Before I give you with this week's update I must correct myself for being grossly inaccurate. The gardens at Rydal were built and designed in 1909. For some reason 1911 has lodged itself in my brain recently. I'll put it down to the elation of making such progress recently!

The main contractors, Cox and Allen, landed this Monday without much ceremony. That didn't matter, by the end of the week a huge amount was achieved, and revealed (from a structural point of view that is) what has to be done.

Work began on the upper terrace; this is to be the first area completed to create a viewing platform from which visitors to the garden can survey the projects progress whilst keeping a safe distance from the work site. This has meant temporarily closing off the gardens to the public; this will be for as short a period as possible, we hope no more than two months.

The installation of a new and urgently needed drainage system to two of the four herbaceous borders began with remarkable speed. All that has to be done now to complete the job (weather permitting) is laying the plastic piping and filling in with gravel etc.

One major problem with the gardens at Rydal is access to the terraces with anything larger than a bucket. Steps, most of which are steep, are the only method of accessing each part of the garden. This makes it impossible to drive vehicles of any kind close to the borders, paths and lawn. However, with a heavy-duty telehandler capable of picking up a mini-digger, bypassing the perimeter wall and manoeuvring it into place to start work on digging out drainage channels, well, anything is possible.

The two long and narrow borders that flank each of Mawson's stone lions are now cleared. This was a lengthy job, mainly clearing a vast network of roots. The worst culprit being the old favourite, Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) a member of the morning glory family with bright white roots that can penetrate down several metres. Words cannot describe the joy of discovering this in your soil... The second resident to remove was a vast clump of Kerria japonica Pleniflora'; removal is most effective using a pickaxe and fork to turn the soil. I will keep several large ferns from the beds to either replant at a later date or show off in some large terracotta pots.

The gardens now have a decent large scale composting area. I have constructed these using dividers made from corrugated steel and wooden posts. The key is to keep the process as simple and efficient as possible for future turning and aerating of the heaps. I spent Friday finishing off this site in the walled garden, managing to just about stand in the pouring rain and what was later an impressive mud bath. I drove home that evening exhausted from what was another remarkable week's work.