There are some things you think will never happen to you. But every time I look out of my window I’m confronted by the fact that my garden is one of those gardens.
You know the kind; the fences are falling down, the children have run riot and the former-lawn is peppered with decrepit plastic toys. I’m actually cringing telling you about it.
It wasn’t always like this, times past we had it in good shape but bit by bit it has become unloved and ramshackle. It’s no one thing but an accumulation of neglect and a sand pit has brought us here.
Why the sand pit you ask? Oh, let me tell you, you might think a sand pit is a fun addition to your garden. You may even sing its praises as your children play in it for hours on end but one day, one day the sand will find its way out of the pit. A little at first, then in big piles which, unchecked, kill off your lawn and provide cover for children to burrow beneath the turf. Step away from the sand pit purchase: no good will come.
Our lawn used to be grassy and flat, now it’s muddy and undulating thanks to one particular child and his love of digging. Suffice to say; spades have been banned from the garden.
So now you know the worst – my garden shame is public and that’s why I’m not inviting you over for coffee. Sorry.
In a fit of desperation I sent a picture of our pitiful back yard to B&Q with an equally pitiful email. Thankfully they have a sense of humour and agreed that it was time to get to work and reclaim the garden. They are helping us out with materials and we will be writing about our progress along the way.
Our first jobs are:
- Remove the old raised beds.
- Weed and cut back the climbers.
- Fix up the fences.
- Paint the fences and the shed.
Too much for one bank holiday? Let’s hope not!
With thanks to B&Q for supporting Project Garden as part of their Unloved Rooms initiative. For more information about this kind of post please read my disclosure for readers page. Kat xoxo
Read all of my Project Garden posts.
6 Comments
Good luck – I’ll keep my fingers crossed for sunshine!
Carie recently posted…{this moment}
Thanks Carie!
I don’t know if it because my husband is super organised in the garden but we’ve never really had sand pit trouble. Ours is a wooden square, like a raised bed in the corner of our play area. There is a row of paving stones about a foot wide along two edges and the other two back onto bark chippings. Sand does escape but it usually lands on the paving, making it easy to sweep up. Maybe a raised bed of sand inside a raised bed of bark chippings? Plenty of scope for digging there? On the other hand, I foresee chippings in the sand.
Your husband is basically a genius if he has kept the sand under control! The school seem to have it under control by having a huge sandpit – if only we had the space.
wow any tips on doing raised beds for wheelchair garden my garden not wheelchair accessable wud love tips of b n q ,good luck with ur garden xx
Hi Kate! Thanks for your kind words. Have you thought about creating some table beds? I’ve seen them a few years ago and they allow you really get in there with the chair. Hope your gardening goes well too. Kat x