A Garden make over

About a year ago, we moved into our new home, and it’s been a whirlwind of DIY projects ever since.

We kicked things off with a fresh coat of paint and began swapping out the old sockets and switches – well, mainly the switches. I still have a bag full of sockets waiting to be installed.

The kitchen became the centre of attention when Abi’s nesting instincts kicked in with her pregnancy. I dedicated a couple of days to laying down new laminate flooring and fitting the worktops, while Abi took on the challenge of tiling.

Following a period of intense work, coupled with the demands of a 2-year-old and a newborn, I was looking forward to some rest. However, Abi had different ideas, and suddenly, tending to the garden became the next task on our list.

Honestly, fixing the garden has been on my to-do list since we moved in. The previous tenant’s dog left the yard riddled with craters. It’s no exaggeration—there were potholes nearly two feet deep that would trip me up every time I tried to mow the lawn. All I’ve been looking for is a little respite between jobs.

Despite the challenges, we’ve been diligently working over the past two to three months. Our first task was to eradicate the weeds that had overrun the lawn, which was almost entirely dandelions before we began. In addition, we removed the plants flanking the garden, as Abi prefers the grass to extend all the way to the borders, ensuring there’s nothing sharp that could harm the children while they play outside.

The next step was the levelling process. We tackled this in phases, beginning right in front of the sheds and gradually extending back towards the house. It required a tremendous amount of effort, and Abi has estimated that we’ve moved approximately 10 tons of soil to the dump, all because of the deeply entrenched weeds and the large gravel and stone pits that were concealed beneath the weeds.

We began by rotovating each section, and then removing the loosened soil. After that, we meticulously levelled every inch using a rake, a spade, and a wooden board.

To paint a picture of the amount of soil we’ve excavated, the shed to the right of the garden now perches on a mound of earth approximately three inches above the surrounding area. It’s been an utterly exhausting task to haul the soil out of the garden, load it into the car, and then offload it at the dump.

It’s only in the past few weeks that we’ve begun to lay down grass seed, tackling the task in sections to ensure we can adequately water the seeds, especially those at the far end of the garden. We’ve invested in a tonne of fresh topsoil, which we’re optimistic is free from a weed invasion. Currently, we’re transferring the soil from the colossal bag at the front to the desired locations in buckets. After spreading it, we’re meticulously sifting through by hand to remove any stones and debris.

Just when we thought we were close to finishing, with only the last section left to seed, the seeds we had sown a few days earlier had other plans. They took advantage of the high winds and scattered themselves throughout the garden.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll allow the seeds to sprout and then address any sparse areas by planting additional seeds. This approach should provide some stability against high winds, anchoring the seeds in place and preventing them from being scattered throughout the garden.

Our initial plan was to have the entire garden seeded by this time; however, a combination of unpredictable weather, health setbacks, and family obligations has extended the timeline beyond our expectations. It has meant that any Birthday BBQs have taken place on a small patch of unseeded garden, not great but at least Scarlett has been able to run around the front garden with a burger in her hands.

I’ll post an update once everything is completed. If you have any ideas or advice, particularly on maintaining the placement of grass seed, your input would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave a comment below, respond to the social media post that brought you here, or reach out through the contact form on the homepage.