Even better than that!

The Southern edge of Storm Floris blew across the Midlands today, and the morning was grey and windy.  Rain was forecast, and we really hoped that the garden would get a good soaking, but, again, we got a few drops, that did nothing other than settle the dust.*

Phil the Postie arrived at the gate this morning and delivered my cabbage plugs.  I had originally planned to plant them straight in to the veg patch, but it is still very dry and they are tiny plants. I potted them on in to 3" pots and will leave them out in the cold frame for a couple of weeks. Hopefully they will grow on, and, fingers crossed, we will get some much needed rain

Our ornamental greenhouse is starting to be used on a regular basis for tea and coffee breaks. It is lovely to sit out there, particularly in cooler weather, and enjoy the outside, but inside experience.

The windy weather was not conducive to gardening, so we headed out in the afternoon to complete a few errands.

We attempted to locate the premises of a company that we would like to come and quote for a new pair of gates. We failed to find them, but we did have a pleasant drive through the lanes around Hanbury. Next stop was at a local upholsterer, as we want to get new covers made for the conservatory chairs we recently acquired.  The Upholsterer advised that "she only did curtains," but she did provide contact details for a colleague that made seat covers.

We then headed over to Astwood Bank to talk to another Upholsterer, and she was happy to make them, but she was going to charge the same price as a set of covers from the chair's original manufacturer.** 

At this point we agreed that we weren't doing very well with our errands.

As a pick-me-up we decided to pop in to a local Nursery to see if they had a particular variety of Achillea that we would like to plant in our Herbaceous Perennial Border.  We drew another blank, and were about to give up when 30% suggested a trip to Golls Nursery.

Golls was a great suggestion, and they actually had the Terracotta variety we were looking for, but, even better than that, they had two huge, later flowering Kniphofia specimens. One was in the usual red, and the other was a  yellow variety ... I have just the spot for them.

In the evening 30% made contact with Upholsterer#3, and it seems that her prices are far more reasonable. We now just need to decide on a fabric.

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* Our Herbaceous Border has really suffered in the dry weather. We had great plans for it, but have not planted anything, as the plants will just scorch in the current drought ... We are just hoping that the Autumn weather is more clement.

** 30% had already obtained quotes from them