My perfect place

It's an average sized suburban plot, with a lawn, borders, paved area, nothing special. But it’s mine. My garden.

We laid the turf, the beds we filled with soil, the plants and seeds we grew. A long path in the garden leads to a paved area right at the back where it catches the sun. There is a table where we eat in summer, and a bench to sit. It’s surrounded by raised borders, you feel enclosed, protected. I have planted as many scented plants as I can afford. Some have thrived, some have not. It's a steep learning curve. There's also four raised beds surrounded by gravel, a sort of potager, one with herbs, one strawberries and the others veg – whatever we eat most of, we grow. It always tastes better than shop bought, because its perceived as 'free'. Any spaces I’ll pop in some flowers, scented if poss.

I’m lucky, I know to have some outside space, away from distractions. It was not always that way, in the past I rented house in London with a small west facing yard, I lifted some paving slabs and scattered a packet of scented Nicotina seeds. It transformed the space. The golden evening sun on the warm paving stones and the heady scent of the flowers made any stresses fade away. It was just as lovely – in my mind. Back in the 80’s they didn’t have a word for it, now they call it Ecotherapy.