Early last year we had a few large trees removed and the timber was left in piles for us to turn into firewood. We finally got around to dealing with it this summer with many hours of chainsawing, splitting and stacking (not to mention swearing). Realising there were a further two trees that needed felling, we came up with yet another project to use the enormous pile of mulch that would ensue. The row of trees along the south-eastern boundary of the garden has always been difficult to traverse with the ride-on mower. We mapped out the area to mulch and laid 3-metre pine posts for the edging.

Procuring huge cardboard boxes from the dumpsters at local electrical stores, we laid them flat to repel the weeds. The remaining mulch from last year’s felling was used up first

before more cardboard and a hefty layer from the new pile.

We interspersed our weekend activities with more cutting

and splitting

to clear the way for the new border. The Tree Doctor returned to decimate the final specimen

and we returned to mulching the new border with great fervour.

Alas, the piles of timber waiting for splitting seemed to be never ending

and with one monster left,

a massive effort saw the completion of our odyssey.

It is very rewarding to see the firewood stacked in preparation for coming winters.

A feature has been made of the remaining stump of the once majestic blackwood tree

and the old plough has a new position front and centre.