The jewels in the crown.

Poppies head the number one spot in a very long list of favourite flowers, among which are foxgloves, hemerocallis, cornflower, ox-eye daisies, lupins, hollyhocks, peonies and geraniums, which I sow and nurture and grow in our garden here at Barleycorn. The flowers are like vast stretches of tapestry embroidering the two ponds – one at the front of the house, the other at the back – both of which were created, amazingly, by my hitherto non-gardening husband.

On bright days, the ponds sparkle and dazzle the eye when the play of sunlight dances on them. Little did he imagine all those years ago, that his efforts would culminate in the creation of what I regard as the jewels in the crown of our garden. Having no grass, they act as a foil as they nestle there, surrounded by the cottage garden flowers.

Over the years they have become home to a great variety of pond creatures – frogs, toads, newts, beetles, insect larvae, and all kinds of microscopic life - who inhabit them, as well as acting like a magnet for all the insects, birds and mammals who pay visits to the garden to drink and bathe in them.

From inside our house, each window offers a vantage point overlooking either the front or back pond, giving year-round interest and an intensity of pleasure to nourish the spirit, whether it be in high Summer, when the ponds are teeming with life, on dull, wet days when it can be soothing to listen to the sound of rain falling drop by drop into the water, or on freezing cold Winter days, when all that is visible are water-lily leaves under a solid, glassy surface, across which one of our cats dares to skate.