Very short visit before sunset

Monday 10th December
Christmas preparations delayed my arrival on the plot until 3pm so there wasn't much time before sunset at 4.
With this in mind I set to hoeing the vacant bed for next year's roots where the chickweed had got a hold. Our president, Hugh Merret, assures me that chickweed means that the soil is in good heart and that it can be eaten as a salad crop but for me it is just a nuisance.  As I am beginning to experiment with a no-dig policy I couldn't follow my previous practice of turning it in so I got my hoe out. 
Not wanting to tread the soil firm just before hoeing I stood on the next door old strawberry bed, which will need digging over to clear the old plants, and hoed a strip while clearing between the young leeks. These have much growing to do to be useful and may, or may not, grow through the winter - as long as there is no competition from weeds! After I had raked the weeds off onto the path I had a strip I could walk on to hoe the rest.

It then took quite a while to rake off a barrow-load of green material ready for the compost bin. That left a clear patch I can mulch with either some horse litter or leafmould from my bin.
Then, as it got dark, I dug up some leeks to take home - and one (that had split and was dying) to add to the compost. Then I picked a few leaves off Russian Kale and a few leaves of Curly Kale. While doing this I saw how many old leaves were collecting round the brassica plants so I spent a few minutes picking them up and pulling any that had started yellowing on the plants. I finished with quite a big bunch of leaves to add to the compost bin.
It having rained so much recently and the soil being so wet, I then had to spend a few minutes cleaning my tools before putting them in the car to take home - in the gloom of dusk.