The Last Car Boot Sale

Car Boot Sales!

I have promised Iron Man that this really is the last one.  It’s going to have to be as no loft means no hoarding.

This one has had to be hardcore though.  Alarm set for 3.45, leave by 4.30.  Never before have we been so committed.  The Kid had a sleepover and the attention seeking rabbit was left with enough supplies to see her through the morning.

There is no room for the 7.00 sellers these days.

You end up in the cow-shed and go home with everything you came with and 25p.

That’s enough to rock any marriage.

So here we are at Dunton in Essex and for the first time in weeks, I’m cold.  So cold that I’m tempted to start dressing myself in the very items I am selling.

This will probably be the closest I will get to a modelling career in brown leather boots and a Pom Pom scarf.

In fact, I’m glad to see it’s not just me that’s cold because there are people here shopping in their fleecy pyjamas.

I often wonder what possesses people to get up at such an ungodly hour to buy other people’s toot but wild horses couldn’t keep them away.  Just as well really.

We are rather departmental this time around and Iron Man could easily be cast as Mr Selfridge as he stands over the merchandise negotiating with purchasers that are interested in the giant inflatable champagne bottles.

As I sit in the car, I feel proud that he has stuck to his guns and held out for 50p per bottle. Especially after the effort of blowing them both up.

This is despite being offered 50p for two.

Sale agreed!  Inflatables Are Us!

Our Christmas section has been unveiled and as I have said before, it would rival Harrods.

The 3 sided tree is out in all its glory.  No shift so far.  People keep wanting to buy all three at a heavily discounted price.

I’ve had to impose a limit of one per customer.

No one needs 3 trees.

I can vouch for that because they have been sat in the loft for years.  I am doing these people a favour in not taking their money.

And as for the three sided tree – well, rooms will always have corners.

There will always be a need.

Trade is picking up slowly, very slowly.  As I sit in the car nursing my chilblains,  I can hear Iron Man engaging with more customers.  I think he may have cracked a joke too.  Time to investigate and the sun is out.

I am seriously wondering to myself though whether the days of the car boot are over.  It’s much quieter than it used to be.  Maybe we have chosen a good time to retire and bail out.

It has been a very long slog.

Lots of bartering and haggling and fun.

And lots of nice people stopping by.

Many satisfied customers.

And some unsatisfied.

I am never going to let you have something for £2 if I’ve asked for £10.  This is not the way to successfully negotiate a deal.

The charity shop will always win this one.

I will also never fail to be amazed at the ability of women with Size 7 feet that try and squeeze them into a size 5 and then want a discount because they are the wrong size.  Such are the antics of these places.   You can never have enough shoes of the wrong size at times like this.

It is these things that make the whole thing worthwhile when you have stood on your feet for 8 hours.

Of course we forgot the chairs.  And of course among the 22,000 stalls, we were unable to find a pair.  This is known as Sod’s Law.

The temperature warmed up nicely over the course of the morning and as we queue to leave at 1245 after 8 hours trading, I am a little charred.

In the boot of the car is more or less what we came with.  Including the trees!!

We have made £130 in sales which is not too be sniffed at but we could probably have both done an 8 hour stint in Poundland for more.

And with the car as full as when we arrived, we go home via St Francis Hospice Charity Shop laden down with goodies for them, so nothing is going to waste.

Best seller of the day goes to Barbie.  Her late entrance proved to be worthwhile.

Her authenticity was questioned and we thought we may have to get Ken involved but she held her ground.

I gave her new owners some wise advice.

It is not OK to bend a dolls legs and arms backwards.  EVER.   It is also not OK to imply that my goods are anything other than legit.  Do we look like we are the type to house fake Barbie’s.  No.  Thought not.

Do not even think about asking me to knock the price down.

People can be cruel sometimes.

I do hope we have done the right thing for her.

And the ex soft furnishings from The Kid’s old bedroom are on their way to Thailand with another satisfied customer.

Everyone is a winner.

I can honestly say that I will never do another Car Boot Sale in this lifetime.

Iron Man and I are at one on this.

We are done with this chapter of our lives.

Promise!

The marriage would not survive.

Nicky

 

 

 

 

Exercise – Getting My Just Desserts

I have written in recent blogs about my quest to find clothing to accommodate my new shape and flatter my new curves.

You may have noticed that I have very tactically avoided the very delicate subject of exercise and diet, other than the odd reference to Prosecco and salad.

