The bank at the front of the cottage has taken on great purpose for the under gardener.  He has now fitted a little gate into what we now call the bank garden and has started working at clearing it ready for more planting.  I must say it is very nice to have this help as I have been very busy turning compost bins and spreading the ready compost in very this layers on the terraced garden.  Today I am back to working on the lawns which need cutting.  The daffs are out in the woodland garden, the Christmas Rose is really putting on a good show, wild garlic is coming through as are the bluebells and the Forsythia is bursting into bud.  Spring has sprung and is looking very good. 

When we made the new rose walk we were left with a good deal of turf. This always gives the under gardener a bit of a wobble  Now I would  like to leave it the rot down on its own into wonderful top soil but no that is not acceptable and it has to be processed immediately or else.  That means I sit each day knocking off the soil from the back of the turf into a garden trug.  That is then put into a barrow and I add compost to it. Now I have a very good medium for potting up all the plants that at the moment I am lifting and dividing.  Some of the soil also goes into the compost bins so we get a bit of worm activity and the rest of it will go into old compost bags to be stored.  The grass bit that is left from this operation is then taken to the green section of the local tip.  Now I cannot say I enjoy this job and there is a great deal of turf to process so I am doing it a bit each day.  The robin turned up on the first day and now is my constant companion whilst it do this task each day.  We have decided that he should keep a bit of distance from me and that I should throw him the odd worm.  It a good arrangement that is working well. I must say I look forward to his turning up each day.  It helps pass the time whilst doing such a boring job.