AN ORDINARY-LOOKING Yorkshire house hides an incredible Japanese garden at the back.
Graeme Tate, 66, and his wife Lynne spent £40,000 on the project at their detached home in Rossington, South Yorkshire.
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Their secret garden paradise boasts an incredible koi carp pond, a rockery and a tea house in two separate areas.
The semi-retired electrician and his wife have a passion for Japanese architecture – despite never visiting Japan.
They get their inspiration from other Japanese gardens in the UK, including Tatton Park in Knutsford and the Pure Land Centre in Newark.
Graeme said: “It really is beyond all expectations, I never thought it would look like it does today when I first started!
“I have always loved gardening and used to keep an allotment.
“I had no real interest in the aesthetic side until I heard Alan Titchmarsh say on television that vegetables are food for the body and flowers are food for the soul.
“It was from here that I decided to throw myself into it properly.”
The project has certainly amounted a large expense, but Graeme insists it has been a gradual investment.
He explained: “It sounds like a lot of money, but it has been spread out over an awfully long-time.”
He first began with the pond, which was dug out by hand in 1996.
He added: “The pond is essentially built in the same way that you would build a swimming pool.
“There was over 100 tons of soil to move before adding the concrete and the rockery.
“Now I have around 40 koi carp in this pond which are flourishing.”
In order to keep koi carp at a high standard, Graeme joined the British Koi Keepers Society, a body imparting proper knowledge on caring for the Japanese fish.
He explained: “I try to keep the koi to a good standard and the society is really helpful when it comes to sharing information on how to care for them.
“As I have such a large quantity, it has been a really helpful resource.
“There is always maintenance and tidying to do with the pond which certainly keeps me busy.”
Another area of Graeme’s Garden also features a tea house, separated by a beautiful ornamental fence.
Graeme added: “We use the garden all year round but on a nice day, it is lovely to use the tea house or to relax out on the patio.”
The garden has also been a huge hit over the years amongst friends and family, with everyone “blown away by it”.
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