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The garden is a constant pleasure to us with each part offering different plants, colours and scents. The Apple tree fruits profusely, The Japanese Apricot is the first blossom of the year flowering as early as February and bearing fruit later in the year. The Lilac tree in the side lawn also flowers early and then provides shade in high summer during cheese and melon lunches. The Bay tree will take forever to eat using one leaf at a time in our cooking and we patiently await out first date from the Date Palm.

The bottom of the garden was totally overgrown when we arrived in February 98. We noticed a few steps at the top on the right hand side. After scrambling down the other side we found a Badger run and two more steps at the bottom. Between the steps was 30 years worth of bramble and tree debris over 10 feet high. We eventually cleared a way through finding 1 step at a time until we cleared and found terraces all the way down the right hand side. Work is still continuing so watch this space.

Above Balcon Royles, the Swiss window box geraniums look down on young Echiums. Within a year the Echiums will be looking down on the Echiums.

Even though our bannana plant thrives it will never bear fruit. Ventnor is'nt that warm yet....still with global warming who knows what will happen? So we keep looking for our first bunch.

On the lower lawn the Budlia attracts many butterflies whilst the Lavender attracts your nose. Glance up and the Balcon Royals contrast with the blue sky…is this heaven or what?

The big leafed plant, known locally as ‘Bears Breeches’, is the first thing you see when descending from the front gate. The colourful Fuchsias compliment it’s lush green leaves.

Pots containing Angels Trumpets, Black Bamboo, Tree Ferns and Caribbean plants grace the front patio. The trumpets give out a very stong scent in the evening and in the summer when the crickets are singing you can be forgiven for thinking you where in the tropics. No hummingbirds yet though.

This Echiums start to flower and take over. Click on the picture to visit the Echium Invasion of Priory Lodge pictures.

The crow type birds living in the treetops are Jackdaws and are amongst the most intelligent birds in the world. They love to play using their flying skills in very windy weather.

Also living in the garden are Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wrens, Robins, Chaffinches and Collared Doves. Jays also visit regularly.

Slow worms, which are really leg-less lizards as well as Mediterranean wall lizards live in the garden. There is even a Parrot or two around the house and garden.

At night Foxes and Badgers are common visitors to the garden.