Aha! I've just written this all out in Hindi before I realised I had my translation thing turned onto Hindi....most peculiar. Anyway, I took these photos of the garden last week, and now in the meantime it's already changed but it'll give you an idea.

View from the end of the passageway leading from our backdoor.


Some of the raised section.


The raised section edge with our seeds that were planted a bit late in the season and are still catching up!


View from the top!

On the left of the photo is some pale concrete in the shape of a toilet base...more about that later. (I know, you're very lucky).

So, last Sunday we decided that the sun was shining, we had a few hours to kill (we don't work on Sundays afterall), we'd plant up the last few seedlings into the long pots we'd extracted with my skill and dedication (and £3.97) from Wilkinsons a couple of days before. However, once we got out there and the yukky gravel threatened to take over my will to plant, Dusband lovingly and kindly offered to edge the decking with some of it and then bag the rest up to be stored for when we move out in case the landlord doesn't like it being exposed.

Whilst I was clearing the gravel from the back I came across some random curling old lino. No way was I going to have a lovely garden with some gross old lino in it! Despite Dusband's gentle guidance of 'It'll be really tough to get up', I picked up my hoe and battled with the lino! I sliced through the air like some ninja warrior, thrusting it deep underneath then prising the lino with all of my might! Ok, so all my might isn't that much, but hey, I put my weight into it!
Eventually it did come up, but left behind it some yukky yellow bubble gum type substance which even after many many years obviously hadn't set!

Underneath said lino was a plinth of solid concrete with the aforementioned toilet base shaped bit of concrete. It appears that the archaeologist in the family genes runs in me as well! If only it was a few gold coins instead....ah well never mind, we put a pot over it!

Today I was woken up by some banging and I was most indignant! Who could possibly be banging at this unsociable hour of...oh, wait, 9 o clock!
I called Dusband in from the office (he's a good boy and gets up earlier than me) and he said I wouldn't be complaining when I saw who and what was banging and being banged.

I rushed to the office window with undisguised glee and there, my real life dreams manifested in one pot bellied slightly dusty man banging a fence together!
So now I'll have to go and take a photo of the garden with the lovely privacy that having a well over 6ft fence can bring! In fairness though the fence could be 5 1/2ft and it's still seem to be well over 6ft to me, but let me revel in my fantasy for now!

Mum's coming to visit at the end of August and I'm really looking forward to showing her what we've grown despite the fact that most things seem to be being eaten away by caterpillars! I've never known so many caterpillars in one concentrated area!
*shakes head*

Anyway, so the news is that the neighbours have gone, moved out and split up which is a shame. The landlord said it was because the boyfriend was always out til late leaving the girlfriend at home with the baby so I assume it stems from the late night door bell ringing. We've got new neighbours moving in next week so we'll be praying they're nice people and we'll get on well. They'll have a ton of junk to get rid of out of their back garden by the looks of things, but they might not be too fussed!

Happy, happy day!