This is a photo of the bed just opposite the cottage with Hostas, Fuchias, Laurel and some training plants over the path. The Hostas have grown so much this year we are going to dig them up in the spring and replant them into the woodland area as they have just completely taken over. Too much manure!

The is the bed to the edge of the middle garden, opposite this is lawn which leads down into the woodland. It is pretty sheltered by three 12 foot tree stumps covered but masses of bushy ivy which is great for birds, beatles and insects to hide in.

So this is the woodland, or part of it. Here we have already done hours and hours of work clearing and tidying. The view that you are seeing, a few months prior to this you could hardly even walk through it. There were brambles, piles of rotten logs, piles of slate (which I will utilize in the paths and beds) old rubbish, stinging nettles galore and plenty of dead trees. We spent all the spare time we have had this year just clearing and burning to make sure the trees that are there, can grow strong. We have fenced the woodland with electric chicken wire so that the hens and Tom can’t get out - but the fox can’t get in. So they are free range through the woods and they love it.

Our plans for 2011 is to create some paths and woodland walks, add some sort of structure around the trees so that we can add manure and soil to plant the Hostas and bulbs. We have over 100 bulbs to plant but I'm not sure we are going to get them in quick enough to flower in 2011. To the left of this photo is a pretty flat area where the sun gets to most of the day and we are hoping to turn it into a good vegetable garden. It’s all a work in progress but everything is currently on hold due to the weather so we will start back out there again in February / March time.

I am hoping that we can turn the woodland into a wildlife haven too, I am aware that by taking away some of the rotten wood and brambles we have removed some of the natural habitat, but Nick will be building a second woodstore down there (see Nicks bio page about wood) so this will bring in hiding places for beetles and insects. We then hope to make some bird boxes and with the new vegetation and more light that had been brought in by cutting the dangerous trees down, we hopeful will make everything stronger.

We get quite a few bumble bees into the top garden and dragonfly's as they come to the pond so it’s great to know that by introducing the right flowers and habitat you can entice the wildlife!

We have to varieties of Irsis in the pond, yellow and the purple and they are fantastic to photograph, particularly on macro.

I love trailing plants, especially encouraging them to grow over the little paths. Sweet peas are also a good, hardy plant to grow in the garden and will flower over and over through the summer in a sunny spot.

Finally to the Fuchsias which are such happy little flowers, full of layers and layers of petals just like a ballerina’s outfit.