Today we visit the outdoor havens of gardeners Jo Dolbear of Portland, Barbara Ireland of Chickerell and Deborah Goddard of Weymouth.

Here, Jo tells us about transforming her garden while Barbara shows off her beautiful small plot. And below left, see the transformed Weymouth garden of Deborah who, having to postpone her wedding because of the pandemic, did up her garden instead!

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The side garden outside Barbara Ireland’s house. She said: “This garden makes me think of events that have happened in my life, as I tend to collect plants from places I have lived and also some are from my mother’s garden who now lives with us.”

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Deborah’s ‘tired and unloved’ garden when she and her partner moved into their new Weymouth home in November 2019

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Work in progress in Deborah’s garden

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And after! Deborah's transformed garden!

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A relaxing patio area in Deborah's transformed garden, which she enjoys using for playing cards.

She said: "The wavy path and chimnea are my favourite features. Being in the garden in the evening with the lights on is lovely.”

To feature your garden here, fill out a simple Q&A form here or for further assistance email joanna.davis@dorsetecho.co.uk

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Bears enjoying the sun in Jo Dolbear’s garden in Foundry Close, Portland. She said: “When I came here 12 years ago with my late husband it was a wilderness. My husband was disabled and the garden wasn’t a priority.”

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Looking through the pergola in Jo’s garden. Jo said: “We had decking put down so my husband could access the outside in his wheelchair. Sadly I lost my husband not long after. I had already set up the Portland Carers Support Group a few years before with a friend. I still run it today, one of the best things I have ever done.”

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Jo is now remarried to ‘a wonderful and very clever chap’ and he has used all his professional carpentry skills to build everything in the garden - fences, decking, boxes, pergola and a studio for Jo to paint in.