Wot no snow and ice?

Well OK I was lying about the ice, but it had defrosted enough to do some work down on the plot to do some work. Strictly speaking it was too wet to be doing much, but you know, time, opportunity, etc.

Just after arriving I spotted an interesting looking bird in the tree. It then helpfully flew down to the plot not long after. Sadly I was too slow with the camera and my knowledge of birds isn't so good, but chatting to the neighbours later they seemed to think it could have been a sparrowhawk. Sadly it didn't seem to be scaring any pigeons away. I finally find a use for the tree and the council are going to get rid of it...

Having chopped down the rose bush came the task of digging out the root. I've never like roses! Some time later, most of it is out. The rest is going to rot in situ. Hopefully. I tidied up along the wall where the rose was, weeding as best as possible in the conditions. I discovered a couple of blackcurrant bushes I'd put in a couple of years ago as rooted cuttings from the old blackcurrant  bushes. Seem to be doing OK, although couple probably do with being moved.

Wot no rose bush?

Further down is the 'triffid' aka the loganberry (the sprawling mass to the left of the picture above). It's doing its best to take over that side of the plot, so much so I'm going to have to consider putting in some wires to hold it back. Or train it, if you want to get technical. It's also started to root in various places where has touched the ground. I have cut these away from the main plant and planted them a bit further away to get it to spread along the wall further - which I can't imagine will be too difficult. I also game one away to Tim on the plot below, along with a few Jerusalem artichokes - along with suitable warnings of their 'effects'.

In amongst the attempted weeding - mainly of the creeping buttercup - I cut down the raspberry canes. I was in two minds about whether to dig them up due to their poor performance last year, but they've had a reprieve for now - and I can't remember why! I pruned the redcurrant and gooseberry, putting some of the cuttings in the ground to see if they take for new plants. They could both do with moving, but I'm not really sure where to!

So more weeding, moved the decaying dead rat (fortunately no pics!) and off home. Quite a few people around and stopped for a chat at the end, which was a mistake as the sun was going down by this stage and easy to get cold!