New soil

I think it goes without saying - but let me just check - that enjoying a garden doesn't necessarily mean you have to enjoy gardening. That's certainly true for me.

The Minx, on the other hand, does enjoy gardening, but working her magic on the garden in Salford while also keeping the one in Kirkby Lonsdale under control was just too much.

Thus I was delighted when she agreed that we should employ a local gardener to take care of the Cumbrian garden. He came with his team last week and took an unsentimental approach to paring back the vegetation. The apple tree, for example, is a fraction of its former self, but all set to bounce back next year, if not this one. 

Today, a couple of the team came back to distribute a ton - an actual ton - of soil around the garden. I did offer them a cup of tea.