I will preface this by saying it's not a PIL bashing thread at all, they are wonderful and mean well.
They are obsessive gardeners. Their garden is utterly amazing, the sort that could be opened to the public.
Our garden was up until a few weeks just grass and patio, which suited me brilliantly as I am not a gardening person. I always buy a few ready planted pots in the summer, but that's my limit.
A few weeks ago they came over with their tools and six shrubs that they'd lovingly grown for us. Dug out a couple of borders and planted them. They assured me it would all look after itself. I was quite happy with this, and very grateful obviously.
They wanted to come over today to replant my pots as they consider buying plants a waste of money (fair enough).
But they've actually planted loads in the garden as well! MIL took me round and told me what needs dead heading, that it all needs watering at least twice a week, what needs digging out in the autumn and what can be left etc etc.
Now, I'm really not trying to be ungrateful but this is not at all what I wanted. It's the opposite of the low maintenance garden we discussed. The shrubs were all nicely spaced so the bit of weeding needed was a doddle. Now there's all sorts of different things mixed in and I'll have no idea what's meant to be there or not.
I had left them to it (DH was helping them) so didn't realise until it was too late. I was obviously outwardly very grateful and enthusiastic when they proudly showed off all their hard work, but inwardly crying with exhaustion at the thought of it all.
I know the obvious answer is to leave it all to dh but he works crazy hours and I'm a SAHM so that wouldn't be fair.
This is just a whinge really and I'll suck it up. But AIBU to think it's not really a favour when it involves ongoing hard work for me?