I love gardening. Not sure it's unmanly but maybe you're doing it different to me. I use lots of gravel, huge rocks, and power tools. No greenery to use them on, but they make a fantastic engine sound to disturb the neighbours and emit lovely fragrances of diesel fumes.

Really, though, a hand push mower changed my life and the cornflowers and sunflowers are growing nicely this year. I think I have a few China astors growing but I might've planted them too late. Coriander, basil, and mint have germinated on the kitchen windowsill nicely.

And the rose bush! I read that they can take a cutting and when they're cut will determine whether they grow big or grow flowers. Stems that grow from a cutting this year will just grow big. Stems that grow through winter because they're cut at the end of this year's flowering will flower next year. This bush had about 6 flowers on last year. This year, it has 20+ and lots of buds about to come through. They are thirsty, though, and I've been cheekily using a little rose feed.

The same food has brought into bloom some lavender plants, which I rescued last autumn.

What do you crochet? I've always loved embroidery but want to try some crochet. I bought an embroidery book from a charity shop. It's an encyclopedia with stitches, patterns, examples. It's from the sixties and the examples are fantastic. I'm saving up for a sewing machine and plan to make a few things from the book, then embroider some of the patterns on what I make. It can all be done by hand, but things like quilting will be much quicker and smoother with a machine, I'm hoping.

Down with gender stereotypes!!