Do you have plans for what you want to achieve with your garden? It
sounds as if you will be able to create a few different distinct areas
within your garden.

I did have a plan but as I have discovered things I am modifying it.
Basically the land is on a slight slope and runs exactly east - west with
the bottom of the slope being in the east. My first part of the project
was to build a conservatory which meant that we were left with a steep slope
for the first 10 yards or so, I have now terraced this with a wide set of
steps - in the centre of these is a ramp to get a wheel barrow up. I have
built a wooden ram which pits into slots in the brickwork to allow other
things up including a mini digger so far - this ramp is normally stored in
my workshop. The beds withing the terrace are to be used for annuals as it
will give a good lot of colour in the summer and they are easy to clear each
year to allow me to keep the beds clean.

Next will be a patio area with a 20 foot by 10 foot pond along the north
side, I have excavated it (hence the digger) but it will be finished in the
spring when the fibre glass will set properly, along the north side is an
eight foot high wall at which ends at a small outbuilding which has the
filtration equipment in it. From the front of the outbuilding across the
garden I planned a frame to hold climbers and to effectively separate the
'room part of the garden from the rest. The winds are predominately west
to east so breaking up the garden into rooms will soften the impact of the
wind, also as the run north south they do not cread a massive shadow
problem.

After that my plans were a broad path winding between shrubs followed by
another break this is now going to change as I will have the greenhouse on
the site of the old one with a smaller area of perennials and small shrubs
between the first divider and the greenhouse. Then comes the raised
beds - they look like a 12 month project on their own to get right - the
raised beds run north south and the greenhouse is on the same orientation.
So far there will be no grass at all, the paths will be brick paving to the
point of the end of the raised beds.

After that I do want to have an orchard and I still want my path winding
through shrubs but I will have to see what else I find. Of course I still
have about 400 feet of garden to plan so any thoughts are welcome.

The soil, it is pretty exhaused because of all the treens but it is good
quality but faily light, I only know about some parts but when I excavated
the pond the soil was a good 18 inches deep before the subsoil, I suspect it
is shallower further up the slope which might explain the raised beds. On
thing about the beds is that they have a pretty substansial woden frame down
the centre of each one which must have supported something.

I have retialed the trunks of the very large leylandii, they didn't have a
single trunk and I have about 300 of these stacked in the garden - I plan to
use them to create the frams form my climbers.

Yes I am taking photographs and so is my wife, including the one of me
trying to stop the water when I cut into the pipe, the ground is white over
with frost and she finds it amusing to show everybody.

Anyway it is a project that will take me a number of years and no doubt the
plans will change many times as they have so far, what I have tried to do is
to finish the first area before moving on but winter is the best time for
jungle clearance (no leaves to get in the way).

Bob