In article ,
mandyp writes:
|
| We've recently moved into a house where the garden is nothing short of
| a mess. We need a patio removed and an area that is overrun with a
| combination of weeds/plants removed. It's too big a job for someone as
| inexperienced as we are, does anyone have any idea of what this may
| cost before I make enquiries...also, when is the best time to get it
| done.

Don't be intimidated - it is easier than you think to clear ground,
if you have the right tools (NOT necessarily expensive power ones).
How big is the area, what is it overrun with, and what do you want
to do with it?

Having a normal patio removed is cheap. Get several quotes from
local builders (ones with permanent addresses or recommendations,
not cowboys that leave cards through the door).

| 2nd question, I have privet hedges down both sides of the garden, the
| bottom of which is overgrown with a weed that I'm told is called Mayors
| tail. I've tried to dig it out but can't get in because of the hedge
| roots, anyone got any ideas on how to get rid of it, it's even coming
| up through the grass and is everywhere in the patch that I mentioned
| above.

Horsetail or Mare's tail (Equisetum). That area is damp. To a
first approximation, you can't get rid of it. It's been around
for 300 million years and will outlast the human species. It's
not unattractive, so you could try living with it at the end and
mowing it in the lawn.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.