After over four years of misery, disruption and and devastation the work on the house is nearly completed and in consequence work on the new gardens is well under way. Only last week I dug and planted a large new border around one of our new ponds. I have planted hundreds of box plants in lines and in great serpentine shaped blocks. To-morrow several pieces of huge yew topiary are to be planted in front of the house in an area which the following day will be sown with grass seed. I have planted hundreds of lavender plants in baking hot box edged borders around the house and I still have months worth of planting to do and it's all happening at the wrong time of the year. There is bound to be another drought this summer and I shall have to spend all my time irrigating thousands of pounds worth of plants........I shall never dare go away on holiday.

Because of delays and disappointments the lawns have only just been prepared and sown. They say there is plenty of moisture in the soil and a good deal of seed has been buried which will have a greater chance of germinating than that on the surface. The greatest joy is seeing areas which only last week were acres of stony, cracked weed infested mud suddenly, with the aid of high tech machinery, transformed into gorgeous, flat and level seed beds. The contractors have told me not to irrigate yet but to wait for a good shower as artificial watering could end up with patchy unhappy germination. The main task now is going to be trying to keep the builders off the embryonic lawns. If they can stick to the paths they will get gold stars all round from me plus a free souvenir box bush as a remembrance of their time as my persecutors.
 
The builders have been telling me how when they first arrived on site they used to take bets on how long they expected Daisy, my jack russell to survive. She was constantly walking under dumpers and JCB's quite oblivious of their capacity to squish and squash little terriers. She loved climbing scaffolding and took a lively interest in stone cutters but she is still here, much to their amazement. She will miss the men, their lunches and their attention. I will not.
 
I have had pleasure last week in choosing and ordering a new greenhouse. It is very smart, three bays, thirty feet long with a porch and a lovely shade of green. It has a brick base and built in coldframes. Delivery time is five weeks...........bliss. I also need a new storage and potting shed and office so I have sent off for more glossy brochures to pour over. I have a new area to call my own, away from the gardens on top of a hill surrounded by mature oaks and a belt of hawthorn and wild cherry trees. Despite the trees there is plenty of sun from the south as well as protection from the north and west winds. The whole area will have to be deer and rabbit/hare fenced but I have high hopes of making a beautiful, calm yet productive area here plus somewhere where I can imprison Daisy (think Colditz) when she is on heat.