The weather has been brilliant this year, though I can’t believe I had to mow the lawns again this weekend when it’s nearly November! I have achieved so much more in my new garden than I ever imagined and it’s been fun trying to decide what to do with the space.

As I mentioned in this post creativity takes many forms and, for me, designing a garden is just as satisfying as making a fine art photograph. Shape, form, colour, texture, imagination ………the art elements are all there and in addition I get to put my hands in gorgeous dirty earth and be out in my beloved nature. Bliss 😊

My back garden is 17m (55ft) long. Half is laid to lawn and in the other half the previous owners had a chicken coop, which went bonkers with weeds when the chickens departed! I had no clue what to do with the wilderness.

In my last house I created a cottage garden, but one which was low maintenance – although I like to potter in the garden I don’t want it to take up all of my time, be hard work or to become a chore. A cottage garden wouldn’t suit a modern bungalow, though, so I’ve decided to create a pond to attract even more wildlife, surrounded by decking to walk and put my tripod on and fairly small flower borders (I don’t want anything tall as it would spoil the lovely view).

I kept the wooden pallets some of my household items were delivered on and have made tall planters from those which now house blueberry, raspberry and blackcurrant bushes, which means I won’t have to bend to pick the fruit. I now just have to find a willing man in the village with a mini digger to start creating the pond 😉

Although the clocks went back this weekend I was still awake at my usual 6am. The morning was stunning, with the first delicate frost on the ground and a glorious sunrise, so we decided to make the most of the day and go for a walk by the river. The resident Tawny Owl is still not back in his usual roost – he is absent from about March-October, I assume raising new young elsewhere, and Jackdaws have moved in. Not to worry, as soon as the Tawny is back he’ll be ousting them out!

We were accompanied on our walk by a lone Buzzard circling overhead, a pair of graceful Swans and an alarmed fly past by a Dipper. I was hoping the Otters might be about as it was so early, but no such luck.

Afterwards we arrived at the local cafe just as it was opening and had smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and toast washed down with lashing of hot tea in front of a roaring log burner. Then an afternoon in the tranquillity of the garden, with an inquisitive Robin, laying new turf found going begging on the village WhatsApp group, followed by a long soak in a hot bubble bath. It might not be everyone’s idea of a perfect Autumn Sunday, but it’s mine 🙂