I have noticed!

For the record, I have been one of those annoying people that has glided through life eating all of the wrong things in excess and never putting on a pound.

I’ve also glided through life as a bit of a fair weather exerciser.

So really you could call say that I am getting my just desserts.

And that is of course where the problem starts.  With the desserts.

But I’ve had my moment and it’s time to give something back.

To shape up or ship out.

The problem I have, quite simply, is that I do not like exercising and I do love eating.  And generally I love eating all of the wrong things.

So in my cosy little corner, I have continued to do all of the naughty things very well.

I’ve always had an interesting relationship with exercise.  Interesting in so far as I’ve never really found an activity that has interested me.  Don’t get me wrong I’ve loved a lot of the classes that I’ve done over the years but probably not enough to continue ad infinitum.

And it’s the keeping going that has been the sticking point.  I am very easily able to find a million things I would rather be doing and a further million as to why I shouldn’t be exercising.

I have never been a person that has enjoyed exercising.  I have waited my whole life to experiencing the ‘high’ that people speak of from running but it seems to have just run straight by me – literally.

I guess I’ve always assumed that everyone else is enjoying their efforts and that is why they do it.  So I suppose I’ve always been a bit embarrassed to admit that I don’t enjoy it.  A bit uncool even.  Because whenever I see people showing up either by running or going to a class, I assume that are enjoying themselves and experiencing the ‘high’ of which people speak.

If I had a flag with me, I’d wave them on.

My current loves are Yoga and Walking.  Exercise of course but not the toning, fat burning, pulse racing kind of thing that perhaps I now need.

It was somewhat timely that I noticed an advert for bloggers to participate in a free private coaching session in return for an honest review with Samantha Hadfield, Fit & Flourish, Body Transformation Expert.

Wonderful, I thought.  This ties in perfectly with my series around body changes for the 40+ woman.

I had no idea what to expect from this Transformation Session but I guess in my little heart, I probably had high hopes that I was going to return home sylph like having dropped two dresses all toned and lovely.  In an hour!

See what I mean about my ideology around exercise.

So off I went to meet the lovely Samantha at her new location in Covent Garden.

Samantha is a Body Transformation Expert who helps women who are fed up with feeling fed up, tired of feeling tired, have tried everything and nothing has worked and who just want to do something to transform their bodies once and for all.  The key is to provide women with the tools and knowledge to not only reach out to their body, health and fitness goals but to also maintain their new body for life.

We talked about me, my hopes, my pitfalls and we went through the usual tests and checks to establish my body metrics.

I was weighed on proper scales and not the set that I move around the room until I get my desired weight.  How cruel!

We also did a brief fitness assessment to establish where I was at with my fitness levels.

And then the results.

And I needed to hear the results.  Because actually, deep down in my trainers and in my cosy little eating place, I knew that it was time for some action.

And this is where someone like Samantha comes in.  Because it’s all about accountability.  About knowing that someone is going to hold you to your commitment.  Knowing that when you can’t be bothered, there is someone waiting for you to turn up and help you to achieve your goals.

It was also music to my ears to know that actually most people DON’T enjoy exercise.  This was a revelation to me and it made me feel so normal I wanted to hug this wonderful lady.

Samantha went on to talk about the different exercises she introduces to her clients and how they tend to work in groups.  The main focus being on having fun.  Because actually no one wants to be doing exercise but it is necessary and it does take us to the place we want to be.

We also talked about food.  Again, I love it eat but do I spend time considering what I am eating?  No I don’t.  Again, not unusual.

We then went through a mini training session which I have to say I did thoroughly enjoy.  I also found it difficult which is testament to my current level of fitness. And I ached the next day so I really felt that it had done some good.

There was just time left in my session to set some goals which was a great focus for me.  I talked about what I didn’t want to have to do anymore – keep buying larger clothes and what I did want to do – feel comfortable and get back to wearing the things that I wanted to.  To be able to look in the mirror and say ‘yep, I’m happy with that’.

Unfortunately, I am unable to participate in a regular programme with Samantha because the location doesn’t suit my current commitments but if I was working in London I would have been able to accommodate the schedule.

Samantha has recently moved from her premises in South London to Covent Garden so that she can focus her attention on helping people like me.

