This is one of the NGS Gardens we visited for inspiration, I'd love a pond like this one, its fed by natural springs running through the property. The children loved exploring this bit, we hope to go back again in the next couple of years. The owners are getting on now and have just started employing a gardener.

The view from the garden is stunning, we could make out the mountain behind our house - 20 miles away. The teas and cakes were very nice too, it was here I first spotted a Rubus 'Olympic Double', but nobody knew what it was.

This area by the front door was sort of here when we moved in. The painted white wall surrounding it was awful and the area much larger ( I wish I had kept it big now). We replaced the wall with some sleepers, child No 7 has taken it on with the colour theme orange (because of his hair) and blue (because of Thomas the tank engine).

The steps have been dug out at long last ready to be filled with gravel, the lawn is full of daisies still, will have to get the weed and feed out soon as we get a dry day. The stocks have been grown from seed in the autumn and have made a wonderful display for weeks.

The primulas in the stream bed are starting to flower, these were only grown from seed in the autumn too. The trees have got their leaves already and the garden is looking green.