To be totally overwhelmed by the garden?

[flyingtartar]

It defeats me every fucking year. Last year, for obvious reasons, I got on top of it and got some pleasure out of it and thought it would be a turning point. This year I started out with good intentions in the Easter break (I'm a teacher) and mowed the lawn and did some weeding and planting. Then it rained solidly for a month.

This morning I have gone out there and it's just awful. The lawn is massive, there are waist high dandelions and other weeds around the edges. These weird things that I think are comfrey (?) are out of control and shrubs that had been cut to stumps are flourishing in an unattractive way. The lavender I planted last year looks good and can just about be seen, the carpet rose I planted is alive but barely identifiable and the hydrangea I planted at Easter is amazingly alive but only visible if you go right up to it.

It doesn't help that I'm really scared of slugs and snails so won't go out unless it's been dry for a few days. Also a big hebe in the front that had been there for a few years had died for some reason so that needs sorting too.

When I go running literally every garden looks tidy and the majority look lovely yet this seems beyond me. I posted on a million sites and a guy is coming round later so hopefully it will be better by tonight and ds1 has decided to dig up the dead thing, but AIBU to think every other person manages to keep on top of this?

SchrodingersImmigrant

I think I am overfeeding my birds (people did point out on different occasions that birds here are bit chubbyblush) because they are NOT touching the slug population“

Guilty

My parents are guilty too 😱 piece on Today last week with an RSPB rep who said that we’re feeding not just too much but also the wrong feed. Birds are now apparently travelling 3km plus to eat peanuts over natural food. His advice, cut back on the peanuts and stick to wild bird food but half the volume.

I definitely like pretty weeds. There are these flowers, I think they are weeds, that are on the sides of the roads or on the outside of people's gardens all over the place where I live. I remember about 5 years ago I got some in my garden and then nothing since. Well, this year I have some out the front again, so that's definitely a bonus.

I'm off to the garden centre tomorrow to get some bedding plants, the creeping thyme recommended to me here and maybe a fuchsia, which I've always wanted. Also something for my pots and a clematis, my friend had one of those she forgot to support and it made a lovely out of control carpet, which I would love to emulate. Oh, and also some bark, also as recommended. It's not getting to the point where I have to spend £££ on it again, well, not this year anyway.

Oh, and I daren't encourage birds to sort the slugs as I have a cat who is a prolific hunter, so it really wouldn't be fair, unfortunately.

Ooooh! Good to know! And glad I am not the onpy one😂
Peanuts aren't as popular with mine, just with the blue tits. Sparrows go after mixed seeds and starlings after the bird crack (fat balls), the latter not being served outside of autumn/winter season😂
They all go through all the plants and lawn and pick up warms and bugs (it's so cool to watch sparrows hunt in the evening, they can hover!), but leave the godforsaken slugs.

@flyingtartar have a look at herbs for pots. Mint, lemon balm, they are best to be potted so they don't spread. I found that having part edible garden (which btw lots of weed is!) really helps the motivation. When it's tatsy I care more😂
And yes, some weeds are lovely and if you like them, keep them

I'd have someone in to mow the lawn and do a but of weeding and if the shrubs are overgrown, have them cut back after they flower. Ling term you could perhaps have a big of a redesign to make it a but easier, I wish I'd got a gardener sooner