Welcome to our new website, and new updated blog. As I was writing this, nearing the end of completing our new website, I got to thinking that it’s nice to be able to sit for a while sometimes and enjoy the fruits of your labour. One of my favourite places to sit and relax is in my egg chair out in my back garden. Now I know egg chairs have rocketed in popularity this summer – and it is for a reason – they are so comfortable! If you have not had a chance to get your hands on one yet, don’t worry, we still have some in store and are getting more in later in the summer. But no matter what you sit on while you make the most of our outdoor space this summer, it is nice to have pretty things to look at while you sit. I am an advocate of planting some of your most splashy areas of colour right where you can see them from your kitchen window/living room etc, and the same goes for when you are sitting outside. So, put some large pots with gorgeous colour and textures right in your eyeline from your egg chair to help you relax even more. I suggest using a really large pot to plant an acer – a red-leaved variety, Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Garnet’, has a gorgeous rich colour, but any acer will do. This will provide both colour and soothing sounds near your sitting spot, as the wind gently blowing through the feathery acer leaves is really comforting. Don’t be afraid to plant some bedding underneath, especially while the acer is small and light and rain still fall through. The acer will be restricted by the size of the pot and will not grow too large in this way. You could even position it so you have some shade on the sunnier days.
Planting some lavender nearby, some fragrant old-fashioned roses, or wisteria, jasmine, or honeysuckle to aid relaxation by having some heavenly scents float passed you. And if you really want to treat yourself, why not plant a few strawberry plants nearby so you don’t even have to drag yourself out of the chair for a little juicy snack! If you have a table nearby, try planting fresh bedding in a low bowl-shaped pot for the final splash of summer colour to make you feel like you are really on holiday!
For your reading material while you relax, why not check out our latest garden centre magazine? You can pick up a free copy in our Cork store or read it online here: https://www.botanicgarden.ie/magazine/ . It has some great ideas for houseplants you can buy in our two Botanic Home & Garden Centre stores, as well as some information on other local businesses.
Now sit back and relax! And when you’re done, cover your egg chair with one of our egg chair covers to save you lugging in the giant cushion every evening. No point in being too strenuous after all that relaxing!