Overgrown Garden - Neglected by Previous Owners

My youngest daughter and her boyfriend have just bought a house.

When they viewed the house the garden was tidy and neat. The previous owners have obviously not no bothered cutting the grass or tidying the borders since the sale was agreed.

You can see the depth of the grass by looking at the 'whippet scale'. Ruby or whippet is hidden at the bottom of the garden.

It's 'just not cricket' that the previous owners did this to a young couple taking their first steps on the property ladder

As a surprise, my wife and I did a 'ground force visit' while the young couple were away for the weekend (to none UK readers 'ground force' is a tv program that does garden make overs to unsuspecting owners !!!)

I think we underestimated the size of the task. It took us all day Saturday and Sunday morning to 'makeover' the garden

Wasn't that kind of us? A nice way to spend our wedding anniversary :)

Shot on my little HTC desire mobile phone :)

[Juliette Packham]

A sign of the times Phil! I remember buying my first house - it was even more overgrown than this! my next door neighbour told me (after the first clearance) that it was the first time in the 18 years that they had lived there that anyone had tended the garden!! Good on you for helping out, happy belated anniversary!!

[Mags]

Wow! It is over grown and I want o see the finished makeover! What a nice thing to do for the young couple!

[Cathy Donohoue]

You ROCK as a Dad. I bet that they were ecstatic when they returned.

[Pat Knowles]

Well you are fabulous parents & a credit to your children!!! They certainly brought you up in the way they wish you to behave in the future so well done to them!!! Miserable devils though they got their money & that was it !!! A very happy anniversary to you both!!

[Kerri]

Beautiful! Great greens

[Sue Wilde]

What a great pair of parents you are! Happy anniversary

[🐓 Patricia Fletcher]

What a lovely thing to do Phil, and how mean of the sellers to just let things go. Ruby looks as if she is enjoying it though!

[Anita]

I'm sure the makeover was much appreciated! Happy Anniversary!

[Phil Howcroft]

@anron thanks Anita, 30 June is quite close to your anniversary :)

[Phil Howcroft]

@tishpics patricia, ruby had a great time exploring a new garden, she found several kids balls and a football during her exploring :)

[Phil Howcroft]

@swilde Sue you are very kind...:) .....we try to do things right :)

[Phil Howcroft]

@kerristephens kerri thanks for all the support you give me

[Phil Howcroft]

@happypat thanks Pat, it was my wifes idea to do the makeover :) although I had thought of doing it too, our eldest daughter helped us on the saturday morning , so it was a joint effort :)

[Phil Howcroft]

@cdonohoue cathy they were really pleased , thanks for your supportive comments :)

[Phil Howcroft]

@marlboromaam Maggie, lol, it's only a small urban garden (a back yard in US speech !!!!) ...I should have got you over to help because you are very experienced at tidying back yards :)

[Phil Howcroft]

@sparkle thanks juliette, good me and the wife enjoy gardening !!!

[Mags]

@phil_howcroft Well, I didn't get my plane ticket! LOL! I would've loved it!

[🐓 Patricia Fletcher]

@phil_howcroft They love that!

[Cherrill]

Hey, its a conservation area! lol Faced with this would my idea of a great weekend!!! Then again I'm a strange sort of lady............Good on you doing such a great thing for your daughter! So where are all the photo ops of buggy things you found??