How well do you know your neighbours?

I recently learnt of some interesting research that Rattan Direct are undertaking, by means of a survey, into how well we know our neighbours. We have many neighbours - more than most - and the subject intrigues me - we share boundaries with seven other households, which is a lot, isn't it?

Our excessive number of neighbours is partly because of the flats next door and partly how the gardens are split and because ours dog-legs around the corner. I can name each of our neighbours and there's some we're more friendly with and stop and chat to if we see each other in the street, but we live in London and on a relatively main road, so that doesn't happen too often.  

There is once a year though that there's a regular get together - and that's on London Marathon day. It's quite a thing for all of us to congregate outside, catch up on the local news and cheer the runners along their way!  

So if you're wondering how well you know your neighbours and have a minute or two to spare to take this survey anonymously, then thank you.  And if you're wondering why there's an image of the Painted Ladies in San Francisco accompanying this post, then it's because I often wonder if the people living here are as neighbourly as I imagine they would be, or if they too are caught up with their busy lives and living on what is probably one of the prettiest and most photographed streets in the world makes them feel less neighbourly to each other, because of being gawked up continuously, or more so because they have a common bond!  Who knows?

THE PAINTED LADIES IN SAN FRANCISCO (Image credit: Unsplash)

* This is a collaborative post, but all views and opinions are my own.

Sean Murray's Great Chelsea Garden Challenge

I recently discovered some unedited and mostly un-looked at photos from Chelsea in 2015, and as I won't be at Chelsea this year, I thought the timing fortuitous so am sharing some of those, now edited photos, today. 2015 was the year the BBC and RHS partnered on The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge TV programme with the winner fulfilling their dream to design a garden at Chelsea. 

Now wouldn't that be fun. And, no doubt, a lot of hard work. We watched the series avidly - armchair gardening really was the best that year!

In his Chelsea garden the winner, Sean Murray, created a front garden for a couple of keen gardeners nearing retirement. There's an abundance of plants, and practical off street parking too, and I suspect there's another message in there for all of us that have very little greenery in our front gardens.

At the time I remember thinking I didn't think much of the roof of their house - isn't it funny how those things stick with you? I know it's just a facade, but there you go. Looking back there's a lot of stone and slate in this garden as well as more natural and realistic planting, even for keen gardeners, so you've a feeling that they'll actually have time to sit down and enjoy the garden too.

The sunken garden worked well, and is much more adventurous than lots of front gardens, which for many - and me included - is somewhere to park the car and somewhere that leads to the front door. I wonder though if having a prettier front garden would encourage me to spend more time in it, or if the busy main road would still dominate. I think the latter, but I do wish we had more greenery there - maybe one day, if logistics can be worked out and around - ours is a complicated space, used by us and the three flats next door.

Even then - before I re-acknowledged my love of yellow - it was the yellow flowers that drew me in. And lupins too, another favourite, which although a favourite I'm still struggling to grow. I've some seeds in the greenhouse which are resolutely refusing to do their thing (so far)

The sculpture looks great, but even though MOH admired it I think I'd struggle to get him to agree to a "ring of old rusty tins" in our garden space, let alone the catering size tins under the bench seating.  And it is a lot of tinned tomatoes to eat isn't it?

While we were there the winner of the TV programme and garden designer, Sean Murray was talking to people admiring his garden. And who could blame him, it was definitely his moment to shine. Shortly after his competition win he quit his job to become a full-time gardener and by all accounts he's still doing that today, having recently designed a community garden for a local mining village, so that's great to know.

As I flicked through the photos it was these slate ones that jumped out at me. I hadn't realised at the time that this "river" of sedums and alpines was the off street parking area - surely it's way too pretty to plonk a car on top of?  My car rarely moves off the drive these days so I wonder how they'd cope, but isn't it great to challenge our idea that parking spaces have to be dreary.

And take a closer look. I know it was a Chelsea garden, but the attention to detail is phenomenal. I think I mooted the standing the slate up on its edge approach to MOH at the time in our own garden, and you're right, we didn't do it, nor even consider it. But it's a great look.

What do you think - would a front garden like this work for you?

A little light and colour crazy

Last week I shared some of the HomeSense summer ranges, and you weren't surprised I was drawn by the more colourful ones were you? Me neither. Today I'm sharing some more of their items and ones that I plan to enjoy all summer long, so let's hope this current warm spell hangs around as I've a serious amount of lights I want to enjoy both in our conservatory and in the garden.

Because nothing says summer garden more than jewel coloured ice lolly lights, now does it?

They are just one of the fun battery operated lights (#) in my local HomeSense store, which is a little bit further away than I'd ideally like. Although, to be fair, that's probably a good thing - but I hear there's likely to be a new store much closer to home in Greenwich by the end of the year. I already know that MOH will be rolling his eyes with dismay when I share that little gem with him, so sshh, let's not tell him yet!

I also picked up these white textured heart lights and while I'm showing them draped around my laburnum tree here, I plan to use them to decorate the gazebo we've bought for our 110th party next month. They're the kind of light that can be used almost anywhere around the house and I've a feeling our conservatory may turn into a bit of a fairy grotto at some point.

And they'll be easy to move outside for the days we have people over, or when we spend the evenings relaxing in the garden, they'll add a lovely glow and help me find my glass of rose more easily!

I'm hoping too that our local bird population are pleased with what I have planned for them. I think if I were a bird I'd be queueing up to move into one of these, we'll see how they go. I loved the colours of these, and three is perhaps excessive, but I'm hoping to hang them on a particularly stark bit of fence to add some colour and interest where it'll be harder to get plants to grow.

They're metal and there's a drawer at the bottom so, if any of the bird life do move in for a season it'll be easy to get them ready for the next residents.  And yes, you're right, it must be time for some more battery lights. 

These have a paper origami detail and complement the textured hearts lights earlier.  I'm keen to see the shadows that these throw around the patio, and you'll begin to see why over the summer I don't watch so much TV, as it's all about being outside - and trying to avoid being bitten, which so far, I'm struggling with. Usually I'm left alone and they feast on MOH, but this year, not so much and I much prefer how it used to be...

Another find from HomeSense are these four plastic bowls, ideal for use outside and light enough to take on picnics too. I'm all about having a civilised picnic if you can, as long as there's not too far to carry everything!

And the photo above just sums how colour and I get on.

My mission on my latest visit to HomeSense was all about the garden lights, and so I've another set to show you. If I'm honest I was less sure about these 'willow' lights, but MOH was keen on these, so in the spirit of harmony I acquiesced, sometimes it's the only way isn't it?  

But you know what I was pleasantly surprised. These have a more robust battery casing and can be left outside (although I still wouldn't leave them out over winter) and while I can't see the willow leaves - I see green chillies instead - I'm ok with that. I draped them around a prickly conifer bush next to the barbecue, but I've got plans to add these at the end of the garden where the pizza oven will be, but we've some work to do before that happens.

They looked great in the dark, and well I couldn't resist some arty shots.

And yes, I've gone a little light crazy, but they're fun and are an easy way to add some lighting outside if like us you don't have - or plan to have - electricity outside. I've a whole series of solar lights too, on one side of the patio, so it's fair to say I'm a bit of a fairy light queen!

(#) Of course, battery operated lights should be used sensibly outside and I'd recommend you only leave those that are designated for use outside, outside over the summer.

* This is a collaborative post, but all views and opinions are my own