Welcome back to Gardener's World! If you've come in search of tales of culture and adultery you'll be disappointed - that Garry has been kidnapper by a strange gardening creature that he doesn't recognise.

This is the afternoon's progress:



Structurally it's all in place now. Looks less like a landing strip doesn't it! I have a slight reservation about the height of the log roll, but I'm hoping once I get some gravel down it will look shorter. Failing that Mum left a lump hammer and I'm sure after one or two days of work tedium I'll have enough rage to pound the logs further into the ground!

Now I'm dirty, battered, bruised and sore - I'm only a typist remember, manual labour doesn't come easily to me!

Here is this morning's progress:



I'm at that awkward stage where it's unfinished and I don't like it but I realise it will be different when it's done. There will be gravel in front of it and lots of planting behind it, so the wood should stand out less. Fingers crossed.

This is the current state of the garden. I had hoped to get all the grass up today but it defeated me. My arms are simply too tired to do any more. Clearly typing doesn't build up your muscles as much as I thought!

I did manage to buy a a big pile of log roll, so tomorrow the plan is to get that in, then at least the garden will have some shape and I can worry about the lawn another time.

I'm not sure what to do with the circular slabs. The bit where the grass used to be is going to be gravelled and I'm tempted to leave them where they are. Or perhaps that's just laziness because right now the thought of taking them out doesn't appeal!

Right, I'm off for a nobbly-bobbly and some old building porn with Griff Rhys Jones.

Happy St George's Day dragon slayers! Or something.

Last night I had a gentleman caller, who actually lived up to the gentleman part of that phrase! He was the man I had a nice night with in Brighton last autumn, who happened to be in the area in business so he came to stay the night.

We went to the Indian restaurant at the end of the road and ended up talking about theatre, then home to bed where we drifted off to sleep talking about books. It was a treat to spend time with someone so nice, intelligent and grown-up. Of course he's not single, but his boyfriend and him have an open relationship, which apparently is working out very well. I certainly hope I'll be seeing him again.

Evening lovelies!

It's been a quite week. And by quiet I mean dull.

Last night I got Mum to come over to offer some gardening advice, so I'm stumbling onwards with my garden make-over. I need to buy things and do some digging, but that can wait until the weekend.

Tonight I should have been cleaning in preparation for a house guest tomorrow night but I got distracted by the paper and a box of cheese straws, and before I knew it I was watching Gok Wan whilst drinking a big glass of very smooth red wine. Clearly the cleaning isn't going to get done now so I'll be keeping the lighting low instead!

On Saturday afternoon I went to see Joseph & his Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat with Ema, Alan and their family. It turned out to be a really nice day - we had a nice little potter round the shops beforehand, a trip on a bus and some chips. Then afterwards there was more shopping, although to be truthful I found myself in the shopping mall not really knowing what to do with myself as I've gotten out of the habit of shopping.

And Joseph? Well of course I loved it! It was the fifth time I've seen it - twice starring Jason Donovan in the '90s, then three times locally in the last few years. And each time I still love it! It seems wrong to love something associated with Andrew Lloyd Webber but to be truthful it's in my top three favourite musicals. And yet it's just a loud of nonsense based on a Bible story about a boy with a coat!

All together now.....

I've been gardening:



I've spent a lot of time lately grumbling about the garden. The lawn's a disaster! When it was laid it was lovely turf, carefully watered and fed, mowed regularly, but over the years the moss and weeds have taken over. It still looks green but 'lawn' is hardly an accurate description! I couldn't face another year of mowing, feeding etc etc so I've been moaning about it to various people.

And the more I've moaned the more I've realised it had to go. I didn't really know what I wanted to do instead, but by a process of elimination slowly a plan has formed. So today I made the most of the sun to dismantle the brick and stone border and dig up a two foot section of lawn. Looks a mess doesn't it. Dear God what have I done?!