The patio, which I nicknamed Zen, because it is a lovely peaceful spot to sit in, is situated outside the conservatory. It is paved with some rather ugly paving slabs that get quite slippery during the winter months. Although shaded by the barn and the two Goat Willow trees it is a sunny and fairly sheltered spot in the summer. A nice place to sit and look at the garden and listen to the birds.

• Arum lilies
• Clematis ‘Astra Nova’
• Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’
• Clematis ‘Lambton Park’
• Clematis ‘Night Veil’
• Clematis ‘Princess Kate’
• Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’
• Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’
• Hemp Agrimony ( Eupatorium cannabinum)
• Fatsia Japonica
• Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’ (magenta)
• Geranium ‘Magnificum’ (purple)
• Jasminum officinale ‘Clotted Cream’ (a thug – beware!)
• Lily of the Valley
• Wild  water mint

And this is where my Butler sink is – filled with all sorts of Alpine plants though I lose a lot over the winter months due to the wet, not the cold. Too heavy to bring inside, but I should try and fashion some sort of cloche for it. Plus my summer patio containers live here.