I've managed to get a bit more work done on the graves in the churchyard. This first picture is a reminder of as it was like shortly after I started back in February. At the very beginning there was also Ivy covering both the gravestones as well as the ground.

This is how it was after the initial clearing and after I removed the Ivy from the graves and went over the surrounding area with the brush cutter.

This next picture shows the work I did lastly on the next four graves. The Ivy had climbed the sides and was starting to grow over the top so I removed it from top and sides plus underneath which was the most difficult part as I couldn't get to it very easily. As you can see in the foreground the original graves are now cleared. I'm undecided whether to put in a little plant, maybe a primula or similar but would that be overstepping the mark as the graves are nothing to do with me.

Here are the last four graves I cleared looking from the other end. You can see some of the Ivy I had to remove from them.

A Grave Job.

Yesterday morning I decided to sweep the front drive as there was getting to be be quite a congregation of leaves and sticks. While there I noticed some miniature Daffodils  flowering. I remember planting these a few years ago after the boss lifted them from his garden in London and brought them up here for me to do something with. It seems to mean more when there is a bit of a story behind them and not just something purchased from somewhere, not that ever takes away the beauty of them though.

After completing work on the drive I still had a few minutes to fill until break time so I went in to the churchyard which is next to the drive and cleared some more Ivy from the graves. I did some clearing before Christmas when I had a bit of time to spare but there is still quite a lot to do. While the church is connected to the estate and village it's not within my jurisdiction for maintenance as they pay someone else to look after it and really I have enough to do but I can't stand to see the Ivy and other plants slowly taking over from the edges. So, it's time to take a stand and fight back and as no one else seems bothered it looks like being me and the head gardener.

The two grave stones in the picture below were completely covered in Ivy before I cleared them a few weeks back and it's such a shame, especially as the one in the shape of a cross is quite the work of art. I will try and get a better picture of it some time. Yesterday I just had time to clear around the base of it, next time I will clear around the one behind.