The next big project is to map the garden to enable better planning especially in the middle area where I think something radical needs to happen and I don’t want to be hidebound by what is already there. Given the scale of the garden it is so hard to know how much space I actually have so when I look at other people’s garden plans it is hard to transpose ideas onto the ground.

I have bought one of those wheelie measuring things and trundled it to the end of the garden and the estimate of length is just over 200 metres. The garden is about 20 metres across at it’s narrowest and 25 at it’s widest points. I now plan to mark out the trees we have, especially those I want to keep and therefore get a sense of those areas that we plan to develop.

The woods at the end will stay as they are and the orchard largely- although I plan to add a few more trees and I am considering fencing to reduce the rabbit damage- although that may annoy the badgers who like to cross this area each night. The ‘meadow’ will also stay largely the same as will the area around the lawn nearest the house that I developed this year.

It’s the middle section that needs most work. Currently it is over grown and overly shaded with too much shrubby and weedy undergrowth and not enough definition. The ‘wisteria walk’ in that area is overshadowed and falling down. The area around the existing pond is also overgrown and the pergola is in bad shape with a lovely grapevine that has got out of control. I would love a very large pond/lake and a more formal garden/shrubbery with secluded places to sit and paths . The wisteria could be trained better for a lovely wisteria tunnel and I could have formal beds around this. A planning project that will keep me busy this winter I think.