Raking

We went to dig today, but the ground was WAY too hard - something to do with temperatures below freezing, I reckon - so instead of digging we did clearing and sorting. Rob removed some more of the broken glass, while I got raking to remove some of the dead bindweed stems. Insidious is an understatement: the damn things have got everywhere. Still, it looks better now, although there's still a LONG way to go before the stuff's even halfway under control.

I also investigated the compost heaps a little further. The bin on the left, although full of grass cuttings and old pine needles, is also wriggling with worms and looking a dark composty colour. I've read various articles about compost, but I've no real understanding of what goes on. I remember something about layering, something to do with mixing carbons with nitrates, and something to do with turning it over to get oxygen in. It's all a bit hit and miss, but I forked over the front two-thirds of the pile, and added a layer of horse manure and newspaper - I'm working on the principle that, whatever I do, it can't get worse! We'll just have to wait and see.