Well yet again, Valeri and I have been clipping vines, Ive cleared another one free of the strangling effects of the Ivy and we've cut the vine back hard. Its a scary thing to do as although I know its needed, some of these vines are as old as the house over two hundred years old, and although old wood is constantly cut out and new shoots trained in, the original rootstock is very old. We've been cutting down stems today that I cannot reach around with both hands... and I worry we'll lose them... but... they are suffering without the help now so , I think its the right thing to do.
We have two more to do, and then its all done. The place looks so different, somehow lighter and brighter..
Tomorrow we'll make a start on the land between the cottage and the house, which we call the back garden, we grew all our tomatoes there and some corn this summer, but it all needs clearing, there is rubble from the building work, weeds, rubbish and branches all over, then we hope to strim it and make room for Rik to get there with Hermann so he can till it all and make it so tidy ready for winter.
Everything we can will be burnt, and the ash put on the medicinal herb garden area, everything I can find that is going to do the land good will go on there all winter, so when I come to plant up, the soil will be beautiful and rich...
We are cutting bracken and piling up to rot down for the herb garden too, it makes wonderfull compost and grows everywhere here.
We are also saving and drying any wood from the vines that we can, its lovely for the BBQ in summer, it burns well, gives a great smell and taste to the food. So Im squirreling that in a special place...
Tommorrow we'll have a huge bonfire, so jacket potatoes for lunch... cooked in the ashes of the fire, you just cant beat the taste...
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