Today, I was absorbed in my work and realised almost too late that I needed to get into the garden before the light faded. The main job on the list was to start clearing the area where the new raised bed is to go.
As can be seen in the above photo, there was a rather large patch of violets, along with gladioli, dandelions and the cardoon. If possible, I would like to keep the cardoon where it is, as a move may not do it much good (and I don’t know where else it could go right now).
On the other hand, the gladioli on one side of the path have now been lifted and have temporarily been put in the shed. I was also able to dig out one of the dandelions, which will in due course be roasted and ground for next year’s batch of dandelion coffee.
As I suspected, the violets were somewhat more difficult to get out. They have an interesting root system – small roots which cling to the soil – so in the end I had to get down on my knees and pick them out by hand. I’m not sure I succeeded, so I’ll have to hope that a thick bed of newspaper over the top of them will stop them growing up through the bed.
As for the remaining dandelions, they can come out another day. Another few days of letting the goodness go from the leaves to the roots is no bad thing but it would have been a shame to have missed an after shot to show the progress I made.
Growing out of chaos 
I didn’t know about cardoon and just looked that up. Interesting plant!
Yes!
Dandelion roots are so tough to get out
They can be – in their entirety 😊
I reckon some dandelions are actually growing right the way through to Australia where they have another flowering head! Enjoy your dandelion coffee – sweet revenge!
That’s one way of looking at it 😊