Here's a collection of pictures of different parts of my garden. I will be adding more later on as they become available.

When you've seen these pictures, there are lots more pictures of the garden and plants in flower on the Garden Diary, The New Garden, and Water Garden pages - have a look!!

View a slideshow of the garden - here

This is a view looking down the paved walkway which leads from level two, down some steps to level four. This area of the garden was renovated in September 1999, and again in April 2003. It originally had a round area of grass, but it is quite shady and damp, and the grass never grew very well. I replaced the grass with the paved walkway, which gave me more room for plants! In the centre of the picture is a tall Cordyline australis, and to the right of this is Trachycarpus fortunei, a hardy palm. Just visible in the distance is a blue gazebo which is on level 4a.

It's lovely to sit in the gazebo and look out on the garden. It's really shady in there on a hot day. This gazebo was built by my husband, who worked only from my rough sketch - how clever is that?? Climbing up the gazebo on the right is a yellow-leaved Humulus lupulus aurea, the golden hop. Intermingled with this is also a Clematis 'Pink Fantasy', which is not yet in flower in the picture. To the front right hand side of the gazebo are two tall blue ceramic bottles, which I think complement the blue of the gazebo, and make something of a statement! The armillary sundial is on the left.

This picture shows the blue bench which overlooks the pond on level 4, and the bamboo feature which is surrounded by pebbles, all of which have been dug up from the garden! To the right of this is a large Carex elata aurea, Bowles's golden sedge, which is actually growing in the pond. In front of the feature is an Acer palmatum dissectum atropurpureum.

This is a view of the lower level of the patio, which is on level 1. The plant on the metal table is Carex elata 'Aurea', Bowles's Golden Sedge.

This picture shows the bench beside the pond, viewed through Phlox 'Pink Posie', and Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket' on the left.

This stoneware sculpture (one of mine!) is situated on level 2, surrounded by a Trachycarpus fortunei palm on the left and a Cordyline australis on the right, as well as other planting. It helps to give a bit of atmosphere to this area of the garden.

Here's a view of the patio. The greenhouse can be seen down some steps on the left. Two wooden obelisks have various Clematis growing up them, but they aren't in flower in this picture. The plant in a pot on the metal table is an ornamental variegated grass, Hakonechloa macra albo-aurea. It's on the table because it's Toby's favourite snack, and if it's on the ground he chews off all the ends of the grass, giving it a very strange look indeed!

Here's a couple of views of the "new" garden. The top picture is the view looking up from the bottom of the garden towards the "old" garden. On the left is the second gazebo, covered in the Golden Hop, Humulus lupulus 'aurea'. The bottom picture is the same area, but looking down from the old garden to the bottom patio.

This is a springtime view, taken in April 2002. It shows two trees which are lovely in the spring. The one on the right is Acer pseudoplatanus 'Brilliantissimum', whose foliage is a beautiful salmon pink in spring. The tree to the left of this is a fastigiate flowering cherry, Prunus amanogawa. The trees are both on level four of the garden, and the picture was taken on level two, from the far side of the pond. The blue bench which sits overlooking the pond can just be seen.

This area is beside the pond on level four, which is not in view in the picture. A terracotta head peers out from the ferns growing beside it. This is quite a steep and shady area, although the steepness can't really be appreciated in the picture. This picture was taken in June 2002.

This grouping of terracotta pots and other ornaments is on level 4a. I had lots of bits and pieces of terracotta lying around, so I thought I'd make a decorative feature of them! You can just see a Rhubarb leaf beginning to grow, on the right. This plant gets so big that by the end of June, it's almost covered the terracotta.

These three stoneware masks (which I made) hang on the wall right at the bottom of the garden, on the small patio on level 4a. They are gradually getting covered by Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart', Parthenocissus quinquefolia 'Henryana' and Hydrangea petiolaris. Time for a serious cut-back, I think!

This is a view of the patio, (level 1) looking along the south facing wall of the house (on the left) towards the garage wall, through the arch to the bench which sits against the garage wall. Growing on the wall on the left is Vitis vinifera purpurea. Beyond that, growing over the arch, is Clematis armandii, (not in view), and Vitis coignetiae . On the right is an urn which contains (amongst other things) a Cordyline 'Pink Stripe', Fuchsias, Lobelia, trailing Glechoma hederacea variegata, and Pelargoniums (the one in view is Occold Shield). The urn sits to the left of a planted bed (not shown) containing shrubs and exotics such as Canna, Pittosporum, Hedychium, Cordyline, Eriobotrya japonica(Loquat) Fascicularia bicolour, etc. This is quite an old picture, taken in June 2000.

Here's a couple of pictures of the area between the garage and the house, looking from beside the front door towards the shed. This area was given a facelift in 2001, with a new pergola, and a new front to the shed. Both the shed and pergola have been painted blue, to link them with other blue features in the garden. Potted plants are placed beside the bench (left-hand picture), and beside the door to the shed, to soften the area. This is a lovely area to sit in the afternoon sun, and look across the patio. Both pictures taken in August 2001.