12th June:

A surly man has been around, masquerading as a builder, having a look at the verandah. He'll be back next week with his mate to start work on rebuilding the structure. Why do I feel this is going to cost me the earth?

Very wet and rainy and cold. The garden is simply there, am doing nothing to it, and that nothing helped by the fact the garden landscaper has never rung nor come to see me. I've tried leaving voice mail, but have had enough. Asked the redoubtable Annie, my housekeeper, for a recommendation. She has suggested Sue Small, a landscape architect in Salamanca Place. I shall ring her. I hate nothing happening to the garden. I want to be able to garden for spring!

Wet, wet, cold ...

23rd June:

Sue Small has agreed to come out and inspect both me and the garden. At last, something is happening! For this garden I want very much to get the hard landscaping done right before I start. Once you start the garden, then it is so hard to be able to go back and tear things out and start again. I want the sloping block terraced, I want sandstone (real sandstone, not make believe sandstone), I want raised planting beds and wandering paths, and all the garden accessible by wheelbarrow.

And I want compost bins, real compost bins.

I have a list and I have photos of gardens I love to show Sue, so she can get a feel of what I want. Sue will be here within the week, and I can't wait.

I wonder how much all of this will cost??

The builders, Craig and Richard, are tearing down the verandah as I type. I have had to take pictures of all the iron work in place as it is due to all come down and head off to be sand-blasted back into some health. The image to the right shows some of the rotten woodwork. The builders are confident the iron work can be saved, but I wonder ...

I have got the quote back for the roof. It is a dry mouth kind of a quote, but the roof needs to be done, so I have given the go ahead. Now to schedule a time.

This house is eating up the money, and I have yet to start on the garden.

29th June:

Iron work off and sent away. Four tons of it!

I hope it comes back. I have these imaginative little niggling doubts that someone, either the builders or the blasters, will lose it, or make off with it.

Nonsuch looks bare without its wrapping of iron lace. It fact, it looks appalling as now most of the verandah has been pulled down. There is so much rotten wood - virtually everything will need to be replaced.