I have never removed so much turf over such a large area and dug until my arms were like spaghetti, however I am determined to create large cottage-garden style borders near to the house, with plenty of flowers and interest all year round. Hard work but worth it years to come I hope.

The saying ‘grand clearance’ is a well-known saying in my family. My mother Imogen was brought up in a house with a large garden in Kent. Every Spring the family would be set to clearing the beds for the new season. Her paternal Grandfather, William Henry Hulf, living with them at the time, would come to pass judgement; “you’ve made a grand clearance!” . My mother tells me that as a young girl she was so proud. I certainly got the gardening bug from my mother’s side of the family and now my brother David is also a gardener in the grandest surroundings at Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire. It’s in the genes, and the encouragement!