DEEP BEDS
Task no. 1 is to clear away long grass , weeds and rubbish.
Use your scythe and a fork because you will not find it easy to
do your digging through a mass of fibrous grass.
Now mark out the side of your bed with a good long straight edge - I
used bamboo from the french garden. You are going to use
your spad and your full weight to make a vertical cut all the way along
the edge. Now come back and make another vertical cut
parallel to the first and about one spade's width away.
This will allow you to cut away the first row of turf about 10 cm
thick - you may have to make cross cuts every foot or so to help.
Now you put the large blocks of turf and weed onto the edge of
the large piece of old plywood (I used old galvanised sheeting) - this
will make it much easier to finish the job when you get to fill the
last trench.
When you have cut out the first row of turf you are ready to dig out
the soil underneath - you will put that beside the sods of turf on the
ply on the far side of your bed.
All the time you will find stones and roots that have to be battled
with - have your wheelbarrow ready for these.
Now you have your first trench dug. It's time to start
cutting the next row of turf for trench no. 2. The same
technique is used except this time you should be able to put the turf
face down into the first trench. Then you can dig out out
the soil and put the soil on top of the turf which you have already
laid in the bottom of the first trench. If the soil is difficult
to keep out of your way then simply put it onto the ply and you can add
it all at the end.
You should now have your first trench filled and your second should be
clear and ready to receive the next turf and soil from trench no. 3
which you are about to start.
And so it continues. It took me about 2 hours to finish my
deep bed - about 15 feet by 5 feet - usually about 5 or 6 trenches is
sufficient.
Here we are
with trench no.4 clear and ready Now you see the
finished deep bed.
