memories of my first garden

This looks really lovely. So difficult, we invest ourselves into these things, and then when we must go, we must abandon them to their own futures. Can you tell I haven't any children......lol! :-)

Mmm as my children are both at exactly that stage I know exactly what you mean! However, I think that part of my soul is always going to be in that garden and also in my children! and neither chidren or garden is easy to leave! ;)

Very true. :)

Och now I'm just plain JEALOUS!!!

lovely garden .Can you tell me if you put anything under the gravel please?

Yes, indeed we did Sweetpea! We put down semi-permeable membrane and then about 3 inches of gravel over it.

I really like this photo, Karen. I just happened upon it by accident and I'm ever so glad I did. Your arch framed your raised patio so nicely and I like the area of round grass. Do you have any other photos of a wider view of your old garden. I like the style of this view so much :)

WLass, I think there are a couple more on here already, but I'll have a look and see if there are others for you! It was a figure of 8 lawn actually, pinched the idea from Alan T as was the deck of course. Built just after his one on gardeners world, long before deck came into the DIY stores. OH had to go to the timber yard and order it specially! Then, we got it home and it rained continuously the whole of May and the wood got soaked! Oh goodness, that was a saga. After that, he put down timber support posts in concrete, built the deck and then realised he needed twice as many supports!! Had to take the whole lot up and dig more holes and concrete in more posts!! What a lark!! Worth it in the end though!

That deck was really a lot of work for OH! You are fortunate that he is DIY efficient....especially when decks were just starting to be introduced into gardens in the UK. It's perfectly framed with the arch and planting :)

Yes, he enjoys a 'challenge'. DIY efficient?....erm, well, sometimes! lol :))

what is growing up the arch, Karen? now I've got an arch of my own I'm looking for what to plant against it

That's Clematis 'Abundance' in flower there Fran. A very reliable and floriferous one. I also had Rosa 'Veilchenblau' on there and a lovely evergreen Clematis 'Avalanche'. Avalanche isn't huge, you could grow it in a large pot. Veilchenblau is a vigorous rambling rose.

thanks so much! need something fairly idiot-proof for my first try.

Actually, I've got half an arch, over my back door to the wall behind the door, and as it's on paving, I'll need to have pot or trough for the plant - they say don't put a plant into too big a pot but might be a bit hard to repot a plant that's halfway up an arch!

I don't want anything too "vigorous", okay it'll grow fast but then it'll need cutting back x times a year, slow will do me, it's only got about two metres to go!

update from previous, was that really so long ago? got room for a proper arch now, though maybe not as "proper" as your lovely one!