Hasn’t the weather been fabulous? I have to say though, there was a point back in June when I wondered if I would ever store away my winter woollies but here we are, nearly a month into ‘proper’ summer weather with abundant strawberries, sun-cream soaked skin and al fresco cocktails by the pool. Ok, so no pool, but I can dream can’t I? :)
However, day-dreams aside did you, like me, get that moment on first heading outside armed with a book; drink-of-choice; sunglasses and suncream, find the sun-baked patio – which looked fine from the window – on closer inspection looked more like an abandoned car park? When did that happen? Where had I been??
To prove just how bad I’d let this get – without apparant knowledge of its happening – here are some pics. Dreadful, isn’t it? If you sat down on the floor, it actually looked like a mini forest. I’m not even kidding. And it bugged me. I mean really bugged me. How can you relax with such a mess staring you in the face? I’m sure it is possible but unfortunately, I’m not one of those lucky people. I might even be just a tiny bit OCD about this kind of thing.
So, on one of the hottest days of the year I got a screw-driver out of the shed, got down on my hands and knees and set about clearing the forest that was now my patio. No lazing, no reading and warm Pimms complete with flies. Joy of joys. Until, that is, my ever-helpful husband said ‘wouldn’t that be easier with the patio-brush?’ Now, I knew Neat Ideas – where we work – sold a Patio Brush but I didn’t know we had one at home.
‘Patio-brush?’ I said. ‘Yes’ he replied ‘you know – the Neat Ideas one. It’s really good. Clears the c**p right out.’ ‘Yes – I know it,’ I said. ‘Have we had it long?’ ‘Ages’ he replied. ‘Right.’ I said. ‘You haven’t considered using it before now then?’ ‘No’ he said. ‘Why would I?’ Why would I indeed.
It’s strange how the gardening always seems to coincide with serious-sounding indoor chores such as filing, ‘bank stuff’, ‘research’ (research??) or indeed, anything that can be done whilst sat in front of the telly watching the Grand Prix, listening to the cricket or checking football results.
Armed then with the right tool for the job (and I do mean the patio brush) I set about clearing the miles and miles of little grooves between the blocks. Miles and miles and miles… Now call me weird (and enough people do) but I actually quite enjoyed it – another aspect of my slight OCD nature no doubt. What I couldn’t quite get over was the sheer volume of moss, weed and general muck that I managed to clear out, to such an extent, I actually felt slightly guilty that I might be disturbing a whole eco-system.
Sorry creepy-crawlies but there is an almost addictive satisfaction to de-mucking block-paving. I have to say, the Patio Brush was brilliant. With a hook-like tool to dig out the muck and a wire brush to clear any remaining moss and dirt – it worked wonders and the pole made it a lot easier on the back, not to mention the hand and knees.
I’d be lying if I said I managed the whole patio in one go but three shifts over three days saw the job done. At last I could sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labour, looking at the garden, instead of the mess. Summer day-dreaming here I come!
And what of the husband? Well, I couldn’t let him get away with it Scott-free – absolutely not. I waited for the Grand Prix on a nice lazy Sunday afternoon, gave him the screw driver and his own section to complete. I felt it was only fair!