People that have a goal, that have struggled to commit to a form of exercise and that need to work with someone that can tailor a programme that suits their individual requirements.  Samantha offers a very flexible programme for working women that allows them to exercise at convenient times (ie before and after work and during the lunch period).  Most importantly, she is there to cheer you on and will be depending on you to turn up.

I have seen some of Samantha’s success stories that she has shared on her page and it is heartening to see the people for whom her programme has really made a difference.  Here is a link to Samantha’s page.

I gained a huge amount from the time I spent with Samantha.  She told me what I needed to hear and in turn I heard what I needed to be told.

My action started from the moment I walked out of the studio.  Knowing that I would be unable to get into town regularly, Samantha shared lots of ideas of alternative exercise programmes that may be suitable for me.

I have started to look at what I am eating first of all because I know that I can do this.  I’m a big advocate of making the change you want to see and this is no different.

It’s not going to be easy, nor am I about to embark on a life-changing journey but now I know that I’m not the only one that finds it a drudge, I do feel a bit better.

So please do smile sweetly if I should pass you whilst I’m out for a spot of ‘mum’ running!

Exercise eh!

Do you love it or hate it?

Nicky

I was gifted the Transformation Session for the purpose of providing a review of the service offered by Fit & Flourish.   All thoughts and opinions are my own and in line with my expectations as if I were a paying client.

I only review products and services that are in keeping with the content and ethos of this blog.

 

 

 

Writing Prompts For Your Business Blog

In a recent post, I wrote about the many reasons why a business should blog.  You can read it here if you missed it Why Should a Business Blog?

What I would like to talk about in this post is some suggestions and ideas for the type of blog posts that you may want to consider writing and sharing with your audience.

Perhaps you are ready to blog but are still short on ideas and inspiration.  If that is the case, I have listed some simple writing prompts below to help get you started.

What Have You Worked On In The Last Week?

This is always a great one for getting the creative juices flowing.

Have a think about the things you have been working on in the last week.  Have you worked with a new client?  Perhaps you have been involved in a process that is slightly different to your usual work?  Have you completed a new project? Is there something here that would be of interest to prospective new clients?  Share it, explain the process, tell your readers why it was successful.

Refer to your new client, if it was a business to business transaction, perhaps there is an opportunity for collaboration.  There is a good chance that it may be of mutual benefit to your combined audience.  There are several prompts here that are certainly blog worthy.

Niches That Need To Be Explained

Does your particular business have a niche that needs to be explained to your audience.  Is this something that could be set out over a series of blogs?  If clients understand what you do, it helps them to see why your services may be of benefit to them.  If they aren’t well informed they may not see how you could help them.  Make it easier for people to do business with you.

The Devil Is In The Detail

Don’t fight shy of detail.  You may be the expert at your business but your prospective client isn’t. Sometimes it can be simple blocks and misunderstandings that can prevent us from investing in a service.  Spell it out.

Anticipate Customer Questions

Are you asked the same question regularly about your product or service?  If so, this is certainly blog worthy.  Simple explanations and answers to popular questions make great blog material.  You can refer potential customers to your posts over and over again.

It’s Not Just About The Words

If you have a creative business, let photographs do the work for you.  We are always drawn to an image – look at how popular Instagram and Pinterest are.  Some of your fabulous images followed by a few words about the process or journey can provide a very interesting blog post for your readers.  Perhaps you have a gardening business – let the service work for itself through images.

New Products & Services

Are you about to launch a new product?  How exciting!  Have you told your customers?  If not, why not?  This is fabulous news and you need to be sharing it.  Perhaps you are looking for some feedback before launch?  Again, ask others for their thoughts.  This is also a great way to get a dialogue going through your blog comments section.

Don’t Forget We Want To Get To Know You

We are more likely to place our business with someone that we know, like and trust.  Allow us an insight into the face behind the business.  Perhaps you have a team?  Introduce them if so.  This could be a blog post of its own.  It puts faces to names and provides a personal touch.  Don’t be afraid to intersperse posts with snippets about yourself either.

Be Current

At the time of writing this post, the weather is scorching.  If my business related to fans, coolers, outdoor furniture or such like, I would be missing a trick not to talk about my products on my blog.  Today the hashtag #toohottosleep is trending on Social Media.  Imagine if your product was the solution!

So there we have a few suggestions which will hopefully be sufficient to help you to start popping some ideas down for a blog post.

Still struggling?

