La Dolce Vita 2026

Humdinger1

Wonderful to see you posting again @helensbiggestfan. Agree with you that you can have way too much grey, but you're fixing that in style...green velvet sofa, yum! I adore The Ghost and Mrs Muir too. Onwards and upwards love Humdinger xx

TheGrubbyGardener

I'm also delurking, having not posted for more than three years (now under a different name as I can no longer access my old account 🙄)..…

Since I was last here, we've sold our rural house with sprawling gardens and bought a Georgian downsize cottage by the seaside, where the other half and I are attempting to live la dolce vita 😁

Obviously this involves plenty of gardening 😍 and renovating 😭 as the old place hadn't been touched for 53 years. Almost two years in and things are gradually taking shape - lots of reconfiguring and reinstating of features has been happening. Instead of a bland, characterless box we're now surrounded by personality and colour! The kitchen has been our most recent project.

Sounds like you're on a similar journey @helensbiggestfan - good luck with de-millenial-ing your home!

The garden has survived well considering the heatwaves - much is in huge pots so I've been watering almost non-stop (fortunately no hosepipe ban here).

We are back living in a wider area we know well and love, with loads of fabulous places to visit - most recently we were at the wonderful Great Dixter and we finally got to the Chelsea Flower Show! So, all in all, our vita is far more dolce than at our previous location 😉

Wednesday2000

^ I think I know who you are, although I have forgotten your old username!😀

Wednesday2000

Nice to "see" you again Helen.

I have just had a few nice days in Brighton. I could definitely live there, but I have become quite attached to Leigh-on-sea since I've been here. I have a paint party tonight which was the reason I came back from Brighton as I already paid for the event. I have a charity fundraiser this weekend so I have to try on my dress tomorrow to make sure it looks okay on me.

helensbiggestfan

Hello Grubby Gardener. Yes I think I recognise you too, but I have also forgotten your previous user name. Anyway, glad to see you back. Sounds like you are enjoying your new location.

Wednesday - I don't know Leigh on Sea at all but your photos of the area look lovely. I have visited Brighton several times and loved "the vibe". I do miss living by the seaside but I don't want to leave my family behind. I love being close enough to see them on a regular basis. If it were just me I would be off like a shot. Lol. Although to be fair Derbyshire is beautiful too.

TheGrubbyGardener

Hi ladies 😊

Busy few days here, finally getting the kitchen plumbing sorted…it's amazing how much difference to your quality of life something as simple as running water from an actual tap makes 😆

Last night to celebrate I cooked a delicious roasted porcetta (thanks M&S!) which we had as a hog roast in baps with apple sauce and lots of garlicky roast potatoes.

The dishwasher is now usable too (only had it since February, lol) so today I've painted the (temporary) door. The new kitchen is starting to come together.

Living by the seaside is wonderful - hadn't realised how much I missed it till we got back - but having family close by definitely trumps everything @helensbiggestfan - fortunately ours are not too far!

TheGrubbyGardener

We have some family in Brighton and love visiting for the day but I've always found it too hectic and full on for any longer than that!

Our lovely granddog, a beddy whippet, is staying, so I've been taking the opportunity to explore more of our new(ish) local area with him. We live just two minutes walk from the beach which is accessed through gardens bounded by a golf course one side and a common the other - it's all very picturesque and unspoilt and great for dog walking. All part of trying to improve our lifestyle and it's keeping me fit too.

After our long trek this morning I'm taking it easy with a book ('Booth' by Karen Joy Fowler, which I found in a local charity shop for £2).

Wednesday2000

I'm just back from Brighton again! I was trying to decide if I could live there. I think the main part is far too busy, but I would like to look at Saltdean next time I'm there. I'm going to go back for VegFest in November.

TheGrubbyGardener

VegFest sounds good @Wednesday2000!

Sorry to hear about your plants @helensbiggestfan - hopefully they'll recover🤞

We've been fortunate as the only thing we lost was a double box ball (despite my best efforts with the zentari, it succumbed to blight), although the newly planted acer and cornus kousa are a bit crisped. Not sure if it's because we bought well-established plants (the acer is 8') or just down to my religious daily watering?!? Everything has definitely perked up now and the verbena has gone mad!

helensbiggestfan

I have lived in a number of very pretty towns or villages and several of them became real tourist hot spots, weekends and summer could be extremely busy. I didn't really mind, I just used to be careful about timing any shopping trips, but some of the permanent residents used to get very irate. I think it's a good idea to visit an area you are considering a few times, both in and out of season, gives you a clearer picture.

I've been very busy. The old sofas and some excess bits and pieces have now gone, the new sofa doesn't arrive till next week. I timed it deliberately so I could use the space to shampoo some rugs. Did the first one yesterday, will tackle the other two over the next couple of days.

I have also planted out some baby shrubs, and perennials that I have been nurturing in pots over the summer. The only way to keep them alive during the heatwaves was to keep them in pots and move them around following the shade. Anyway now it's cooled down I have planted them out properly. Hopefully they will be ok now.