vv0123, I have two silk duvets. The double was an expensive make bought in a sale - 4.5 tog - light and cool and drapes well, so warm in winter too. I get hot so use it in winter and use a thinner 2.5 tog cotton filled one bought from Lidl in summer. I bought a silk single one for around £50 on ebay but it isn't the same. It's heavier (though the same tog rating) and the stiff cover material creaked when I moved so I had to get rid of it. If you're buying silk go for quality. I also have a thin hemp-filled one from John Lewis, but don't like it as much as the cotton.

The second link you provided shows box (buxus) plants. I have them in sun & in shade & they seem to be fine in both. I give them a trim to shape them once or twice a year. They’re fairly pricey to buy as a larger plant & unfortunately lots of people have problems with a disease called box blight which can kill the plants off. I tend to buy them as very small plants & they fill out after a few years. There are other plants you can use that are similar for topiary - I’m sure someone on here will be able to recommend some. Hostas (shown on Sonia’s first photo with the red tree) are great for shade although I’d recommend keeping them in pots as slugs & snails love eating them.

How about a water feature? Line it with polythene well stapled to the inside. Then fill with water and add a pond fountain. A small one wouldn’t cost much. You could even, dare I say, add a Pygmy lily plant. Very hard plant to kill! Failing that what about fake plants?

Hello, I have a large Emperor bed (7ftx7ft) and I'm struggling to find stockists online for a new set of bedding. Does anyone have any recommendations? Looking for a high thread count in grey/black - the ones I've seen tend to be white only! Thanks