The ongoing work in our shared communal garden has reached the next phase. My neighbour, who shares the responsibility of looking after this space, has been putting in a lot of effort cutting back overgrown shrubs and clearing out weeds. Thanks to all that hard work, the surrounding brick wall is fully visible once again, making the whole area feel much more open.
My first job was to clear out all the old, broken plant pots cluttering up the corner of the garden to make room for an idea I had.
After gathering up the cracked terracotta fragments and plastic containers, I levelled off the soil underneath to prepare a flat base, as I'd previously discovered a sturdy stone slab tucked away behind one of the larger bushes. It inspired me to move on to the next stage of the project.
Moving the stone slab into its new position was quite a challenge. It was far too heavy for me to lift outright, so I had to move it carefully across the ground inch by inch until it reached the corner. Now that it is laid flat in place, it creates a good platform.
Since the garden is lacking colour at this time of year, the plan is to buy some colourful winter pansies and place them on top of the slab to brighten up the corner. This will also help to keep the weeds down in that spot.
The garden clear up has also involved plenty of tidying and waste management. Because my neighbour trimmed back even more shrubs, I spent time packing all the loose branches, leaves and cuttings into the green waste bin, filling it completely to the brim.
Working outside also brought a few nice encounters with local wildlife. While clearing the ground, a small frog made a welcome appearance among the damp leaves.
Shortly afterwards, the friendly robin that lives in the corner bush flew over to inspect the newly cleared soil, looking for worms, no doubt. It is very rewarding to see the garden transforming into a tidy space at last.
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