Lets start at the front

I seem to spend most of my time looking at the garden and thinking about just where do I start, then I wonder around a little more, fill up the bird feeders and decide to have a cup of tea and another think. My main problem is I am time poor at the moment and the garden is just full of areas that need to be addressed. My other problem, which is a big one, I get bored easily, starting one job getting half way through and go and start another meaning I have two jobs unfinished.

My endless cups of tea have brought a plan, I need a couple of quick wins, small jobs that will make a difference, whilst we think about the bigger story.

So I have decided I am going to concentrate on the following....

The front garden/drive is the first impression but it's also what welcomes us home everyday. We spent a lot of money on getting our drive all one level it's been changed beyond our wildest imagination but the drive is surrounded by a muddy, weed filled boarder, bins and rubbish, lots and lots of ivy on walls that looks messy and unkept. A old water tank I decided would be a great planter but just sits there empty. Lots of messy pots and a poor acer that's been in the same compost for about six years yet still looks fab.

This is where I am going to concentrate my work to start with. Firstly the border is going to be properly weeded and I mean weeded. I have dug it over once in the summer but I will do this again and continue to weed. Once I am happy the next stage is to dig a whole lot of organic matter into the soil, we are East Sussex on clay soil I know it's going to take a lot but to me it's important to get this base right before I go mad with plants. I was thinking if I needed to dig in grit etc but on the research it seems that so much would be needed it's not worth doing. We shall stick with a lot of organic matter, I will post again when I get further along and look a little more into what I will be using.

Below the weeds in more detail.

I will have a massive tidy up get rid of the rubbish we have accumulated, well I will pile it up and the delightful Mr MCW will take it to the tip for me. A little idea of what we are talking about is pictured below. We are getting two big water butts that are much needed and also something will be put up to hide the bins.

Then it will be a mass tidy up of the ivy and small borders, the pots I will plant up with some seasonal cheer and give the acer some TLC that it needs. Then decide what I am doing with the water tank.......