After lunch, I started by digging a trench along the sidewalk. The corner that people walk over is badly compacted and so it was very hard going at that point, but in the end, a trench was made all around.
In order to make a rectangle, I had to dig up one of the white-edged-leaf shrubs by the steps, but a) it wasn't flourishing, anyway (I think it suffers from salting in the wintertime, not to mention being too close to the compacted soil by the sidewalk) and b) I did transplant it later.
I conscientiously wrapped up the other (better) white-edged-leaf shrub so I wouldn't hack at its branches as I dug. I gave it the shirt off my back, actually. I was so hot and sweaty by about the third time I put the spade into the dirt that the sweatshirt was way too much for me, anyway. No matter that it's nearly October.
The only other harsh damage I had to do was to a tree root.
It was preventing the plank from sitting level, so I cut it. I don't want bad things to happen to the tree, but I also don't want roots attacking my foundations.
We started to put the planks into the trench. The corner had a big blob of sidewalk concrete jutting into the place we wanted the planks to be, so the sweary one sawed out a little corner to make it fit.
There isn't much holding the boards in place or together. There are a few inadequate nails of the type we had hanging around the house (ie inappropriate for outdoors and too short) but I am hopeful that the weight of the soil will do all the hard work, anyway.
There isn't anything at the side yard end. It just peters out. I don't know how I feel about that. I thought I would put a bit of plank there, too, just to keep the front and side separate, but it's really not necessary and I like the idea of bringing the side plantings all the way up to the corner. There is so much sunlight in that patch! If only we could use it as flowerbed instead of walkway.
After digging the trenches and laying the planks in place, I started the arduous task of sifting through the dirt we removed from the trenches because it was terribly, terribly stone-laden. But after a few tens of litres of sifted soil, I decided that I was too tired to do the whole job and it was going to rain shortly so I shouldn't muck about with perfectionism.
Instead, I dumped some of the compost and manure we got yesterday on to the top of the bad, compacted soil we have and scrabbled half-heartedly with the claw. The end result is not even-looking and is obviously not the garden of anyone's dreams but it is infinitely better than what was there before.
There are a few trials for the new set-up. The first trial is: Does it survive a hurricane? (Because apparently we're having one tonight). The second trial is: Do people stop walking on that patch? The third and probably make-or-break trial is: Does the murderous and ineffective snow plough smash it up over the winter?
Now that is done, I can realistically plan where all the bulbs will go and plant them over the week. That's assuming, of course, that my back, arm & thigh muscles aren't so sore tomorrow that they spontaneously rebel, leave my body, and find a new more worthy host. Let's just say that it has been some time since I slaved continuously for four hours or so. They're not going to be happy about it, that's for sure. Who cares? I am happy about it. Happy, indeed.
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