In My English Country Garden

Having a kitchen has, quite literally changed lives here at the squat. There is somewhere clean (ish) and comfortable (ish) to sit, diet has progressed from raw/ packet produce to actual home cooking (including last week, a home baked cake!), I have even been able to invite friends over. Clearly the main reason for this was to be furnished with compliments on my superior skills for renovating on a shoe string. Bless them, they didn't disappoint, "It's the nicest kitchen I have ever seen" was like music to my ears, yes it was a lie, we all know it was a lie - the kitchen is from Ikea! but who the hell cares - give that girl another glass of wine!

I am, as ever, shocked and dismayed at the patience and tenacity required to actually finish a room, I know I have said it before, but forget your putting up and knocking down walls, it is the finishing that requires the real skill. So this bank holiday weekend is spent, painting skirting boards and architrave, re-painting skirting boars and architrave, sanding and oiling worktops, putting up pictures ra ra ra. Man it is boring and when in doubt - move on to something else. I am fairly resigned to the fact that the house will never actually be finished!

This small spate of fine weather drew attention garden-wards. Well, when I say garden....currently the outside space is less garden more builders junk yard. By no means a massive space but enough to have a BBQ and do a spot of sun bathing, if that is, the predominant feature wasn't a large green, metal shed positioned in the one spot that gets the sun. As ever the sheer genius of the previous owners of the squat never ceases to amaze.

Garden equipment such that I own is buried lord knows where under piles and piles of junk, still who needs tools when you have determination. So I set too with my building gloves and kitchen scissors. What a wealth of treats the garden provided - broken glass - panes and pains of it, some kind of den/ human birds nest contraption made from concrete struts, old rope, glass, barbed wire and woven twigs - what better play place could a child ask for (?!). Rotten trees and such a range of weeds that Kew Gardens would be envious. A couple of hours of hard graft and 20 or so bin bags later one thing was clear... we need professional help!

So debate of the day is.... at what point do I get the garden done? Clearly when funds are very restricted one has to prioritise and when the majority of the house is barely habitable the garden is simply not a priority. But, once everything else is done, surely dragging the garden rubbish through the house will put the newly plastered/ painted walls and floors at risk?! Thoughts and opinions welcome!