We took advantage of the weather last weekend and made a family trip to the garden centre.

Him indoors turns into him outdoors at this time of year and takes over estate management duties. This means he is forever cutting the grass and planning hanging baskets to hang off our pergola.

Daughter decided to come with us. Sam the dog had had to go to the vet with an ear infection that morning and was looking rather sorry for himself, so we decided to combine a walk with buying a few plants, which would be easy to carry home - we reckoned.

We arrived at the garden centre and daughter and dog insisted we visited pets' corner first. Some £30 later we were allowed into the bit where the plants were.

Him outdoors immediately started moaning about the quality of the plants on offer.

The trailing lobelia wasn't available in the right shade and there were very few trailing petunias to choose from.

Daughter found a tree which I was told we needed. It wasn't a big tree so we agreed it could go in the trolley.

Then I found some flowers that we had to buy, then he added more hanging basket stuff so they would look better, then a cactus plant, then I found another nice flowery plant, then we got through the cash desk and finally ended up outside with a mountain of acquisitions.

After some negotiation with the cab driver we called, me, daughter and the tree travelled home in comfort while him and dog walked back.

Mind you, as soon as he was home he was cutting the lawn again.