Hobbies and Crafts

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

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. :-) :-)

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!

Oh what a shame.maybe they will recover.

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.

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 :-)

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?

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.

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. :-)

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

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

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).

Happy St George's Day,

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Hope the rain stops for you Vera so you can get in the garden.
Did you go to the Monumental Grill restaurant. The mainly fish restaurant opposite the hotel? We have had two very good meals there so far and a nice lunch.

We had one evening meal at the place across the road from the hotel Ann and, as far as I can remember, it was pretty good. We ate in the hotel twice and other nights we used different places within reasonable walking distance of the hotel. Lunches we had all over the place as we used the buses a lot to get around.

Is the Western trip the full day one with lunch provided? If so, we went on that one too and when we got upstairs in the restaurant OH put his camera on the ledge behind him. He was amazed when a waitress brought it back to him from the other side of the room. We had been so busy talking with the couple sharing our table that none of us had noticed that part of the room was slowly revolving :-D

I don't think there will be much done in the garden this week. It is pouring now and according to my weather app it is going to rain on and off all week :-( I can't believe we live in the driest part of the country. It's cold too. There is likely to be a maximum of 9 degrees today, with the temperature dropping even lower during the week. Brrr...