spare bark

Interesting to see the bark no longer on your drive.
Moved by carrying bags or by wheelbarrow ?
How many trips? :o)

Bins - we have 11 of the old dustbin type, and some squatter shaped containers - and then about 60 compost bags. Don't know how many trips.

When filling the sacks I use a large plastic pot with the bottom cut off to put in the neck of the back. I got into a rhythm with the shovel: one, two, three...shake the bag, one two three... shake the bag. I did this four times (12 shovel fulls) and had a perfectly filled compost bag! The bins took 15 shovel fulls but if I was cunning I could line up five bins against a high wall of bark and with a fork could dislodge it into the bins! A metal snow clearer is also good for scraping up the looser bark from the driveway. We have done this so many time we've learnt a few tricks!

To take them down the garden we did have a trusty old sack truck but the wheels gave way. The new replacement was a poor substitute - it's shape was wrong. We resorted to the wheelbarrow, which was much more obliging and allowed us to weave through into next door's garden without losing some of our loads!

This compound was made up of things we had in sheds, etc. - it is good to use up bits rather than buying new!

You should be renamed Pansy Potter..... I expect it keeps you fit, lovely looking mulch, would love some of that on my garden, got any to spare?

My legs certainly feel leaner after two weeks holiday working in the garden! In addition to lots of other jobs, we reckon we moved 200 dustbins of bark. The bark is expensive, but it lasts because it is quite chunky. If we'd gone away on holiday it would have cost more than the bark - and the holiday memories would have been short. Investing in the bark should reap rewards for many years.

We didn't really need it for our own garden - but in this neighbour's garden it will be really helpful. With a thick mulch on the ground it should cut down the risk of accidents on the slippery clay; it should make it much more pleasant working in that garden - we typically brought inches of weed infested mud back into our own garden. It should also help to keep down the weeds and any that show themselves should be very visible on the dark background and we will be able to deal with them promptly.

I've sold my husband on the idea of raised beds - no they're not a "fashion" they were used by medieval monks! With bark paths between the rows the beds can be used for several purposes. In addition to some planting, the whole garden will soon be covered with pallet enclosures, raised beds and greenhouses - with bark filling in between!

I've found your replies on this thread very interesting reading. Thanks for putting so much detail into your response. Yes, you'll certainly be slim and fit for Christmas. Did the film crew manage to actually get footage of all your shovel work ? Sounds like you could turn the whole episode into some kind of keep fit CD to rival Flavia on Strictly Come Dancing !

Yes, they captured me on film filling the containers, taking them down six steps, transporting them down the garden and emptying them onto a path we were making.

Later, when we were planting snowdrops, my husband (wired for sound) said "This is women's work - I do all the heavy lifting!" The cameraman gave me a look as though to say "You're not going to let him get away with that are you?" - he'd seen me moving heavy pots and benches to leave the paths obstacle free. I made a suitable response on camera!

I think of the garden as a "green gym" - and far more fun than working out on a rolling road or static bike in a gym! However, I still have a long way to go to be sylph-like again. Yesterday, my husband found his old wedding suit from 33 years ago and, holding his breath only a teeny, weeny bit, was able to get into it. Unfortunately, I would have to garden for all the neighbours for many years to shake off my excess!!