Having finally finished trimming the house shelterbelt off the fence, I have moved on to my next mission

Making sense of the front door garden bed. It’s a mess; a ramshackle collection of unhappy flowers from the previous owner and my hastily rammed in efforts. Today I dug the worst bit of it (the above was taken in February – it’s obly got worse)back to “the natural” (as they would say on Time Team), quickly and not thoroughly sieved the soil, added some compost and started the garden refocus.

I’m turning it into a sort of berry garden which doesn’t really explain why the first two plantings are relocated rhubarb and the old washing basket containing (hopefully) what we call yams but what Google tells me the rest of the planet calls Oca (oxalis tuberosa). I’m not a huge oxalis fan as it spreads like wildfire but this stuff is edible and hopefully the basket will both contain it and help with harvesting.

In clearing the bed I unearthed a huge clump of dahlia tubers. What to do with them I wondered. Then inspiration hit and I’ve divided the fittest and healthiest off for planting in Nana’s Garden. She was a bit of a dahlia fan; if only I could find the photo, so clear in my mind’s eye, to prove it. If it all works, I’ll share with you triumphant photos of wonderful blooms and luscious fruit before the summers out.

I will have maybe finished by then.