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The acre of grass with its trees, planted one by one, gradually became our garden and park. With more than two hundred trees, flower-beds, lawns and hedges and a summer house, the garden is something I am very pleased with.

Today the cows and sheep behind the fence take shelter from the rain under the branches of our tall trees. They separate our acre from the sheep field to which it once belonged forty-three years ago. The two-feet high saplings that I planted now have trunks as wide as my shoulders when I stand beside them. There are oaks, fir-trees, beeches, pines, yew-trees and also some apple trees. Each year we buy a Christmas tree with roots and plant it out in the garden after the celebrations.

Many different kinds of birds nest in the branches of our trees, in the hedges and come to feed on our bird table. The other garden visitors include hedgehogs, squirrels and foxes and deer, which come in from the forest nearby, and they meet field mice and frogs near out little pond.

The garden is also the home for several pieces of my sculpture, especially my Siberian Crosses, a monument to the Red Holocaust, carved out of massive beams; Souls Of Trees, fashioned from the hard seasoned remains of rotten tree trunks; a Hippo Seat carved in stone; and a large panel made up of several cement-concrete reliefs placed on the cottage wall, celebrating forty-two years in Newbattle and my work of building, planting, sculpting and teaching. In the year 2003, I added a new piece of sculpture to our garden. It is called SUN ARCH SEAT, built up of stone, with the old sun pattern carved in it.
SUN ARCH SEAT (2003)
213cm x 170cm x 100cm
(84" x 67" x 39")
 
The fencing along the sheep field in 1960. Using a hurricane lamp, Zigi worked late during the days of autumn to dig in all posts and the rabbit net - to keep those wild invaders out of our territory.   The alley of trees along the fencing in summer 2000.   This is how the southern end of our acre looks today now that the trees have grown tall and strong.
 
Zigi, Una and Julian near a five year old birch in 1968.   Same birches in the year 2000 dividing our land in two halves.   Corner of garden in late Autumn. All my own work!
 
Zigi cutting the grass in 1962. One of the first saplings planted can be seen in the background.   Zigi splitting stones for building in 1962.   Julian and Una drawing while both parents are working.
 
Garden steps leading onto small lawn of flower garden.   Zigi cutting the grass with a scythe.   The small lawn with a view into the large southern lawn. The Hippo seat is carved in stone.
 
My Daughter Una with Billy the dog sitting in the garden.   Paula working in the garden.   Paula with our giant poppies.
 
Zigi cutting the grass with a machine.   Looking from the small lawn over the flower beds into the square of Siberian Crosses with the trees along the western fencing.
 
Walking around the garden, you can hardly see the bare wire fence laid in 1960. It is completely overshadowed and hidden by the trees and hedges planted since.
 
The very first of 46 Christmas trees planted in Zigi's acre of land. It was planted in 1961 and here Zigi's stroking the bark of it's massive trunk in the spring of 2007.   Christmas Tree Number 46. Zigi's wife Paula standing beside it. She planted it after Christmas celebrations in 2006.
 
This was the view in 1962 from the south-west with the road running along the eastern side of our land. The Newbattle Parish Church is in the background.   Winter 1960.
Looking towards the sheep field.
 
Looking across the large southern lawn, this is how the house looks today. Hedges, the little summer house and the main house with the open garage.   Siberian Crosses in early spring 2000.