10th October 2005:

Much has been happening, but little visible. The garden plan has been all but finalised, and the verandah nears completion. The roofers will be here soon.

The garden will have a sweeping brick causeway that links and unifies all elements within the garden. Sandstone and brick retaining walls and paths will terrace the space. There will be no lawn. Not anywhere. Instead Nonsuch shall have great drifts of planting - vast beds of perennials, shrubberies, a flowering meadow, and, to my great delight, a secluded woodland grove of silver birch underplanted with ferns and foxgloves and bluebells. There will be a rose arbor and vegetable beds and compost bays.

I won't be able to start planting until autumn, but that's okay. Next winter will be a wonderful time of planting, next spring will be too exciting for words. Nonetheless, the planting will take at least three years and I doubt much will look 'settled' for about four to five years.

To my joy I will have a wonderful horse chestnut tree descended from the one at Ashcotte.

Currently the garden looks desperate. Building materials everywhere softened with thigh-high weeds. A charming effect if you go for that kind of thing. The old gnarly roses are now flowering - thus saving their lives. As old and gnarly and leafless they didn't have much going for them - but now they've somewhat desperately sprung into flower I feel a tad more kindly toward them.

29th October 2005:

Again, much has been happening, and little visible still. The roofers are here. They clean up after themselves. I like that. The garden is a nightmarish mess made by the builders. I can't believe it. Very depressing. I can't wait for them to leave so that I can have my life and my garden back. I have discovered several very beautiful but as yet unknown shrubs in the garden, and have traipsed about half of Hobart marking out plants in other gardens that I might be able to snip bits off to strike.

See a final plan for the garden. I've tapped out some ideas re what kind of garden will go where, but until the landscaping is actually done, until I see what is, then ideas remain fluid.