This was the last snatch of gardening that I was able to manage before I left on tour... I had a concert in this evening, and after that a flight to get away and on a chain of projects that would have me mostly away with little moments back at home. It probably isn't the best idea to do too much gardening in the moments before a concert... but I figured that a short hour or two at the start of the day wouldn't be too hard on my spindly arms! Plus, if I don't start... they will never get used to it!

It was lightly raining... which was quite nice actually, helping to keep cool... but it did make for moments of slippery mud!

The task at hand this time, was to make a start on the piles of clay dirt that were piled up on the retaining wall at the back after the ag-pipe and the sewer/stormwater trenches were dug in this area. This upper section will become garden beds for veggies... and the grassed area behind will eventually be the location for wicker beds made from those IBCs, and some fruit trees as well.

... but first, we need to move all this dirt away, and there are good spots for it!

What I had noticed in the dirt at the retaining wall was that on the right hand side... there was a top layer of clay-like dirt... with the good rich soil underneath. Meanwhile, on the left hand side, there was only the good soil, without any of the crappy clay part. So, that would meant that I could use the clay on the areas that just needed raising... and the good stuff for areas that needed either growing earth or needed some thinning out of the existing clay layer.

This is one area that could use some of the better soil. This part is heavily waterlogged clay. We want to put down some fast growing ground cover... but for that, we will need a bit of thinning out of the clay with decent enough soil (we already put some gypsum down). It gets horrendously muddy around here, and the kids play equipment is nearby, so they get crazily muddy shoes if they go out to play!

I had laid down some cardboard to help with getting the wheelbarrow over the sodden mess...

We also had stretches at the front where the soil had sunk into the gravel surrounding the trenches, and so we needed to pile a bit more dirt and soil on top to level it out again. For this I used a mix of the good and bad earth... again, this is another area that will need to be either mulched over, or replaced with some sort of ground cover. I'm not entirely sure what yet... I actually would prefer the fruit trees to be in this area... but I think I have been outvoted. I'm not entirely sure now what is planned for this area... I will be informed when I need to know I guess! Or maybe I've already been told... and I had forgotten!

Another area where the trenches had collapsed the earth a bit... again, no bit deal. Just need to make several (hundreds...) of barrow trips to get it all settled and level again! Those inspection hatches are where the level needs to be!

I am so happy that this particular bush/tree avoided the devastation of the trench digging! It is such a joyous and scented bloom that I walk past every morning. I would love to put a few more of these down... I will suggest it at the next garden planning!

... it is hard to describe how much earth weighs! This was the start of my multiple trips. At the start, I had piled the barrow much fuller than this... but I rapidly found out that that was a bad idea. Probably no big deal for someone bigger than me... but I'm just a little guy, and it was really hard to get the barrow moving!... and then I had to take it down the driveway on a steepish slope! Lesson learnt!....

... go steady, go slow! Make more trips... don't kill the arms, as those are needed for my real-life job! Not when I'm larping as a tradie/gardener!

I think I'm going to be doing this a few more times in my scattered home days... I want to uncover that good earth above the wooden retaining wall to be able to be ready for a bit of a spring planting frenzy! However... there is still the rock wall to finish... and also some sort of ground cover to plant! I'm not sure that everything will be done in time for spring/summer... but there is always the next one!

... oh yeah... also extending that ag-pipe!

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