The plants that I was convinced were dead

This year I have learned a valuable lesson in the garden - don't give up on any plants until you are absolutely sure that they are dead!

In the autumn I very nearly removed this unidentified plant which filled my strawberry planter with beautiful pink flowers last year. It was shrivelled up and grey, and only stayed because I missed it during the autumn tidy up. To my surprise, last week tiny buds appeared, and now it has really taken off! It's a little behind where it was when I bought it, but I really hope that it flowers again this year because last year it was really lovely! 

I bought two lavender plants towards the end of last year, but a few months back I was convinced that I had lost them. After all the rain that we had at the beginning of the year they were completely waterlogged and the lower stems had turned brown. But both of them are flowering nicely now!

I planted three delphiniums last year, and over winter they all disappeared, until one of them suddenly came back to life! I have some smaller seedlings to go in this summer, I'm going to plant them in the same place as this one as it was obviously the perfect position!

Finally my poor clematis never really took off last year, the couple of flowers it had when I bought it quickly fell of and then it just looked a bit sad. I cut it back in autumn but it was so brown and dry that I thought it was gone. So I was delighted to spot buds a few weeks ago, and although the flowers are a little spindly at least they are there!

I am a very impatient gardener, I just want everything to fill out immediately rather than having to wait years for everything to grow up. Hopefully in this second year things will start to take off!

A relaxing spa break at Champneys Forest Mere

Last week I was lucky enough to enjoy a fantastic three night stay at Champneys Forest Mere Health Spa. My Mum very kindly treated me, my sister and sister-in-law and we all had a wonderful time. As well as being a nice relaxing break it was also a lovely opportunity for us to all spend some time together.

I've had a couple of spa treatments over the years but this was my first spa break, and I really loved it. It was a great chance to get away from my daily life for a little while, enjoying a change of environment with some lovely company. I thought I'd share some of my thoughts in case it's helpful to anyone else thinking about a Champneys spa break!

The room

As a group of four we had two adjacent twin rooms. The rooms were clean and large, with plenty of space for the four of us to spend time together in the evenings. We had a lovely view out over the grounds including the lake and outdoor swimming pool, and the room was always quiet. There were tea and coffee making facilities and toiletries provided. 

Things to do

There are plenty of activities included as part of your stay which can be booked either the day before at a small cost or on the day for free if there is space. There are also some activities that cost extra, for example yoga and meditation. You can view the activity schedule on the website before your visit to get an idea of what is on offer - the classes range from low intensity stretch classes to higher intensity circuits and HIIT classes. There are also short guided walks around the local area.

I had intended to go for a run on the footpaths nearby but I was advised that the suggested hiking routes were very muddy (wellingtons were available if you fancied a walk!) Instead I took myself down the single track road leading from the resort to the main road. It was about 4k return and was a lovely run past the lake and through the trees. There are also bikes available to borrow. For a change or if it's raining there is a gym with the usual gym equipment and weights.

If you want a less active time then there are plenty of places to sit and relax both indoors and out. There is the large swimming pool area with saunas, hot tubs and so on. Around the pool there are a couple of peaceful rooms set up with waterbeds where you can read or sleep. There are also a couple of lounge areas, including the café with food and drink available to purchase and the piano room with beautiful views across the lake.

Treatments

My Mum very kindly let us choose three treatments each which were wonderful! My first treatment was the Champneys Spa Heaven Cocoon where I was exfoliated all over, moisturised, and left to rest on a heated bed while my feet and my head were massaged! I was a bit nervous about taking off my clothes but it was all very discretely managed. I did struggle with the paper pants though - I couldn't work out which way round they went!

Then I had the Champneys Radiance Renewal Facial which was amazing. It was so relaxing, with a face mask applied and then some kind of heavy blindfold while my scalp was massaged. It really was fantastic and I felt so chilled out afterwards. I finished with a Champneys Manicure which was again very good. My favourite part was the heated mittens which I was left to sit with for a little while, and it also included a hand massage.

Food and drink

I've written about the food and drink in a lot of detail which I'll be sharing here on the blog shortly. We were really impressed with the food available, there were lots of healthy choices and interesting things to try. It was very different to the sort of food that I eat at home as I tend to go for simple meals without too many ingredients, and it was a real treat to be cooked for! We did take our own drinks and nibbles to enjoy in the room together during the evening, but we could have managed without as we all found the food very filling.  

If you are looking for a spa break then I can definitely recommend Champneys. I know that it's not cheap, but it's worth looking out for special offers as they come up throughout the year, especially for a less busy time or mid-week. You'll usually have to pay extra for any treatments but as long as you keep an eye on the other extras (the more indulgent food, alcoholic drinks, a trip to the shop and so on) there is plenty included in the cost of your stay. I'm hoping that we will have the chance to return soon!

Thanks to my family for some of the photos!