I had, of course, while the workmen were with me, to do more, and I also suggested a few raised beds all over the place, two against the south wall, another under the guest bedroom to the north, and a fourth also on that side, against the bathroom, between the water tap and the cement covering of the water motor. The inspiration for these was the raised bed which Ranji had built on his own the last time the workmen were here, at the back against the wall that separates the area where the new building is from the driveway. That can be seen again in the last picture here.

The first picture shows the bed at the western end of the south wall. It was built against the pond around the temple flower tree, and I kept it low so that there would be no spillover into the water, for that was where the white fish that have spawned there twice shelter their little ones.

In front of the bed is an acquisition from Roshanara, which I brought over before that property was sold. It is a very solid garden bench, and having first thought of setting it against that south wall I put it forward, under one of the climbing trees that formed the border of the lawn. The trunk of that tree is within the little bed, as is the ginger plant next to the pond.

The other bed on the south side is at the corner, against the west wall too. It abuts on the seat I built round the dying mango tree, which you can just about discern through the leaves of the shrub in front. As I have mentioned earlier, the mango tree finally collapsed, and the space was bricked in, though Ranji painted that with a design to suggest the contours and the bark of the tree.

That bed should have been higher, but I was away when this was done and Somapala made it the same height as the other. So for the moment I use the space to pile up branches we cut, and when the wall has been raised, a foot or so to come near the round seat, I will fill it up with earth and start planting. But I fear that since that area does not get sun, it will only be shrubs, as in the raised triangle on the other side of the temple flower tree pond, colourful ones which I show again today in the fourth picture here.

Somapala also forgot to build the bed I had wanted next to the bathroom, but the other against the bedroom looks good. That catches a bit of sun in the morning, so I thought that I could try to place roses there. Unfortunately, with the incessant rain, the garden centres have not got supplies, though in one I did manage to find a couple of plants. And though they had blossoms when I planted them, by the time I took pictures these had fallen away. So there are only leaves in the third picture here and the bed looks bleak, but perhaps when there is more sun there will be colour there.