‘Doing Days out’.. Day 2

We started the day with a trip to Exeter and specifically to the ‘The Trading Hub’, where you can find an eclectic mix of vintage, antiques, industrial and contemporary items. Just up my street…but not quite! However, the 25 minute journey was worth it!

In true Mr and Mrs Snippets style, a cup of coffee is usually first on the agenda when we go out. Whilst Mr S placed the order, I sat on a sofa by this lovely, tiled table and admired the mix and match of the furniture.

And then we wandered around and I have to say that it was lovely. Everything was well displayed, there was plenty of room and it wasn’t all crammed in, as is often the case. So room to move, room to think and room to peruse.

My beady eyes fell upon these old French wine filters…

I didn’t purchase! (But I will remember that they are there! 😆) With the drainage holes already in situ, they are ideal for a garden planter! 😜

Tupperware….who remembers that?  I mean, I still have some and I have to admit that I even hosted some Tupperware parties when I was younger! What fun they were too! I knew how to live! I thought it was wonderful ‘stuff’!

I loved this little, painted stool…

Indeed, I enjoyed looking at everything…

…especially this shed and the vintage signs…

Our next stop was Exminster, at The Royal Oak, for lunch. We’ve never been there before and so thought we’d try it.

We were pleasantly surprised. It was lovely, clean, friendly and…not busy. Good for us but maybe not for them! It was a very relaxing lunch! Peace and quiet reigned.

A stone's throw from Exminster is Toby’s Reclamation Yard and so you can’t really drive past, and not dive in for a mooch! 

And I always love to look at the vintage signs.

A few minutes from Toby’s, is the Powderham Plant Centre, run by Urban and Rural Plants… and I can honestly say that it’s looking absolutely superb! It’s always good but they really have surpassed themselves this time! When Toby Buckland ran it, it was wonderful and I was always fearful that it wouldn’t be the same when the new people took over! I was completely wrong! The quality of the plants is outstanding.

Full of late summer flowering, perennials, the golds and yellows dominated today! Talk about making a statement! 

‘Sunny Seduction’ is its name and I almost was seduced by this lovely Achillea…

I was also very tempted with this Delphina ‘Pink White Bee’…

but knowing my garden and slugs, I left well alone! However…I’ve have had this one, below, on my wish list, for a while. ‘Agastache Blackadder’. Otherwise known as Giant Hyssop, it’s fantastic for pollinators! And I have a sunny space that is ideal.That’ll do very nicely! I’d previously researched it on the RHS website when Carol Klein used it in her ‘RHS Iconic Horticultural Hero Garden’, at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, in 2023. The RHS says:

‘A hardy and reliable perennial with long, pointed green, aromatic foliage with toothed edges. Tall, upright spikes of dark violet-purple to dark blue bottlebrush-like flowers appear from July to October’

At this plant centre is a lovely Victorian style, glasshouse.

Just outside the glasshouse is a delightful display, including a beautiful, pink Buddleia and some stone rabbits; one holding its paws over its ears! I named it Mr Snippets, as it reminded me of him when he no longer wants to hear my nonsense!

Inside the glass house it was a joy! Cacti galore! Now I’m not really into cacti but I do find them fascinating.

All in all, an action packed day but at the same time, very leisurely and very lovely!