Kate Livingstone: Sund shines and we all head outdoors

Well the ice cream sellers and suntan lotion shops will definitely be rubbing their hands with glee. In fact, change that last one to those selling after sun if the very pink flesh that is on display since the weekend is anything to go by.

What is it about us Scots that the minute the sun shines we’re out there toasting our bodies often with little thought to the consequences.

I’ll agree that a ‘golden glow’ does make people look good, but unfortunately the lobster-like appearance of many folk doesn’t have the same appeal.

We get so many warning nowadays to take care in the sun which in many cases are being ignored.

It wasn’t like that when I was young – oh there I go again, sounding like my mum!

But we didn’t know anything about the dangers of skin cancer and children ran about without any sun protection or even hats to shield their faces.

And hands up all those who used olive oil as a suntan lotion?

I shudder at the thought of it now, but it used to be what people did in an attempt to go a deep shade of mahogany!

When the sun shines and we head outdoors I always find myself sitting in my little garden hatching plans of what I can do to transform it.

Getting off my sun lounger would be a good start. But even if I was to do that I don’t think that I have the time, energy or skill to turn it into something that could grace a copy of Homes and Gardens.

What I would love is something that could be planted and then need very little care. But at the moment the only things growing in abundance in my patch are the weeds!

I was speaking to someone in the supermarket at the weekend who was going home to scarify their lawn to remove the moss – if I did that I’d be left with soil because I think the few blades of grass I do have are being kept in place by the moss.

But then I read that grandparents are the most likely to regularly have their grandchildren over to play in their gardens.

That struck a chord because my two like nothing better than kicking a ball about or even more peaceful pursuits of making daisy chains – my excuse for not cutting the grass!

They wouldn’t be able to do that if my garden was a horticultural delight so perhaps I’ll stick to watching the TV gardeners while enjoying the company of my darling grandchildren.