In the beginning…
In 2006, when we purchased our house, the small back garden was simply a lawn with a single Californian lilac in the corner. The grass had grown quite tall since it hadn’t been mowed in a while, reaching about two feet high. Additionally, the top left of the garden was rather compacted and holding some surface water. The grass was too long for a lawn mower, so I cut it all by hand using long-handled shears.
I have the fondest memories of the garden bursting into life in a truly traditional way. The lawn was the star of the show, adorned with beautiful borders. In the summer, the garden was a vibrant explosion of colour, with blooming flowers covering every inch of soil. It was bold, lively, and quite a sight to behold, although it required more care back in the day.
Over the years, the lawn gradually shrank as I gained confidence in removing more of the lawn, and I believe this is true for many gardeners. There seems to be a fear of removing too much lawn at once as if it’s a terrible thing to do. Of course, it is not, and seeing things take shape soon helps overcome the fear.



The revamp
Moving ahead to 2017 – the garden appeared to be a mere shadow of its former glory. It was a challenging time for me following the loss of my father in 2015. I had let things go.
In a new burst of enthusiasm, I planned to revamp the garden with an easy-care theme and year-round interest. Then, a little group of frogs appeared out of nowhere. I was so pleased to see them, and they certainly didn’t want to leave any time soon.
The frogs in the garden were so inspiring! They motivated me to take the garden in a whole new direction. I now wanted to create a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly garden with a beautiful small pond at its heart, designed especially for my new frog friends and any other wildlife that wanted to visit the garden.



Little did I know the impact this would have on me as the garden came alive with activity. I’ve divided the garden into what I call two rooms. The first half contains the pond, and the second half has a small stream with a small solar-powered waterfall. The idea is to capture the enchanting atmosphere of a woodland’s edge, using a serene and natural woodland planting theme.
I am thrilled to announce that my patio area has undergone a stunning transformation in 2024! I’ve created a charming homemade hedgehog house and an exquisite raised pond. A rustic new boardwalk now welcomes you into the garden, and the old grey cracked patio slabs have been transformed into a beautiful display of decorative slate and stones.



If you want to know more about the wildlife side of the garden, I have set up another website at www.OurGardensMatter.co.uk