‘I’m giving people a happy space’: the man clearing gardens for free – and letting light into strangers’ lives
When he saw a messy yard being criticised on social media, Stephen Jalland grabbed his trimmer and decided to help. An overgrown garden, he discovered, often hides an overwhelmed owner Anita Thursby had been dreading the gas engineer coming to service her boiler. They would have needed to enter her kitchen, where the window looked into the jungle of swirling, 2-metre-high brambles that made up…
Stephen Jalland discovered a neglected garden while social media criticized an unkempt yard. The overgrown garden concealed the anxiety of its owner, Anita Thursby, who feared an inspector entering her kitchen through the window, revealing the tangled brambles that had taken over. Her dread and shame had spiraled, causing her to avoid social gatherings and house parties.
The 54-year-old had stopped inviting friends over, feeling humiliated by the state of her home, and had lived in fear of complaints from her housing association. Maintaining the garden had become a constant worry, yet pride prevented her from seeking assistance due to financial constraints. Family barbecues, once cherished memories, had become a distant dream as she longed to share the sun with her 83-year-old mother in the backyard.
Recently, she purchased a grill from Tesco, hoping to relive those moments, but her aspirations remained unfulfilled.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
