We are great admirers of ‘no dig’ champion, Charles Dowding, but somehow I don’t think this what he means!

Generally we are more than in favour of anything that reduces the need to wield a spade ourselves. But when we recently cleared a large area of laurel to make way for a future fruit cage, leaving the massive stumps and roots to be removed, I was resigned to a day of hard working with the pickaxe to finish the job.

Fortunately wiser heads prevailed and Emma got in digger man, who after a long day of mechanical toil just about managed to get the mammoth task done.

Before and after: taking out one of the massive areas of laurel where a fruit cage might go.

With hindsight I’d have still been working away by hand well into next year on this massive job, and the neighbours would have enjoyed much swearing no doubt!

And now dug over and the massive roots removed, leaving me no excuse not to get on with fruit cage construction!