Anyone want to project manage me into having a family friendly garden within 12 months?

[Mumofalittlegirl]

Here's the score.

100ft garden, hasn't been tended properly in 5 years, lawn has been destroyed by rabbits (ours) digging and now can't safely be mown.

We both work full time and I have a bad back but am the primary gardener.

Garden is full of rubble, bricks, rubbish, toys, over grown established shrubs (laurel, hibiscus and a large misplaced hawthorn tree) and the lawn is a state.

I don't know where to begin.

I only really have weekends to crack it, and realistically only an hour or two each day working within my pain limits.

We can't afford to bring a gardener in, and will realistically only be able to afford one skip in the 12 month project.

So anyone fancy playing ground force and project managing me towards a family garden?

[TwoLeftSocks]

Can you maybe invite loads of friends and relatives round for a 'Garden Party', ask them all to bring gardening gloves and a garden tool of their choice, and then repay them with roast pork rolls and a couple of slabs of beer? If it looks like it could work then hire a skip for the day.

[Mumofalittlegirl]

Tried that. No one would commit to a day.

[gardeningmum]

Hi have a look at the landshare website - you may find somone who can help you and/or share your garden with you

www.landshare.net/

[Talkinpeace]

Agree with landshare or equivalent : offer whoever does the work the exclusive use of the last 20 feet as a veg garden
everybody will benefit

[dizhin79]

the other option could be to get someone in to clear, sort out basic form ie dig out borders, relevel lawn sow grass seed and plant bigger structural things. Then u have saved ur back, energy and time.

You then get to focus on the nicer side of it, tracking sun & shade, working out colour schemes and getting planting with things you want/need

[dizhin79]

sorry just re - read and saw the can't afford to pay a gardener bit, try a local college see if they do any horticultural courses they may be able to suggest volunteers who need gardening experience