Hobbies and Crafts

Not garden, but roadside verges.

I've seen some wonderful displays of cowslips in the last few days, - such a brilliant array of bright yellow just north of Folkestone.

Yesterday more were viewed as we travelled on The Hogs Back near Guildford.

Whoops, spoke too soon. It's raining heavily again :-(

Never looked at the loungers, Ann, as we tend not to use the pool area much. OH wants to be on the move after about 10 minutes, though I could spend an hour or two there with a book. It certainly sounds as if they could do with a few more - 13 for a hotel of that size is nowhere near enough.

Glad the weather has picked up for you. I think we are slipping back into winter here. Yesterday it was cold, wet and windy. We even had hail. No rain so far today but it is dull and cold. It's annoying because I want to get into the garden and start sorting out my troughs.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday and make the most of the warmth.

Lying by the pool Vera, don,'t exactly overstock on loungers do they? 13 altogether. But it is 19 degrees today so very pleasant.

Happy St Georges day from Madeira. Better weather today Vers, we did the Western trip and had sun all day. So lovely views and lots of photos. Not sure if it is my Hudle playing up or just the slow internet but I couldn't get on line yesterday although OH was OK with his IPad.

Happy St George's Day,

I am more than happy with my red white and blue border today!

One border looks so pretty just now with white late flowering Narcissus Thalia,
Red Hunter tulips and bluebells given to us by friends who have sadly died now.
Red, white and blue colour combination...... really eye catching (and patriotic too).

Hopefully next week will be better. We are still enjoying Madeira though. Lots to see and those doors are amazing. I think I have photographed most of them lol

Oh dear Ann, I hope the weather doesn't put you off Madeira. There are some lovely gardens but I wouldn't want to be going round them in the pouring rain. By the way, have you seen the painted doors in Funchal old town? There's some interesting artwork there.

I hadn't thought of ferns so thanks for that suggestion.

Kandj, thank you for your ideas - a couple of good ones there. I do like heuchera and will probably get some violas and impatiens.

OH drilled drainage holes in the troughs this afternoon and then set them out where we will want them to go and I suddenly realised just how many plants I am going to need. I shall be going round to all my friends begging cuttings :-D

Vera I think we have the monsoon season here today it has chucked it down all day. We just walked round to the Forum new shopping centre and spent money in Zara, C and A and another clothes shop, bought tonic for the gin in the supermarket then spent over an hour eating lunch we probably didn't need in one of the restaurants opposite the hotel, now back in our rooms drying off.

For your troughs, what about a few small ferns to give backing to the coloured plants. :-)

Ann, I hope the weather improves and that you both enjoy your holiday.

Vera, you will be kept busy filling so many troughs.
I have been into the garden and noted the number of plants that have thrived
happily for years in the shaded part of our garden. Hope this helps you.

Annuals
Inpatiens, Coleus, lobelia, viola, alyssum, begonia,bleeding heart and fuschia.

Perennials
Euphorbia, lily of the valley, aubretia, geranium, crocosmia, heuchera, cosmos.

You have been a bit unlucky with the weather Ann. I've been looking at Funchal weather and it was only a couple of degrees cooler when we were there in February and we only had rain on one day when we were up in the mountains. Even that day it didn't rain in Funchal. I hope it improves for you.

Now we are getting the little back garden in to some sort of shape I have been thinking about what I can do up the side of the house. It's a long narrow area and shaded. There is paving up the middle and "French" drains I.e. pebbles either side. Yesterday we went out and bought a load of troughs to put along one side. As we needed 18 I couldn't afford the really nice stone or lead ones so it had to be plastic but we got quite nice looking black ones.

I want to plant up perennials with a bit of space for some annuals for variety. So far I have got some sarcococca which I know does well in shade as we have some in the garden, and some sedums. I thought I might do one or two troughs with mini hostas. Any ideas for plants that won't get too big and will grow OK in shady spots will be welcomed. What annuals do well in shade? I'd like some colour but most of the bright colours need more sun. What's your advice please folks?

Well raining here in Madeira today, in fact it has rained a couple of days, although not all day. Temps are apparently not good for the time of year, not as good as they had in March. Still, hotel is good, breakfast very sustaining staff pleasant and lots to see. Yesterday was sunny so we just wandered around Funchal, Tuesday we walked to town and covered seven miles then taxied back Yesterday we caught the courtesy taxi. Today is a lazy day :-)

I have cut the tulips and some late flowering daffs that also took a battering.
I now have a beautiful vase full of Spring flowers here inside to look at and enjoy.

Oh what a shame.maybe they will recover.

I planted lots of tulips bulbs last Autumn and the borders looked so pretty and colourful, however we had a real downpour late afternoon yesterday and now the tulips are all bent over not looking at all good this morning. Not a very happy bunny!

Thank you Vera. We do like to sit by the pool so a towel to sit on is good.

Our daughter used to live in an upside down house, on a slope, bedrooms downstairs living room with view of the River severn upstairs, always confused me.

Rained here first thing this morning but dry this afternoon and I did get the Hosta pots weeded. had to leave some moss though as I would have damaged the new shoots to get it out.

Have a lovely evening with your friends. :-) :-)

Yes, Ann, I am pretty sure that pool towels are provided. You are given a little chitty for them when you arrive. You are supposed to hand this back with your room key when you leave. I didn't realise this and, as we hadn't used them, I just shoved them in my case with other paperwork and had to half unpack my case in reception to find them.

The odd thing about the hotel is that though you go in to the entrance lobby/reception straight off the street, it is on the 6th floor. You go down to the bedrooms. I never could get used to getting out of bed and going upstairs for breakfast.

Rain, rain and more rain today :-(. I am going out for a meal with some girl friends tonight as one of them is 70 this weekend. I had planned to wear some nice wide legged lightweight trousers but I think they are going to get a bit bedraggled just walking from the car park to the restaurant. Think it will have to be the plain old black ones again :-D

Vera, last (I hope :-D) question.
Are pool towels provided at the hotel?

Yes we did manage to get back out and the sun shone again, although everything was very wet. I need to take the moss of the top of the Hosta pots but it was too wet to do that. I did get some seeds (lettuce etc) planted in the window boxes that sit along the ledge of the conservatory and OH spread fertilizer/weed killer stuff on the lawn, we needed it to rain to do that, then he cleared the algae out of the pond and did a bit of weeding. My sunflower seeds in the greenhouse are looking very leggy so not sure what to do about them.