A Welcome Return to Green

Today was a milestone day for our rear garden.  We have finally laid the turf.  So, instead of our back garden being a barren, brown, soil wasteland we have some lawn to look at finally.
 
It’s hard to believe we started our garden redesign in May, and we still haven’t added any plants. Until now we’ve been clearing the old plants, shrubs, trees and turf out, and have been preparing the soil for the new turf.  There was more to it than I thought, the lawn areas have been dug twice, seven old line props removed, literally tons of flint, hardcore and rubble removed from the soil, weeded (on hands and knees) twice to remove the tiny weeds popping up, (and stone removing again) during the weeks that the soil was settling.  manure has been dug in, the ground levelled and stamped down and fertilizer added before the lawn could be laid (see extra).
 
I was lawn-layers mate, and carried all the (very) heavy rolls of turf from the front as needed and continued to dig and weed flower beds in-between. After months of looking at brown we couldn’t believe how ridiculously pleased we were to be able to look out onto our new, green lawns.  M. did a brilliant job although it was two days of hard work for both of us.
 
We now have a planting spreadsheet prepared and can now put our plant choices into action and start making it look pretty. 
 
 My neighbour asked if he could use my lawnmower and I told him of course he could, so long as he didn't take it out of my garden.
Eric Morecambe