Pre-spring gardening adventures

Over the weekend the air while cold was bright and fresh and gardening season is just around the corner, so I thought it would be a nice time to get cracking on some outside tasks in New Friend Ian's back garden.

One task I had on my 'to do' list was to go after a giant heap of a makeshift compost pile now that the council distributes free 'vegetation' wheelie bins and picks them up each week. In particular, this pile has been home to bramble cuttings and they are vicious in attempting to re-root themselves so out they go. My gift to Ian a few months back was a reduced price compost bin, subsidized by the council so that he would be able to compost properly, even more reason to get rid of this pile. In addition, I have my eye on the dirt beneath for a potato patch. ;-)

A few months back I was vigorously hacking at the pile to get out the dried branches so that we could burn some of them in the fall while they were dry. As I hacked at the pile, elements from within it started to scurry. We suspected rats. Ian warned me that he would be off like lightning if any rats emerged. As I was yielding the hoe I was holding my ground. We burned all the dry stuff in the burn barrel but couldn't get to the bottom of the scurrying activity.

Over the weekend the wheelie bin was brought to the back garden to get a helping of the never ending pile of branches and brambles. While down there, we finally got to the lower levels of the pile, which actually looked like nice mulch, perfect for preparing the other garden beds, to get some nutrients into the soil in advance. I hacked at the pile to break it down while Ian shoveled it along. Nothing moved within the pile, so my hacking away was really moving along at a good clip.

Until I hacked right next to a hedgehog who was in the middle of enjoying his winter sleep. I screamed because another inch or two over and I would have hacked into him. Ian took off running suspecting that I finally found the rats.

We gently covered up the hedgehog who seemed undisturbed by the whole affair in the middle of his winter hibernation.

After he wakes up in March or so we can resume our attack on the pile. In the meantime I'm researching 'hedgehog houses' for next year when the pile is gone, assuming Hoggy wants to stick around after all this ruckous, he'll need a nice place to stay. I'd love for him to stick around, our garden needs all the free pest control it can get. And don't tell, but I think I know what someone will be getting for Valentine's Day!