I’ve known the garden on and off for about 25 years, and got involved as a gardener four years ago. I could see work needed to be done around the walls and the roses and I offered to come and do some ladder work. As time went on I could see more and more possibilities, and a vision forms as you get to know a garden.

There are small changes – moving the stone trough from outside the Hearth to the River Room and planting alpines, and big changes – uprooting the ornamental cherry outside the Hearth. It didn’t have enough garden value, was making the Hearth very dark, and had electric cables through it.

In digging by the cottage we found slabs of thin stone that may have been in place when the cottage was used as stables. Now we’ve made a feature of this on the threshold, with thyme planted to creep around. We have some debate, with different ideas about what to do, but often things just evolve.

My favourite plant in the garden is the perennial evening primrose, it sprawls over the brick path and is lovely. It needs a lot of attention as the flowers only last one day, and so continual deadheading is needed.

The new volunteer gardeners are splendid, they make a difference as there’s a lot to do.

To me, the garden has a sympathetic ambience. People come in crisis or distress, or to rendezvous with friends. Mothers can feed babies, toddlers can play. Yoga classes come, and there’s meditation, French groups too. It’s lovely to see.

I’d like it to have some more little paths that children could explore, it would give us a chance to grow more individual plants that are not part of the bigger scheme. Nooks and crannies.