Gardening Boggy Brae style

It began by with just some serious pruning of a cotoneaster that was getting far too big, that was producing far too many seedling cotoneasters elsewhere, and that was blocking access to steps and the side of a hedge I need to get at. Then I decided to try and hoik the whole thing out, along with the dead heather, ferns various, and two small holly trees that were growing in the three breeze blocks on the north-west terrace. Cotoneasters, hollies, and ferns grow with cheerful abandon all over the Boggy Brae and would soon turn into a forest, along with the birches, beeches, oaks and rowans that do the same. When they appear in the right places I encourage them. That is, I leave them to get on with their lives in peace. This cotoneaster and the hollies have outlived their welcome.

I don't know how long the breeze blocks have been there, certainly as long as we have and they, or rather the plants in them, already looked well established ten years ago. A heather plant that was alive then has since died. It was time for a change.

The soil inside the blocks was nice crumbly stuff and, just beyond, towards the rhododendron hedge, I found a fair bit of fireplace clinker. I guess people used to empty the ash pan down there once upon a time.

The first two blocks were relatively easy to shift and to empty of soil and roots. I'd left some of the cotoneaster and holly trunks to use as levers but the third block was rather more challenging.

block 3

The force of Nature helped with half of it because the cotoneaster trunk had split the block in half in its expansive Boggy Brae takeover bid for dominance so, with a bit of shoving, the holly half could be pushed over and the holly roots grubbed out and cut.

holly root ball from inside breeze block

A black tom cat sat in the drive and watched my toings and froings for more tools out of the shed. I've no idea whose cat it is. Last year it was a black and white cat that used to supervise happenings.

I ran out of energy at this point so I'm still left with a cotoneaster stump. Later I remembered my Darlac pocket chain saw. If the rain holds off today, I'll see if I can saw off the trunk at ground level with this.

Otherwise it'll be a case of recruiting some more brute force in the shape of Toad.