Thanks Michael - The gazebo design is rough started at the moment trying to work out dimensions as well as shape. I have already decided it will be an octagon based design, but the size requirements for wheelchair access and enough room for two carers and personal space requirements are good fun to figure out and then to position the base for maximum effect whilst maintaining a sense of privacy too, so it's like decisions decisions decisions all the time.

The pond still has a few bits left to do. I am still deciding wether to keep the local 'Bulwell Sandstone' or to have the rocks replaced with beach rolled boulders, granite boulders would look good too and comply more with the Japanese style with it being a volcanic eco system. There are also two 400 litre water buckets here that are to be utilised in creating water feature but again what I want and what is achievable are two different things, I was hoping to use one of the buckets as a giant gravel filter but I am not sure if the water will exit that one fast enough to prevent overflow as the pump is a 5000 ltr ph one which will effectively recycle the ponds water every hour.

Hopefully in the next few weeks the Patio area will be going down, but before that happens the sleepers need to go in place. Nice big chunks of natural oak 2400x100x200 - I am tempted to surface scorch these to get that black burnt timber look, again to comply with Japanese style.

Martin Spencer-Ford