Photo journal of the jonah plot

Thanks, everyone. You are so encouraging, as always.

Now that we're in to the proper growing season, it's a good feeling to pull out bits of bindweed but not be overwhelmed by weeds from all angles. They'll get more prominent as the season progresses, I know, but the no-dig approach has given a bit of a reprieve. Yes, it has been expensive and, yes, it has been a lot of barrowing. It was time for a big change on the plot, though, so it feels like the right move. I tried to put a bamboo cane into a bit of ground that hadn't been covered with compost...fat chance! The moisture-retaining mulch aspect is also extremely helpful on our heavy, former riverbed, clay-rich soil. Don't get me wrong - I hope to never buy this much compost in one go again! Now that my husband has vanquished his holly nemesis, I'm hoping we'll get the big (huge!) black barrel (now sawn in half) drilled and set up as a couple of compost bins to go alongside the dalek.

Two of the recent projects have been mulching around my small apple (a Veggie-inspired bargain purchase from a few years ago!) to create a somewhat less congested and overrun bed, and creating a brand new bed that was covered with junk until now.

   
Around small apple

   
New area

   
Side by side shot

   
Some of the paving slabs that are materializing out of the area that was previously covered in weeds/mess/old shed

We've also been reducing the size of the mound where the big apple tree grows. It's a bindweed and blackberry haven, and we're not sure how much we can get move before the big apple roots start to suffer.

   
Photo of the mound from the main path of the site

   
From the plot side

It's 2 to 3 feet tall and at least as wide. I have dug more than a dozen pavers and a similar number of bricks from the area.