Janine Strudwick, My Garden (CM1)

Styles: English cottage, Suburban

Soil types: Clay

Soil drainage: Moisture-retentive

Soil pH: Neutral

Light: Full Sun

Aspect: South, West

Exposure: Sheltered

Hardiness: Hardy (H4)

My back garden faces south. It is a long and narrow garden, 80ft by 40ft. It has a high wooden fence on each side, a wooden shed at the end and a large oak tree behind this end shed. To the left of this shed, directly in the middle of the garden, there are two brick-built steps leading up to a higher level. On the left of this higher level, there is a concrete air raid shelter, housing bottles of wine. Over the top of the wine celler, we have made a simple rockery. Behind the rockery, there are assorted weeds, brambles and nettles. On the right-hand side, at the very end of the garden, behind the Oak Tree, I have planted snowdrops, cyclamen, crocus and have attempted to plant native English bluebells. At the house end, there is a small pond to the left, near the patio, with a rill transfersing the plot and leading to another square pond on the right-hand side.