In my next post, I plan to share an example of a business blog.

If there are any business owners that are finding blogging difficult to approach or feel that their business doesn’t lend itself to a blog post, feel free to drop me a line via my Contact Page.  I would be happy to include your business as an example.

Good luck and thank you for reading.

Nicky

 

Do Do Dave and Na Na Nicky

So Dave has made the headlines for getting caught humming.

Oh the joy.  The joy of knowing that there is someone out there with my habit.

Ok – so I don’t have the luxury of a microphone at these times, nor a stage in Downing Street.

But hum I do.

The good news for you Dave is that I can identify with this one.

Bloody hell that must feel good.

I’ve got your back on this one.  I know that there are humming times.

Times that can only be approached with a hum.

And not just any old hum either.

It’s been a rough few weeks and whichever side we are on (and there are quite a lot of them), I’m sure you will agree that you’ve had easier times.

But back to this humming thing though, can you believe that I do it too!!

The annoying thing being that I often don’t realise I am doing it.  I believe this is how you got caught out.  Mine is not a tuneful hum either.  It’s the hum to whatever I may be doing at the time.  A dull, monotonous hum.  A working hum.  A hum that drives anyone around me completely insane.  Particularly Iron Man.

Can you bloody well believe that ye and me have something in common though?!

There will be others too Dave.  People come out of the woodwork at times like this.  A bit like when you buy a new car and suddenly every bugger has got one.  There must be a name for that.

Talking of names, some interesting ones in the new cabinet.  This must be like office gossip at its finest.

Obviously you don’t know me (but I know you) – now that must be kind of weird.  It’s less weird if you are on Facebook and Twitter though because you can be friends with people that you don’t really know. You can follow people too.

That’s known as stalking anywhere else but on Twitter, you can fill your boots.

Also, Facebook suggests people you might like to be friends with and I’m just thinking that would probably have been the case for us.   Certainly several reasons for an association.

Because I just see more and more things we have in common.

You are of course about to move and that’s a big upheaval.

You probably won’t have had a chance to read about my loft conversion (understandable) but we are about to go through a similar upheaval.

Actually if you do get a chance, can you have a look and see what you think of the bathroom idea.

I’m guessing that you also live in an older style house and I just wondered what your views were on the high flush cistern?

Maybe run it by Sam and whilst you are about it, ask her if she’s finding she is starting to get hot flushes too.  We are similar in age.

I could go on, there is a rich vein here.

But what I’d really would love to know though is what you think about the new cabinet appointments.  You’ve obviously not always seen eye to eye with Teresa in the past but I’m guessing that you are able to take an objective view. A bit like we all try to.

I know I wouldn’t have wanted to be in her leopard print kitten heel shoes over the last few days.

I don’t suppose she would have wanted to be in ours either.

Boris was a surprise though.

I’ve never really been a fan.  Of course I’d never be rude or pass up an opportunity for a photo though.  Especially if he’s going to hang out in our area.

And talking of Boris, I hear he is going to have to share a home.

That’s really unfortunate – but do not and I repeat DO NOT let on that we will have a spare room soon.

It won’t work.  Not with the snoring.  I really need to know that I have your trust on this one.

But anyway,  back to the microphone thing.

Most of us you’ll find generally use one for Karaoke rather than for our day to day business.  And oh you should see me at Karaoke.  Forget the humming – I’d see you off the stage before you could say I’ve had the time of my life.

And talking of having the time of your life, I’m guessing your kids are breaking up soon, like mine.

I suppose you will be around a bit more this summer.  I will too. You will be muscling in on the many day trips with Sam and the children to all the local sights and parks.  Your picnic hamper will be so used to going out that your bread rolls will be lining up at the door with their coats on.

Believe me when I tell you that you will not want to see another sandwich until Christmas evening.  Neither will you ever want to eat Pizza & Chips from a polystyrene plate with a plastic spoon in a canteen ever again.

Oh and don’t forget the 2 for 1 offers on the Rice Krispies.  They will certainly save you a few bob.

I’m guessing some of your children are similar in age to my daughter.  Tweenage.  I find I have to work a bit harder on the entertainment front these days.   As in, I’m not very entertaining.  Well I am – but just not to The Kid.

Anyhow don’t get too carried away though because that’s probably where the similarity stops.

I mean it’s not all of us that get our ditty turned into a rendition of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony on Classic FM is it.

