Over-run by violets

I have large patches of violets on the flower beds, in the cracks in the concrete near the house, around the fruit bushes and in between the deep-beds of the vegetable patch.

I regret the need to get rid of them, as they start flowering over the winter and then are in full bloom for the insects in early spring, but I want the space, and some soil for other plants to free-seed. I've had 3 sessions so far pulling up the violets. Some come up easily, some need tugging.

The problem is they take up so much room! I've barely half way through and I have filled up half of last year's dangerous-weed bin*, all of this year's, and the large compost bin my neighbours didn't want.

*I have 3 dustbins with some drainage holes drilled near the bottom. I put in dangerous weeds not fit for the compost (eg couch grass) plus ordinary stuff when the ordinary compost bins are full. Each spring I empty the oldest and use that for that year. Anything dodgy can go into one of the other bins to rot down for another year.

Scattered snail shells

I have a bay tree in a large pot. Whenever I find an empty snail shell in the garden I put it on the surface of the soil in the pot and now they cover the soil.

Every now and then the bay tree is blown over by the wind and I have to right it and put back fallen snail shells. This morning I had to lift up the bay tree and collect snail shells from 2 metres away. I think a cat (or perhaps a fox) has been playing with them.

On the way to the shops this afternoon I saw snowdrops in St John's churchyard - not in flower in my garden, though I have a few primroses and violets.