Today went a bit... off-plan

[ailbhe]

It started off normally enough, with maths worksheets and laundry, but then there was nice weather so I hung the laundry outside, and became aware of the dreadful state of the garden. I think we spent most of two hours out there in the end; Linnea and I gathered the tree-branches off the "lawn" (mud patch) and put them into baskets and Ikea bags so that we can Freegle them as kindling later, and Emer and I dug a big heap of damp soil from a patch against the fence; Rob installed a Green Cone a while ago and the leftover dirt got piled up nearby, which happened to be against the fence (cheap, might rot) and over the spring bulbs which weren't up at the time.

Some of them had produced really long yellow leaves, under 8-12 inches of dirt. I hope they do ok now. When Rob came home he very wisely went straight out to observe what I'd done and admire it, which was good, because all the bending and lifting made me pretty sick; my digestive system is a bit short on space at the mo.

But the garden will be playable in soon; if we get some dryish weather I can rake it all over, and then maybe seed it with some sort of unkillable grass or grass substitute, and Freegle the wood or send it to the Council shredder, and with any luck and perhaps some help I might have a garden worth lying around in when I have a newborn come summer. Sadly, since Linnea was born I haven't been up to the work involved in keeping the garden semi-reasonable, and it's one of those things Rob just doesn't do - his parents did gardening but he has never been interested and doesn't enjoy being in gardens enough to get up the motivation to do it. Sometimes I remember to ask him to do stuff and that helps.

If we were REALLY rich I'd just have the whole thing dug up and fresh rolls of turf put down. All I actually WANT is grass to lie on. Flat would help, because mowing a lumpy postage stamp is hard work.

Comments

[megaleena.livejournal.com]

If you ever find some of those grass seeds, please let me know. Our outside place is terrible.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

It might be worth trying Freegle for turf, though - occasionally comes up here.

Also, sometimes you can get turf cheap at B&Q just before they have another delivery - they might tell you when that is?

[buzzy-bee.livejournal.com]

This is what we did when we cleared the inconveniently located 'flower' beds (ancient heather run through with non-fruiting bramble) by our patio. We had to search through the pile for the best bits, then trimmed some of the deader bits off, but we got about 10 rolls for a pound a piece (its usually about 2-3 quid IIRC). We topped off the patches that were too dead with seed and now you'd never known the difference.

I seem to recall it was the end of a bank holiday weekend in spring (no idea which one) that we got it.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

I lived in a house once where the lawn had gone so much to moss it was more moss than grass. It was beautiful to walk on and sit on, soft and springy. Unfortunately there were thistles too, so you had to pick your place quite carefully. I have no idea of the poisonousness or otherwise of moss.

[ailbhe]

My *experience* of moss is that it takes ages to dry out enough to sit on, after rain, compared to grass.

Perhaps Astroturf is what we really need.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Now you mention it, I was living there in that summer where it was 37 degrees and didn't rain for two months...