To think I can do this myself?

[SoWhyDontYouKillMe]

Large area of ground to the side of our house. It runs the length of our back garden and house and it’s a mess. It is covered with small grey stones but it’s untidy and in some areas the black tarpaulin underneath is coming though. There are also sporadic plants but they see overgrown and untidy.

We have a 4 year old and a toddler so naturally we get fuck all done around here other than basic survival but the side garden is a source of major embarrassment (because all the retired neighbours have show home gardens). I don’t want to spend much on it though eg getting grass laid because we want to move house in a year or two.

So in August my eldest daughter starts school and I have taken the first two weeks as a holiday (I work three days per week and toddler can be in nursery on those days). DD1 will be in school until lunchtime for the first two weeks so this gives me six mornings to myself.

My plan is to dig up the stones and put them into rubble bags. Lay down some lovely new stones. Pull up the plants and generally tidy the area.

Is this possible to do alone or is this going to be one of those tasks I start and ditch halfway through because it’s too hard?

Any aggregates for gardening is expensive, to properly cover that area may cost more than turf because you are going to need an awful lot.

You could see if any local tree surgeons are willing to drop off free woodchipping and bark and use that. We have a large allotment and a local guy drops off for us free. Best getting it asap though, any newer stuff will have a lot of green in it and it's not as good.

But definitely price up how much gravel you will need. Also because you are planning on selling, as a gardener a big area covered in gravel would put me off. It's a pita to lift and the membrane tends to rot, so the pebbles get into the ground and need digging out again, unless you need them for drainage.

If you don't regularly walk on it you could remove the stones and membrane, give it a good weed and dig over, level it up then chuck a fuckton of grass seed down which would be the cheapest but probably the most labour intensive option. But now the weather is picking up you could do an hour a day with the dcs helping.

See now I quite like that idea.

Get rid of the plants / weeds then chuck more gravel on top. Use builder's merchants for the gravel, not a garden centre (cheaper). Or a stone quarry would be cheaper still.

If you've got access from the road get the builder's merchants to deliver it in dumpy bags or with a tipping trailer straight into the side garden. Then you just need to spread it about with a rake (hard work but good exercise!)

We spent yesterday and today laying down black sheeting (£3 Home Bargains) and throwing bark on the top (400L £28 in B and Q). It was about 3m x 3m we covered and it looks really fab. It'll tide us over to we move out next year at least.

If you sow grass seed you'll need to keep the kids off it till it's grown properly.

Keeping the kids off it shouldn’t be an issue. We have an enclosed back garden where they play they very rarely go round the side. It’s such a waste.

Keeping the birds off of it might be more challenging. Scarecrow, anyone!?

My DP smashed up a fairly small concrete garden path. We put it into rubble sacks......lots and lots of rubble sacks.

Our Council doesn’t take ‘building’ rubble at our normal tip so had to take it to the ‘building materials’ tip. Would have taken loads of journeys in car so we hired a van...still took 2 trips. Had to go through weighbridge and pay by weight....it was just over 1 ton and cost nigh on £400 to dispose of it.

In future would definitely use a builder or landscaper, much less stress and hassle!