A trip to the Garden Centre

Today Lordos 1 will have been pretty empty because this morning five of the female residents, Gail, Nicky, Jan, Ellen and I went to the Garden Centre and a little later five of the male residents, Pete, Mark, Derek, Richard, John plus Rob who is an honorary Lordos 1 male went into the village for lunch and a few drinkies at Finikas.

We girlies started with brunch.  We had had torrents of rain overnight but managed to get to the Garden Centre when it was dry.  Brunch was exceptional and it was cosy and warm in the little cafe.  When we ventured into the plant polytunnel the weather turned bad again but we didn't mind.

Christmas is most definitely coming - the indoor plant area is a riot of colour - mainly red from the poinsettia but even these are now available in a wide range of colours including one which looks like paint has been splattered on the bracts.  I hadn't planned to get anything save for the compost which Sonia asked me to get but having chopped back the plumbago in the front garden I was taken by the winter flowering jasmine and picked up a spectacular looking specimen for a great price of 6 euros.

Jan is keen to have a living roof in her garden which isn't difficult to achieve but probably easier if (a) you don't have to dig up your courtyard and (b) if you are here all year round.  She loves the one which we created during lockdown using a Passion Flower.  The Passion Flower is vigorous - too much so as it throws up runners left right and centre and we only manage to control it because we are here pulling up unwanted growth almost on a daily basis.

In the garden centre they have some 'green' gazebo installations which might just do the trick because the green is artificial obviously high quality because at first glance we didn't realise that it was.  It certainly gave Jan food for thought.

Jan had not been before, she was blown away by the place, the food, the staff and the plants.  I don't think she realised that places like this do exist and even better are right on our doorstep.  It's a shame that she and Derek are leaving on Tuesday but will be back in the Spring to continue with their project next door.  We are going to miss them.

We returned home, and both Jan and Gail asked to come with me to Sonia's when I took her compost over because they wanted to see how her bathroom has been configured to give her a super sized walk in shower.  Again more food for thought.  It's amazing how all our houses are the same but different!