Make Summer Amazing: Hillarys comp entry

Hillarys have a lovely competition to write a blog post featuring an activity from their #MakeSummerAmazing list. The winning blogger gets a 4 night break for 2 to experience the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ in Ireland. Find out more at Dragons and Fairydust – it closes on 25th August 2014.

The most exciting part of my summer has been watching the progress in our garden. We moved house last year and immediately knew we had to invest in making our steep, concrete-heavy garden safe, enjoyable and practical. It’s been months in the making, with workmen coming and going daily, but by the end of next week we’re hoping everything will be complete – here’s hoping for an Indian summer!

So, my choice from the #MakeSummerAmazing list is to Walk around your garden…barefoot. It’s not as exciting as the other things I’ve done this summer: going wild at Glastonbury, log flumes on Brighton pier, glamping at Warwick Castle, visiting the Tower of London, heckling at Horrible Histories Live, rowing boats at Knockhatch, swashbuckling on HMS Victory… but sometimes the simple pleasures are the best!

The lovely thing about walking barefoot is the textures you feel. Decking, smooth paving, spongy green grass, old wooden sleepers… all that’s missing is the sand between my toes. This week I’ve been barefoot in the garden at dawn and dusk and it’s just wonderful – give it a try!

If you’d like to join in with the #MakeSummerAmazing competition, be quick! It closes on Bank Holiday Monday, and full T&Cs and judging criteria are here. Good luck!