The Garden and Barn

The garden is on two levels, with steps and a hand rail in between. Two areas of the garden are gravelled, and one has a section of hard-standing for the garden table, chairs and a parasol. The garden is approximately 26 feet in length and nine feet wide but feels very open. A Passion-flower climber and Winter Jasmin climb along the wall and the side of the house. In the summer the orange Passion-flower fruit is really good to eat (the red fruiting pips in the

middle).

There is a six-foot high, very old stone wall on one side and the house and barn border the other two sides. The neighbour’s barn backs on to the rear of the garden. The garden is not overlooked as the neighbour’s balconies are rarely used. It is quiet and safe for children. The garden gets the sun from late morning until the early evening.

The barn: The barn can be accessed through a wooden door from the upper level of the garden. It is 48 square feet in size and very old. It used to be lived in, with the animals on the ground floor and the family on the first floor. This is where the logs for the fire are stored and the barbecue, which is new. There is an old fire pit in the centre of the barn.

In between the upper and lower garden areas there is a palm tree, and behind that a bed of Sedums, and other local flowers. A tiny olive tree has also been planted in the bed. There are two Oleanders in terracotta pots.

The steps between the two levels of the garden have been created from two large stones, probably taken from the Abbey during the French Revolution (another stone from the Abbey with a carved cross on the side is incorporated into the Living room).

The lower garden has a wooden bench, and a second small flowerbed with an Oleander, sedum and second tiny olive tree (which produced FIVE olives for the first time in 2008).