Somebody elses garden...

Last weekend saw us trundling down to Devon, where MrEH hails from originally. Various members of the family had been down there all week carrying out some work to improve the access to Mum & Dad in Law's house - which sits half way up a rather large hill. Access via car is to the top of the hill and then a walk down through the garden, and access from the town below is via steps. Lots and lots of steps....this picture is taken from half way down...

The original plan was for Mum-in-Law to agree the final stage of the access works, and then for us to assist with getting these done over the weekend. These plans were all knocked sideways however as Dad-in-Law is currently still up in London and MiL was unhappy at giving the go ahead for the final stage of the access works without him having seen what it entailed too. Fair enough I guess, but it did leave us having made a trip down seemingly for nothing. Undaunted though we decided instead to set to and see what jobs could be done, plus having the chance to spend time in MiL's rather fabulous and magical garden is always welcome, especially when it is with the company of the gorgeous Rose...

We started by transferring the delivery of logs which were up in the garage down to the woodshed by the house. This was somewhat complicated by there being a boat in the way....not a particularly large boat, but still one which meant that the wheelbarrow wouldn't go into the end of the garage where the logs had been tipped (nothing, but nothing is ever simple down there!) - the solution was a happy couple of hours chucking logs over the boat to where MrEH could load them  into the wheelbarrow and then get them down the hill! My arms and shoulders were extremely conscious of their workout - who needs the gym?! (Nobody if you have access to a delivery of logs and a wooden dinghy called Gloria!). Logs safely stashed we turned our attentions to the hedge which has for a good many years been blocking the light to, and the view from, the dining room window - amazing what a difference an 18" haircut can make! We also cleared brambles and cleared a load of rubbish away, all of which will save Mum In Law needing to do these jobs herself.

As always when I'm down there I enjoyed just wandering about the garden - there is something fascinating about someone else's garden I think? Especially when it's quite large, and with interesting oddments to be found, like overwintering snails...

...baskets without bases...

...and this stunningly beautiful camellia

And all with the accompaniment of this view...

Pretty good, eh? (Although that does give you the idea of quite how many steps have to be climbed to get anywhere at all!)

Robyn