Lawn watch: day 1

Ok, so I was planning on dragging my gardening tales out into a highly contrived three-part Star Wars-based saga (see below), but since I can't think of a good gardening pun on The Empire Strikes Back, I'll have to abandon that plan. Of course this doesn't mean you're going to be spared from hearing all the intricacies of my latest and most boring project: sorting out the garden.

But first I need to explain what a mess the garden was in at the start of the summer. One of our lawns (we have several - it's a big garden) was already reaching knee-height, and another had become so covered with ivy that only weeds and brambles could poke through and survive. Under all this crud however, lies an awesome garden that really does deserve better.

So, after much mowing, yanking, forking and cursing, I finally got the grass under control and removed most of the ivy. With the ivy and the weeds gone however, there was left a great barren space in the shady area under the big tree, and it is here that I've decided to grow a new lawn.


The first thing I needed was of course some grass seed, and with the tree covering the area in shade I needed something special, something that can only be found on the black market. I wandered out under the cover of night to a sleazy part of Wandsworth where rumour has it you can find anything, for the right price. Here, down a darkened alley I found a man willing to sell me what I wanted: some Shady Grass Seed.

Anyway, after thoroughly weeding and working the patch of ground I planted my seed, so to speak. Will I reap what I so? Or will I be exposed as a gardening noob? Only time will tell (specifically between 14-21 days worth of time, according to the packet).