Garden planning has started, which means Jason Lock has cast his eye over the garden and we are going to commission a plan. He designed a beautiful village garden for me in Cratfield, but I want this, London garden, to be different.

In the meantime here in London I have tidied up the patio and I have started thinking about how I want to place the pots, and develop a real ‘fernery’. Right now I am just trying to keep them alive!

I think this variety is dryopteris erythrosora – the autumn fern from Japan – I love the colour of the leaves.

And look at the fingers on this dryopteris filix-mas cristata (I think); it originated from Fibrex Nurseries, many years ago.

And a pretty holly fern, crytomium fortunei from the Far East:

I want to create an interesting fernery, with different varieties, in pots at different levels. I will need some solid leaves to show off the ferns. Bergenias do well in this garden, and I have a plentiful stock in Cratfield!

And I wonder about some forget-me-nots, Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’, also developing into an over-supply in Cratfield!

And perhaps some tall grass?

I already have hachonechloa and this is doing well in a tub, unmoved for several years now.

So, the ideas are starting to develop slowly, and the challenge will be to choose just a few!