Time for compost renovations! It’s been raining loads in the past week or so and I’d put down a sheet of plastic over the compost area in an effort to keep it very slightly drier. When John and I lifted it up, we found that a mouse had already made a nest underneath. Sorry, little one, it’s moving day.

One of the other jobs to be done was mend the board on the back of the shed that had curled out and off its nail. In hammering the posts into the ground John accidentally knocked the board, which actually did it a favour, as once it was broken it could be nailed back into place. He then filled the remaining hole with expanding foam, which I need to cut off later.

The new compost bin is galvanised wire around wooden stakes. Terracotta tiles have been pushed into two sides in an effort to keep livestock out. We lined the bottom with the green fleece to keep the weeds out of the bottom, which worked well under the other bins. The front door is the pallet that I inherited from Mr B. Whether I put anything on top is undecided. It’s all wet from the rain, but can drain/dry on all sides, so … pfft.

There were puddles all around the plot; I’d forgotten about the little lakes that appear on certain paths. I manured the veg bed and could tell that the soil was very soggy underneath. I covered the bed and that’s another one done.

Mum and I finished weeding the top of the right bed and spread the only compost bag I have on it. The next 3 or 4 are going to have to be wheeled to the plot, as I can’t drive down there any more.

I dug up a couple of verbenas (cue slurping mud noises) and transplanted them to where Mr B’s gate is. There’s some more weeding to be done on the right, but some of it is going to just be a matter of smothering it compost and then whatever nigella comes up through it wins.

John mended my gate for another period of indeterminate length. He carved a bit out of the particularly rotten bit and screwed the catch into the front board. The next repair is going to have to be a new gate. Hopefully this repair will at least make it through to spring.

The compost is now all shovelled back into place, leaving bed 11 ready for edging, manuring and covering. We’ve put the plastic back over in a slightly haphazard fashion meanwhile. More heavy rain is due on Wednesday and Friday.

The old compost bins are headed to the bin lorry next weekend, along with the wood preserver can that I have finally emptied!