I know this to be true because my sister-in-law told me.  She also knows you.  And she listens to Classic FM.

What luck you have!  Not that I’m jealous or anything.

Duet?

Thought not!

See you at the park then.

I’ll be humming away.

Nicky

 

 

Hairy, Hairy Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

 

So the sun is out, the sky is a beautiful blue and we are promised two weeks of delicious sunshine.

We are going to be hotter than Ibiza they say.

Hallebloodylujah.

We are soooooo ready for you.

Well, almost.

You see some of us have grown an entire extra layer of skin and hair to get us through the cold climate that we fondly know as the spring.

Our poor little bods having alternated between our entire winter wardrobe twice, are vowing never to come out again.

The sight of the blue skies spur us into over drive as we realise that Yeti is not the one we need this week.

So for some of us that means a quick trim of the lawn and borders.

What the eye doesn’t see and all that.

And unless you are a seasoned all year round maintenance type, it is likely that the sight of the blue skies will have you running for the nearest razor, wax pot, lawnmower and shears from your archives.

In short, it’s time to run for your lady garden.

And this is the great thing about living in the UK, you never quite know when it’s time.

Surge too early and you get your summer timings mucked up, surge too late and you are so going to be the one in the onesie at the BBQ on the hottest day of the year.

Don’t think we don’t know.

Let’s face it, we have all been that person haven’t we?

Trying to work out the timing of a wax over the summer months is a bit like scheduling a board meeting with participants from 12 different countries.

Because as we well know, once embarking on the rigid schedule of hair removal, we then have to think about when it’s going to grow back.

Wouldn’t do for it to clash with the Queen’s Garden Party after all would it!

So we may just have to factor in a quiet weekend of languishing in private where we pray for our leg lawns to grow just a quarter of an inch so that we can once more be relieved of it.

I have to say there can be advantages to hanging out with anyone 40+ at regrowth times.

I include myself in this category.

This is quite a strategic social move.

On the basis that they can’t read a menu without their own (or someone else’s) glasses, they are unlikely to see your delicate leg lawn cutely peeping out from your pedal pushers.

That is one of my top tips from my Beauty Bible and will ensure you never need miss an event again.

So I’m guessing we are going to fall into two halves here.

Some of us will be ripping off our skater skirts and winter sleeves to reveal our ever-ready bodies whilst others are flicking through the wardrobe for the lightweight trousers and sleeved tops.

Yes we do all have THAT outfit.

Oh how I hope that someone opens a hair removal salon called The Lady Gardener.  Maybe they already have.  It’s certainly there for the taking.  A franchise even or a chain of ‘garden’ centres.

And then there are the borders.  Otherwise known as hands and feet.

And like all good borders, they need a hint of colour.

Now, if we can just flick back to the Beauty Bible, I’m suspecting that if you are anything like me, there is definitely some ‘behind the scenes’ preparation needed.

No point planting flowers among last years foliage eh!

So having shaken off the winter socks and boots, you are highly likely going to have a little extra padding on your little tootsies.

To put it more delicately, if you could exfoliate your entire body with the heel of one foot, then you probably need to brace your little tootsies for the knife and a good grating.

And that is completely bloody normal in my Beauty Bible. 

So what are we waiting for – best foot forward.

IBIZA we are coming for you.

Have fun in the sun.

Nicky x

 

  

 

 

 

 

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Dear August

The last week of August

Dear August

You and I need to have a word.

It’s been playing on my mind for a couple of weeks and I’ve realised, quite frankly, that I’m not too keen on you.

This may come as a bit of a shock to you and I have thought long and hard about why I feel like this.

I really don’t want to hurt your feelings so I want to explain why I feel like this about you.

I guess what hasn’t helped our relationship is that I returned from holiday at the beginning of your month and I couldn’t help noticing a few changes while I’d been away.

Looking a bit grey

For a start, I noticed that the evenings were shorter than before I went away.

Also, your weather temperament has been a little unpredictable.

Rainy day in August

You’ve made me feel a couple of times like I want to put my onesie on and crank the heating up and this has left me feeling very confused.

I’ve also had to get the umbrella out several times. I don’t mind this too much but you’ve caught me out in my flip flops on more than one occasion in the last few weeks and I really don’t want to have to think about shoes just yet.

In this respect, you are a bit of a tricky one because you signal the end of the summer and the start of autumn.

