My blog

Look out for tomorrow's Evening Standard Homes & Property section. There will be an article about my garden in SW London by garden writer Pattie Barron and photographs by Marainne Majerus. I was lucky enough to have Marianne come and take some lovely pictures of my garden last year just after we were open for charity through the National Gardens Scheme.

I first visited Painshill Park nearly thirty years ago. I remember it was a wonderfully derelict, overgrown place inhabited by ghosts from a glorious past. This was soon after the charity trust was set up in order to restore the 18 century landscape gardens and the work was really only just beginning. The water mill was restored and I may have even climbed up the Gothic Temple but the grotto was all closed off with just a tantalising glimpse through the under growth of what might be there. Since then I have visited a few times and each visit something had been brought back to life or reinstated. My last visit a few weeks ago was shortly after the restoration on all the follies and bridges had been completed including the Crystal Grotto and the Five Arch Bridge.

It is a strange place. Not really a garden but more than just a classically landscaped park. The best way to see it is with no idea of what to expect and each folly is a surprise. Bit like a favourite film or story, it's a shame you can never repeat that first naive experience.