Big Dig Thanks

Thanks thanks thanks to those who came this weekend and gave such amazing physical help, moral support, or just came to buy plants. Particular thanks to the two Carols who were here all day, Carol the Tuckshop Gardener from Birmingham took loads of amazing photographs ( a few below!) to record the occasion as well as helping move and shift plants, and Carol from Tewkesbury barrowed hundreds of plants and dug hundreds more. Also lovely to see Emma again who came and WWOOFed here for me two years ago, then worked here, and is now working very successfully in the area and since yesterday planning her cutting garden on a new patch with some treasures from here. And great to meet Clare from The Flower Field in Devon who came the very very long way round to avoid the Severn Bridge, but still managed to be sane and smiling - I hope the echinaceas flourish as well for you as they do here against all received wisdom!

We now have 10 very full potato boxes and 30 completely stuffed dumpy bags (thanks also due here to my neighbour Ruth for swapping plants for dumpy bags from her family's incredibly helpful FJ WIlliams builders merchants). Also a selection of trees that were only planted this year so will be quite happy to make a move. I rather wish I'd got hold of more potato boxes, I suspect they'll become compost bins and raised beds one day. Finally I had a use for the roll of hessian that has been sitting in the corner of the shed for years - perfect for wrapping the roots of roses and trees we lifted.

You could see snow all over Hay Bluff from the garden, but here the sun shone for most of both days which was an unexpected bonus. My great friend Annette worked like a Trojan all weekend, and also provided Dominic and I with delicious bacon and sausages, and Dominic was unbelievably helpful and brilliant as ever. He has worked here this summer, coming down for two or three days at a time to sort things out, he works unbelievably hard and fast and efficiently, and I'm hoping he may be interested in taking my tunnel to start a venture with his gorgeous partner Chloe as it is too large for my new site and I would so like it to go somewhere where it really will make a difference, I can still remember my extreme excitement when I first put it up and would love that to move on - and I have to get lower tunnels for the new field as I do not want to start off by upsetting the neighbours who live with their view across my field. And of course I have an ulterior motive, hopefully Dominic will continue to help from time to time!