I attacked the front with so much effort! I scarified the grass effectively by using my little three-pronged rake and traditional rake to haul up stuff the lawnmower had churned up. I must ask D whether it needs a service. I try my best but it’s not my priority job (counting spoons!) when I am discovering all manner of nightmares left by that month of not really bothering with the front garden.

And it has loads of issues:

* bindweed

* vine weevil

* mares tail

* ivy growing under the grass

* couch grass (of all varieties)

* wild valerian self seeding everywhere

* golden rod everywhere

* holly bush getting wildly big

* currently +four rowan trees self-planted

* almost everything I plant struggles with the conditions (or gets eaten by snails)…

Enough issues? I think the grass is taken over by too many things for it to be labelled a lawn. Ants have prepared another sand hill. Ivy is growing from under the hedge to the edge of the grass and I pulled out at least five strands of Ivy growing through the ‘grass’ area, yes, through the grass by about a metre.

I am severely tempted to get some heavy duty black plastic and cover it with slabs, but my efforts with sand and slabs have not been effective elsewhere. And with my husband currently under investigation and due for an echocardiogram next week, it’s not a job for him. I might have to investigate some more rubbery eco friendly railway sleeper-alike strips. I can lift three of those at a time. The colour isn’t as pleasing unfortunately!

The bed along the front of the house needs splitting with an access as it’s very convoluted to get into the space behind the hedge. I would quite happily lose the wild rose bush which is neither a cultivar I want to keep nor a plant which does us any favours! Ouch!

PS the flowers are in the back garden 🪴