Hedge Funds

When we bought the house 20 years ago there was no division between our neighbours' backyard and our own, save the obvious changeover where the lawn became field.
He is a bowler and maintains a smooth, if mossy green at all times.
It was very convenient for the kids to play together, and they had a trampoline at that time which was another reason to hop over and hop next door.
Now and again when I forgot to give them breakfast, the boys would begin to eat the crusts that they threw out on the lawn for the birds...oops.



When it got particularly long,  he would come over and mow our grass too on that shared slope and this has engendered a lot of neighbourly goodwill.
However, the wind sweeps across there and in the interests of shelter for both, and privacy at last, for them, we planted a hedge this Sunday.
Now is always a good time to bank a bit of goodwill into our neighbourly account. 
Top Photo: The back of the tunnel house. The borage flowers were the icing on the cake for my entry in the 'Salad Bowl for One' competition at Garden Club this week.
I would have a photo right here of the card and prize I won for Judges Choice if I had thought of it sooner. That's right, Judges  Choice, the best prize of all. But getting back to the hedge...




Here's Bill liftting a double strip of turf. We borrowed another neighbour's spade so we could both dig. I just happen to be taking the photo. I also took the opportunity to lark off and cut the overgrown top hedge back a bit to let in more light for the new hedge.

Here they are laid out. They were each awarded a shovel of compost, just enough to make them welcome, not enough for prolific growth. Some good things can take a very long time.With  20cm of hedge to show after 20 years we are hardly going to rush things now.

We flipped the turf and butted it in snugly. The plan is to mulch them with grass clippings now to suppress the grass beneath. Hopefully that's all that is required for a year or two.

Now inside the glasshouse, looking a bit topsy turvey. The observant eye will note lettuce amongst the red orach explosion, potato in bucket for the vege club 'Potato in Bucket' Competition (grow potato, grow) and lone tomato, Kakanui 2000. In the foreground are my little Capri and a few Blackjack cherry tomato seedlings. Plus emergent pumpkin seedlings  galore from the buried bokashi.