what constitutes a garden???

[neil_loves_marie]

me and the wife moved into a council property just over 9 months ago.
the rear garden is just mud with 1 row of slabs directly outside the back door to the entry.
i have had the tenants handbook out regarding garden maintenance and i have a legal duty to look after this garden (mud).

i have been asking the council to put some grass or give me a basic garden that i can work with has i tried digging it up and once you go about a inch deep you hit brick, clay etc...

its a garden thats undoable by an amateur thats never done gardening.

the council state "the row of slabs we put down are all in good condition so the garden is complete to our satisfactory standards"

i have asked various times for a meeting with the cheif executive to discuss the word "garden" as the council have given me a pathway to maintain yet they still say the pathway is actually a garden.

should i carry on arguing that a path isn't a garden or should i just leave it or could anyone help with some legalities of the word garden and path.

[bednobs]

your garden had given you depression? heard it all now!

[sherrardk]

Neil, four years ago we were looking at temporary council accommodation with our five children (two of whom were 5 months old). We had to get off our arses and get things sorted, if your biggest problem is your lack of garden, think yourself lucky. (You choose to support 3 children who aren't your children (you say you HAVE to, you made your choice) and in earlier posts it was 8 missed appointments not 10 -15. Your main concern regarding your garden seems to be your puppy and not your children.) Stop moaning and get it sorted out.

[neil_loves_marie]

box - do i need to level it off for gravel as this is 1 of my issues with the garden (i have attempted to level off to no joy due to the amount of brick/clay)

i am very very short on knowledge of gardening as u can probably tell.

[neil_loves_marie]

bedknobs - it was a point i was trying to say (as depression seems to get people what they want these days)

[sherrardk]

And could you please stop saying the kids aren't yours - sounds like you have got a right problem with that particular issue.

[bednobs]

oh ok

[neil_loves_marie]

sherradk--
well if you think expensive machinery is the answer i was making you aware of my situation as £5 a week for 3 kids off their dad doesn't go far does it??

so you can see why i have to help (not that i mind) but when people tell you to hire expensive machinery or hire a professional then it shows why i can't do that.

nice to know 90% of people in this world just think everyone that wants something nice must have money to hire/buy everything to do it.

and do you think 9 months is sufficient to still have doors and framework coming away from walls??? saying that with your attitude i should be grateful of having doors shouldn't i.

[sherrardk]

We rent privately, if things break we fix them. We have made the front off-road parking at our own expense (with permission). When the central heating broke, we got estimates and paid for it (and didn't pay rent until it was paid back)and put in a wood burning stove at our expense. We are not well off but we get on with things to make our house better for our family. Won't kill you to do some DIY if things are that bad. (I didn't say you should spend loads of money, you have been given suggestions of solutions but you would rather bitch about not getting stuff done for you and having to support children that aren't yours, hope they are not aware of how you feel.)

[neil_loves_marie]

but the issue with the garden is i will have a go at everything and have attempted the back garden but there is to much clay and brick undernaeth the soil at a very shallow level i can't do nothing with it.

i've asked council if they could just get it levelled off for me so at least i have a canvas to work with (not asking them to landscape)

i have done the front garden and got it looking decent till i put borders in next year.

if i can't do something i will try but i have no idea about framework so i keep phoning couincil but all 5 internal issues have been sorted via chief exec and will be fixed thursday next week.

i have attempted the doors, new hinges , bolts etc but it doesn't help when the framework is rotten so this is why i keep booking the things.

its not that i won't do things because i will, just sometimes we all need help and i need help off someone that can level the garden for me (don't even want grass putting down as i'll do that myself)

[sherrardk]

Neil, bet it is not as bad as you think. Look at some sites on the net for laying turf and find out how much soil it needs underneath it. You could probably level it by putting soil in the gaps and any holes and then lay the turf/sew grass seeds. It's easy to get down about stuff (don't ask, but we have had some terrible times). The council is not interested in sorting it out, so get a plan to sort it out yourself and just get on with it.

[starone]

All gardens start off like this. It is up to you to put a bit of work in on it. Once it has been dug over and raked smooth you will just need to get things to put in it. Grass seed is not very expensive if you need a lawn. I also used to take a small pair of scissors out with me when I went for a walk and if I saw a promising shrub overhanging the path I would cut a small piece off it (no-one notices) and start it off in a pot before planting it in the garden. I had a beautiful forsythia started off in this way. Better than the one I took it from and all it needed was a small twig and a small amount of rooting powder.
I think you are very fortunate to get a council house with a garden.