Mulching, composting and deadwooding

Weather: Partly cloudy, high of 89

First thing we mulched the boxwood's in the East Plaza that were planted yesterday. It had to be done as the landscaping contractor was intending on installing the turf today, although they didn't actually end up doing it. Once the turf is laid it is not meant to be walked on for a couple of weeks to allow the turf to knit and settle without compaction.
At 9.30 I helped Robin and the team spread compost over an area of bare earth in the north of the Topiary Garden. The bare earth is the result of a large Taxus hedge being removed. It was removed due to it being in slow decline. But also, the area is earmarked to be developed, possibly by another path north towards the conservatory and east plaza. At the moment there is a wall, and on the other side of the wall is a bunch of lilacs. The lilacs, well, don't look all that great. Leggy, and also, they only flower for a couple of weeks... We spread the compost about half an inch thick, both for aesthetics, and to add organic material to the soil before it is turfed (which will be as soon as the groundskeepers get to it).

After lunch I helped Robin deadwood some trees on conifer knoll. A new tree to me was momi fir, or Abies firma, a fir native to south and central Japan.