Hi all, just to quickly introduce myself I am 22 years old and have just bought my first house and therefore have my first garden to look after. My family have never been keen gardeners so it is a new concept to me, but I am determined to learn and make the most of my new space! As well as reading this forum, I am also reading Alan Titchmarsh's 'How to be a gardener' for a few helpful tips!

Anyway, I'm hoping for some friendly advice on a steep bank in my garden. My garden is a small and flat square laid to grass. On three sides it has a small border around the grass with a fence behind and on the fourth side (the end of the garden as you walk in) there is a steep bank with a field at the top which I can't see! The bank is the entire width of my garden, so approx 22ft wide and is 12ft tall. I would guess that it is about 2 meters deep. The bank is a real eye sore at the moment, full of weeds and rubble. My next door neighbours have the same bank running along the back of their garden but have made it into about 2/3 narrow terraces, so that they can walk up it to see the field.

What is the best way to tidy the bank up and allow me to walk up it to see the field? Having just bought my first house, money is obviously a little tight, so without trying to ask too much (!) I'm looking for a fairly cost effective solution as well!

Any ideas, photos or places to look for information gratefully received! :-)