Playing In The Dirt

I had a phone call on Friday lunchtime from Margaret - was it okay if Clive got the topsoil in the afternoon. Hurrah!

So Rob, my friendly freecycle provider, had estimated he had about 10 tonnes. Our estimates indicated we needed 3.7 cubic metres for the veggie plot, which most conversion to weight say multiply by 1.5 for tonnage. The rest would fill two of my planters...

First load arrived mid afternoon. It was a tight fit but Clive has obviously had lots of practice as he reversed tractor and large trailer through our gates and all the way to the top of the garden to the veggie patch.

Clive returned to get the second load.

There was one enormous boulder in the pile which Paul loaded into the barrow and wheeled around to the long bank to keep my rock from the day before company. I set about spreading the soil and removing the weeds/stones as I went. Paul came back to help.

We had not quite finished when Clive returned with the second '5 tonnes' - we still have an enormous pile on the veggie patch!

Second pile dumped next to the top planter.

Dodging showers I went back out to start loading the planter. Paul came back out to 'help'. He may have patience in most things but gardening is not one of them - loading topsoil, weeds and stones that I then had to go through...

I have almost filled the first planter now, and I would guess have used less than a third of pile number two.