner bean frame to give me access for digging out the trench. However the soil was so wet after all the rain we have had I decided to leave the digging for another day.
The main job I completed was fixing the wires between the posts so I can train the blackberries off the ground. Banging nails in upright posts is always difficult but I found I could brace the post with my shoulder while hammering in the nails I needed to anchor the wire. Knowing the brambles would put quite a bit of weight on the wires I took care to wind the wire round the post at each pass so the nail only had to stop the wire unwinding.
Finally I wound all the branches along the wires. I think I shall have to come back and unwind them then use ties to fix them so I can prune and train them individually. Otherwise I shall always be having to untangle them.

At least now they are off the ground!
There are still at least four good plants on top of my leafmould bin at the front of the plot with a 'Help Yourself' notice, waiting for new homes. Perhaps I should put them on the 'Help Yourself' table in front of the Trading Hut.
The rain came on heavily and with more cloud upwind I decided it was time to stop even though I had not harvested anything. I was pleased I had remembered to put up the notices asking for volunteers for next week's Working Party when I arrived on site. I would have got very wet doing that as I left.
Needless to say the rain stopped and the sun shone the moment I got home!