I love my summerhouse, it started off very plain but my husband lined
the inside for me, my daughters painted the outside and I furnished it
with all the important things like comfy chairs radio book case and a box
of biscuits hidden in the corner - husband is diabetic and is not
supposed to know they are there. This morning my peace was disturbed by a
family of swallows who had great fun flying in thro the door and out of
the window, I kept very still and they took no notice of me at all,
delightful :-)

Indeed. There was a very nice timber framed and slate roofed summer house
in the garden when we moved in, in 1964. It's still there. We furnished it
with desk, casual and other seating, shelves, an electricity supply etc.
The children used it for homework, we entertained in it (played games and
drank wine with friends on an evening). It was delightful.

Then Spouse moved a bench in to build his model aeroplanes. Then put
things on the shelves. Then moved in some cupboards for storage and the
seating was limited. Then ...

... well I'm sure I don't need to say more. It's crammed to the gun'ls
with his stuff and there's hardly room for him to stand, never mind sit.
He even made the door open outwards instead of inwards to give more usable
space.

sigh

The years have wrought their worst and the timbers are beyond replacing,
he's talking about replacing it with a plastic shed.

I THINK NOT!

Mary



Oh Mary that is sooo unfair, men Grrrrr !

"Kate Morgan" wrote in message
et...


....


The years have wrought their worst and the timbers are beyond replacing,
he's talking about replacing it with a plastic shed.

I THINK NOT!

Mary



Oh Mary that is sooo unfair, men Grrrrr !

Well, he has his compensations. He can do anything and is always willing to
do what I want - even after almost fifty years. I don't complain about the
shed/summer house any more :-) He'll rebuild it in timber.

Doesn't know it yet of course ... :-)

Mary

"K" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher writes

I've been spending an hour or so in my little greenhouse recently,
"tending
the crops".

It's been so gentle that I've thought that when I don't grow anything any
more it would be a lovely summer house, conservatory, whatever. Sheltered,
warm, enough room for a table and chairs ... I wonder if anyone else has
used a greenhouse like this?

Yes, I have two arm chairs in mine, and we take our coffee in there on
sunny winter days. I heat it to the bare minimum for cacti in the winter,
but that allows me to grow other things (fairly mundane things like
scented geraniums, daffodils, eccremocarpus, butterwort) which give colour
and scent through the winter. I've also got a solar powered radio, which
is ideal as it gets enough light to work continuously.
--
Kay

Well, I always say that if the successful (insert crafter of choice) does
something I'll follow :-).

In winter our hen coop is butted up to the lower vent and they have the run
of the house (scratching in the empty borders and ahem fertilising them) so
that they're protected from the worst weather and will come into the light -
but I shan't mind sharing it with them. I could grow something scented on
the bench.

Thanks, Kay,

Mary

In article et, Sally
Thompson writes
On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:05:24 +0100, Mary Fisher wrote
(in article ):


"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
Each morning, before I do anything else (well, apart from breakfast etc.) I
go to 'look at the plants'. I do this by sitting on a box while listening to
the solar/windup radio. I't hard work, one needs to be sitting down ...


Ah yes, what my husband calls "talking to my seeds". My first port of call
also :-)


Also known as 'A good coat of looking at' (taken from the decorating
world).

Essential. Whatever you're doing, give it a good coat of looking at.

--
regards andyw