I’ve at last finished the sewing of my side garden. The original photograph was taken last year in late June/ early July when everything bursts into flower at once. I’ve made a few changes this year and I’ve also used a bit of embroiderer’s licence as some of you will spot but I’m quite happy with the result.

The houses in Achany Road were built about 1895 from local red sandstone. The colours and textures of the walls fascinate me. I can imagine the men chipping out the blocks resulting in the distinctive surface making each block a mini work of art.

Achany Road is built on land adjacent to the site of Dingwall Castle which is marked on a 12/13th century map held in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The scant remains of the medieval Dingwall castle or ‘Mote of Dingwall’ as it was known, is now in a private garden and it is said that many of the houses round about are made with the castle stones after it was ‘levelled in 1818’. Apparently our house sits on land which was originally the castle orchard. I don’t know if this is true but another part of our garden has six apples trees, raspberries, black and red currants and a wonderful Victoria plum tree.