Hi ED, Thanks! Yep the eye of faith is crucial with winter garden makeovers! It'll be loads more plant dominated in a year or two. There's already a pump in the pond, which works as a standalone fountain, but can be adapted to power a cascade on the wall behind. We're having all sorts of whacky ideas like building a 'marble run' style sculpture incorporating all our favourite things, (archaeology, sci fi etc) or a commissioned metal sculpture that looks like a steel version of Virginia creeper.

Lots of potential and your garden is so pretty. I would fill it with a mixture of good topsoil and compost. What plants you choose does depends on the aspect - is it sunny or shady in that spot? You could put a smallish evergreen shrub in the middle then surround it with gorgeous perennial flowers In a tier. if it’s sunny, I would plant an evergreen Cistus (white or pink flowers) then surround it with Crocosmia, Hemerocallis, Globe Thistles and then the final layer at the front all round with Geranium Rozanne, Campanula, Nepeta or Lavender Or Aubretia. These are just suggestions but as long as the plants you buy are the right height and like sun you should be fine. if it’s a shady spot you could try Skimmia an evergreen, then add some Ferns, Bergenia, Anemones. Or maybe an obilisk with a Clematis climbing through it? SKIMMIA CISTUS 2 CLEMATIS

I'd be more concerned with the garage at the front. It looks very imposing, Do you need a garage or could you put the play room and utility in there so instead of a bid metal door the front has some windows? Or could you bring the extension round to the edge of the garage so it all looks built together with one roof?

Hi Doris. We only filled it up with water at the weekend. It’s had a couple of days and has gone down by around 3” so we can only assume that it is the very top section that wasn’t done again which is the part the big stones are resting on. We left it a couple of weeks to completely dry. This morning yet another order put in for more resin as we have spare fibreglass and paint, so he will have to remove the large edging stones and do that part only next week when we are forecast good weather. We should know in a couple of weeks if it is successful once the water has been emptied and refilled. We really need to get the fish out of the other pond as it’s overcrowded and in the meantime the heron has helped itself to its dinner out of the pond even throwing the big fish it didn’t want in the middle of the lawn. It has been hard work but hopefully we are on the final stretch. We’ve added some discs to try and stop any future herons landing and eating the fish which you can see in the photo. Did a couple of images so you can see what I mean regarding large edging stones. If you click on the image it will enlarge. Good luck with yours.