Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Ask Lynne’ for the Western Mail. 20th February 2016
On a rare dry day last week we went to use our garden furniture only to find one of the wooden chairs has rotted. It’s not very old, so naturally we are disappointed and don’t want to replace it with more wooden furniture which will rot as quickly. What do you recommend as an alternative?
It is a problem in our Welsh climate, along with slippery decks and paving, unfortunately. You don’t say what wood your garden set was made from but teak is relatively hard-wearing and long lasting; try to buy FSC-certified from sustainable forests.
I can suggest a few options but ultimately it will depend on the size of your seating area, and your budget as well as personal preference.
Metal and wirework seating are long lasting and often more suited to a smaller space but often not the most comfortable option. Wicker rattan suites, which normally come with cushions and chair pads, are the ultimate in comfortable outdoor dining comfort and are supposed to be durable but generally more expensive and can take up a lot of room.
Plastic patio sets have improved a lot in recent years and would be a durable and relatively cost effective choice, though maybe not in a windy spot!
The best thing to do is to go to a couple of stores or garden centres and try what they have there to see how comfortable it is and also how heavy, if you need to move it very often.
One of my favourite options is an outdoor waterproof beanbag but it will depend on the age or agility of your guests or family as to whether or not it will be appreciated. They are far easier to get into than out of, especially after a glass of wine!
I had some lovely hyacinth bulbs in a pot bought for me for Valentine’s Day and would like to keep them for next year too as they are sentimental. Will they flower again in the pot or should I put them out in the garden?
As they have grown in a pot and brought in to flower just a few weeks earlier than normal they are worth replanting out in the garden when they are over. Bulbs which have been forced to flower a couple of months early for indoor decoration for Christmas don’t do as well.
Once they have finished flowering, replant them temporarily while the foliage is still fresh and green, in a patch of vacant ground anywhere round the garden while the foliage dies down. Keep them well watered and feed generously during this time to plump up the bulbs nicely.
When the foliage turns yellow or brown, dig the bulbs up, cut off the old foliage half an inch above the top of each bulb and allow them to dry off in an airy place for a few days. Then store them in stacking trays in the garden shed. Replant them in a permanent home in beds or borders in early autumn.
We have a lovely display of snowdrops in the garden and I always like to pick fresh flowers for indoors, so was going to use them but my husband says his Nan used to say it was unlucky to bring them indoors. Is that right?
Some folklore refers to snowdrops as Death’s Flower because they are often seen in churchyards and are believed to bring bad luck. They are even believed to foretell a death if brought into the house, especially if someone in the house is already sick. Some folklore, however, suggests that is only the case if a single bloom is displayed and bunches of the spring flower are without threat. Similarly the sight of a single snowdrop blooming in the garden can be taken as a sign of an impending disaster.
Other folklore advices that if you don’t want to get married this year don’t bring any snowdrops into the house until after St Valentine’s Day.
I must admit I love to have a small bunch of snowdrops next to my computer at this time of year as they lift my spirits as I work. I always put the small vase on a mirror tile and that way you will also benefit from seeing the beautiful interior of the shy hanging blooms.
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