DIVINE intervention

Alice despaired - would she ever have a show garden like her neighbours?

Pressing her hand onto her aching back, despite the dirt on her gardening gloves, Alice stood up and looked across at the other houses in the cul-de-sac.

Every garden was a delight. The worst was neat and attractive, the best absolutely stunning.

She then looked down at what little she had achieved… a small patch of weed-free earth beneath one of the rose bushes. An hour’s work had barely scratched the surface of the border.

It had been a mess when she moved in and prioritising getting the house in order meant it was even more overgrown now.

Getting divorced, they say, is one of the top five most stressful things that can happen to anyone, and another is moving house. Had she done the sensible thing – taking on a place that had lain empty for over a year?

Alice had found it hard to believe the low price until she had a viewing… too expensive to give a builder profit, too much hassle for anyone who could afford better.

Every bit of her divorce settlement was needed as a deposit, and every penny of her new salary was paying the mortgage. She’d barely been able to afford the paint and paper to decorate, let alone pay anyone to help.

Still, she was pleased with the results. It was now a cosy home, not a neglected house, just leaving the garden to tackle.