Out of the Darkness..

Weather: Overnight frost but mild today following a very wet few days.

I haven't been in the garden much this week - partly due to the terrible weather and partly down to having a lot of work on. But today was bright and I got down to one of my least favourite jobs - taking out the stump and root of the Choisya Ternata I cut down last weekend.


While I was about it I also took out the older Symphoricarpas Variegatas the 'Snow Berry' plant. I love this delicate little shrub but it was always hemmed in by the Choisya. A newer plant has established itself next to the old one and I will make sure that I leave it plenty of room this time.




Despite having taken out the Choisya it will still be a dark corner here. But I have decided to take down the higher branches of the Viburnum Tinus that was behind the Choisya and is therefore pretty tall. I have also pruned back some of the Pyracantha that grows up next to the wall to let some more light in. It took me all morning to clip off the higher branches - I thought there would be just a smallish pile of prunings to get rid of...but I ended up with another huge pile of branches to cut up! Some has gone for kindling and small logs for next year's fire - the rest I have bagged up to take to the dump.

I hate taking prunings out of the garden - I'd much prefer to be able to compost it all but I won't have the time to shred all this material for the compost heaps so the dump is the best.


I am glad I've got this job done - the before and after photographs don't really show how much work was involved. The second photograph does show a little more light getting through. Comparing it with the photograph from a few posts back it looks a bit barren but I'm glad I've done it as has opened up lots of new possibilites. Now for the best bit...deciding what to put in the newly turned earth!