Now that we have an expanding fleet of kayaks, we need somewhere to keep them so we have ordered a long, thin shed which will be delivered in a week or so. Last weekend’s big job was to clear a space in the lower garden to install it. Lots of spiky blackthorn bushes were removed along with a few old gooseberry bushes and a variety of other sharp, scratchy plants and eventually we had an area cleared behind the compost bins.

Here’s the space after the bushes were removed but before the ground was dug over and levelled. The pile of blackthorn is in the background.
Gabrielle started up a bonfire to dispose of all of the trimmings. Because the blackthorn is very angular and spiky it is difficult to get it down onto the flames and the hottest part of the fire. Gabrielle solved this problem with the aid of a very big stick and some muscle power.