Lynn O’Rourke: ‘A bit of patience and perseverance doesn’t go amiss’

Published on 24/06/2012 19:04

I’VE had some grand plans for the garden recently. Well, when I say grand I mean things like painting the fence (which obviously still has to be repaired first and the rain has to stop long enough for the wood to dry out), and putting up the solar fairy lights that have been languishing in the garage for a year.

Mind you, they do need a decent blast of sunshine to get them going, so no guarantees they will be working any time soon.My problem with the garden doesn’t necessarily lie in my inherent laziness – although that can’t help – it has to do with the fact that few results are instant. It’s not like painting a wall a different colour, completely changing the feel of a room in a day and getting that immediate sense of satisfaction. Outside, you’re at the mercy of plants growing in their own sweet time, so a bit of patience doesn’t go amiss and, as I discovered with last year’s miserable efforts, a healthy dose of perseverance. I did get a bit of a lift as the odd bloom peeked out of the girls’ container pots, which thrilled them no end. But it’s another matter when you rip out an old bushy, overgrown plant and are left with a larger space than you ever imagined. One with a big flat rock in the middle of it, which, of course, the aforementioned plant had cleverly obscured. Maybe I could just cover it up again with a few strategically placed pots.

This week we take a look at a beautifully styled tenement flat in Edinburgh. Owners Morag and John Waller’s love of design shines through in this cleverly renovated space which is packed full of pretty and practical ideas. See for yourself with extra pictures online at scotlandonsunday.com/extra We also take a look at a fantastic Stirlingshire steading renovation and get a glimpse of the stylish fully renovated William Street flat belonging to the couple behind new Edinburgh interiors store Catalog.