The most painful part for me though August is that you make people start talking about the new school year and worse still Christmas and this just makes me feel sad.

Being a parent, my calendar tends to run by the school academic year and this makes September feel a little bit like a new year.

September is on its way

It also means that the fun of the summer is coming to an end and while I may have moaned about the The Kid from time to time, I absolutely love the school holidays and I will miss her.

I also love Christmas but I get very worried that the year is almost over when people start discussing it in your month. You may be a little fed up about this too.

What really worries me is that I haven’t done all of the things I said I would. A bit like I’m running out of year.

I guess July is a hard act to follow and in some respects I may be making you feel a bit like January feels about December. A bit like the poor relation. Everyone has a good old moan about January because they have had such a great time in December. I have to say I’m a bit of a weird one here though because I love January and I know not many people do.

Anyway, enough about me.

I do understand how you may feel about being sandwiched between July and September. I can’t imagine all this talk of autumn and winter is doing much for your self-esteem and maybe that is why you have cried so much this month.

What Season Am I?

This makes me feel even sadder. Equally, you may feel like you haven’t done all of the things you wanted to do this year.

In my attempt to make you (and me) feel a little better, I have taken a look back at what I set as my priorities at the beginning of the year. All of my and my little family’s wishes for the things that we wanted to do this year that make our hearts sing.

It’s these things that provide all the memories and giggles that go on our Memory Board each year on New Year’s Eve.

Our Memory Board

Unfortunately, it’s all too often these things that get overlooked when busy living and other priorities get in the way. Often these ‘priorities’ have a habit of getting in the way of the things that we really want to do and our ‘little things’ fall by the way side.

Maybe you feel like this too and haven’t had the chance to shine as much as you usually would.

I’m going to make a pact with you August. It’s my way of saying that I’m giving you a second chance.

I am going to go back to my list and I am going to do all of those things I promised myself I would do for me this year. As a family, we are going to do as many of the things left on our list that we haven’t yet done. Last but not least, I’m going to make sure that I see all the people I’ve been wanting to catch up with and I’m going to see more of those people that just make me smile.

That’s my part of the deal.

Your part of this deal August is to try to last a little longer and to dry up those tears and start shining again.

How I Imagine You Might Look

I do think we can work together on this and we can welcome September together knowing that we have done enough and are back on track.

What do you think?

PS It might be worth asking September if you can carry some sunshine forward if you do run out of days

PPS The shoe thing was a real problem today!

Raincoats & Sandals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Guilty Pleasure – Window Boxes

One of my treats to myself is updating my window boxes seasonally.  I always say if the window boxes are looking good outside, all is well inside.  Time has a hand in that too but I do love to come home and see them looking good on my window sills.  Having a big bay window also has its advantages because I can also see them when it’s light from the front room too.  It also gives a little privacy too as we have an open window during the day.

I tend to have a favourite idea or a colour scheme in my head that I transfer to the window boxes.  I will pop anything in to achieve my desired look.

This was last summer’s efforts (below) being changed over for autumn and winter.  I’m a big fan of having a nice baby Cordyline for a bit of height but these ones have outgrown the boxes now and need a bigger home.  I like to pop all the old plants into another container in case I can recycle them the following year.  I’ll certainly get something more from the geraniums and pansies (which I’d grown already from my own seeds the previous year).  Hopefully the Salvia may come good too.  It really doesn’t have to be expensive business if I can re-use old plants.

I had a real thing about lilacs and purples with both a dark and variegated foliage last autumn so I set out to create these.

I really struggled to get what I wanted but Pansies, Lavender, Ajuga (Burgundy Glow and Braunherz) and various Carex are all involved here.

As I couldn’t find all I needed, I decided to pop in some Chives and Thyme to complement the colour scheme.  I wasn’t sure they would hack it in with the other bits but they have.

I have to say that this selection of plants took a while to come into their own and peep above the edge of the window box.

However, they have all of a sudden gone completely mad and I am now looking to change them around and move some bits to make it more comfortable.

The Lavender is about to pop and I suspect the Ajuga would like a bit more space.

Also, not one to pass up on an opportunity for change, I couldn’t help but notice these lovely yellows whilst at a garden centre in Cornwall at the weekend.

The ones on the left have really grabbed my attention!

The need to join the party don’t you think?

Just need a few consecutive days of dry weather to get cracking.

Nicky