Lunch in a garden is a always a treat. But lunch in a garden at a friend’s house that you haven’t seen for months is even more so, especially when you’re still feeling rundown and it’s sunny. Also – eating ‘proper food’ = homemade soup when you’ve been subsisting on pasta, pizza and microwaves meals for weeks on end.
The garden lunch was equally lovely for the chats about gardens and plants as my friend is having her patch redesigned with a space to sit in the sun, an area to eat, a swing, raised planters and manageable plants. It’s always fun surveying the plot to see where the brightest and the shadiest bits are and what hard landscaping elements and plants you want to keep, save or introduce.
In Jo’s case, it’s out with the towering camellia, the current decking, the shed and some of the tangled ivy and jasmine. It’s digging up and repotting for the perennially lovely Verbena bonariensis, which are just starting to shoot. And it’s much excitement for an assortment of shrubs and new plants and flowers.
The boys have also had a lovely week at tennis with their friends and also cycling through West Ham Park. Will definitely be booking that in again.