This is the 5871st most frequent Japanese word.
ほったらかし
Neglecting or leaving something/someone unattended.
Here, ほったらかし is used to describe neglecting or leaving unfinished the gardening tasks.
彼は庭仕事をほったらかしです。
He neglects his gardening work.
In this sentence, ほったらかし implies that the boat was left in an abandoned and unattended state.
船がほったらかしの状態で浜辺にあります。
The boat has been abandoned and left unattended on the beach.
Here, ほったらかし conveys the idea of leaving a task, specifically homework, unattended and then engaging in play instead.