So without further ado, our garden!
We quickly learned during house hunting that you don't refer to the space behind your residence as a "yard." When the British hear "yard" they think more along the lines of a courtyard; something brick and concrete. "Green spaces" as HHI likes to refer to them, are most often referred to here as a garden. (Not like a produce or flower garden, although most of my neighbors have both.)
We REALLY wanted a garden of some sort and we turned down a really amazing house in the heart of Greenwich because it had no garden. (And it was on a busy road and a bit out of our price range, but Richard would have had about a 10 minute, really inexpensive commute!)
There are two compost bins in the garden that are utterly disgusting. Suggestions? They are infested with mold and insects and I have no idea what to do with them!
I know there are disadvantages to living in such close proximity to other people, you can hear their conversations if you listen closely. But I kind of love the community feel. I met one of my neighbors the other day and she invited me in immediately and went to make tea straightaway, but I told her I couldn't stay because I'd left my kids at home.
Coming from a house made of the cheapest materials possible, plywood and vinyl siding, I can't get enough of the brick. It's so NOT uniform, NOT new, NOT plastic. The trees are huge and the six or seven gardens I can see from upstairs are all so different and full of character. Looking out the windows has become a favorite pastime of mine.