8th OCTOBER 2025

 Rather a destructive time in the garden today ... I got the hedge trimmer out to decimate this bamboo. 

A quick trim round the bench gave us some room to sit down ....

Then a shave up the side

revealed the logs placed there initially to hold the bamboo back!

Unfortunately it also revealed a large rabbit hole!  

I need to cut more off at a later date to block it up.

We have attempted to keep them out with wire fencing ... they just dig under it ... but secret tunnels in from the field is just cheating!

The bamboo looks a mess at the moment but it will recover quickly come spring.

Clearing up took ages!  I didn't mind because a tiny Goldcrest was fluttering about in the tree above me.  They never sit still.  We used to have a pair in the hedge regulary but this was the first one I have seen for ages.  It takes the garden tally since I started this blog to 40.

After that little treat I attacked the periwinkle invasion.

It looks alright when it flowers but the rest of the time it just grows higher and smothers everything.

There is a tall red hot poker in there somewhere!

It has to go but I will have to do it in stages as I feel exhausted just thinking about it!

There was no digging involved today: I just used the hedge trimmer to chop it back ... 

then had to clear up again!

-------------------------------------------------------------------