Wishing I had a Gypsy Caravan

Do you remember Kizzy? I googled it this morning and can you believe it the BBC first aired it in 1976! My curiosity was sparked because I found this gorgeous card yesterday. I loved that series and ever since I have had a hankering for my very own little caravan hidden away in a remote corner of the garden.

This image is from my favourite childhood story and I would gaze at this for hours imagining what it would be like inside the caravans. My Mum always bought me such beautifully illustrated books and I have kept most of them.


The first time I went to Sarah Raven's garden at Perch Hill I was stunned and green with envy when I saw her wonderful Caravan. I think technically this one is a shepherd's hut. I love the green paint. I am just as desperate to see inside this one as I was my illustrated ones!


I couldn't resist this card from the same range. I know, I know, quit the sweet pea obsession! How gorgeous is the paint on the stool, all scuffed and worn and dont even get me started on the cushion, I wish I was clever enough to embroider with knots and ribbons.

I love this interior, I kept it from a magazine article about hideaways. This was actually inside one of those 1950's motorhomes. I am just going to throw myself face down onto those cushions!

All very good incentive to save my pennies!

One day..............

Beautiful garden party

We just spent the most glorious golden Saturday afternoon celebrating the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. B in the garden. It was so warm the air was humming, glasses tinkled and bees gently buzzed in and out of the roses.

All the tables were dressed with buckets of sweet peas, alchemilla and roses.....heavenly! The house is hugged all around with roses and as the heat built so did the scent. So lovely to spend time with family and friends when treated to this kind of summer backdrop, everyone smiles and is congenial.

Did I mention the fantastic panoramic view?



This rose is called American Pillar, I must get one for my garden. Here it is happily scrambling through the trees. Looks amazing with bunting dont you think?




I would quite like to do it all again tomorrow!
Thanks for having us, it was such a lovely party x

Coco Cuscino Launch Party

My gorgeous girlfriend launched her new venture today! We celebrated with her in her garden which was bathed in sunshine! After lots of early mornings and very late nights finally Coco Cuscino was revealed.............and isn't it divine?
As you can tell I was very taken by these fab bolsters in Cabbages and Roses fabric! Mmmmm, would look really lovely in my bedroom.

Oh and there lots of other lovely trinkety treasures which of course I was drawn to like a little moth! Well done clever girl, Mrs. Coco what a triumph.

Not only did we have lovely weather but Mrs. Coco spoilt us with gorgeous cup cakes, canapes and champagne! Wow. I also managed to catch up with other friends I've not seen in a while
which resulted in a novel and a beautiful antique quilt story, priceless, thankyou Plummy Mummy! (you know who you are.)

I also managed to snaffle this little fella and birdie, I am going to call him Binkie! What a lovely day.

Good luck with Coco Cuscino Mrs. Coco x x x

Midsummer...................................and Fathers

Midsummer, magical time. The daylight is beautiful, I love the way it turns pink just before dusk. I glance out at the garden and its as though I really am wearing "rose coloured spectacles".
Midsummer is peak rose season, my house is swathed and cloaked in roses, the fragrance wafts up towards our bedroom window on sultry evenings just as I hoped it would when we planted Madame Alfred Carriere (sorry for the spelling.) I first saw it at Sissinghurst and thought my heart would burst it's seams with joy, it literally was dripping with creamy white blooms. As Elvis Costello once said......"its been a good year for the roses" and really it has!
At Midsummer you lie in bed wondering if it will ever get properly dark? As a child I remember being very frustrated at being sent to bed when it seemed the best of the day was still to come. I would lie in bed scrutinising my alphabet wallpaper wondering if the apples would move from their position on the A's to the monkeys on M and did the Fairies from F fly around my bed while I was sleeping. ( It was brilliant wallpaper you would love it!)
And that rather neatly brings me on to Shakespeare...................Peaseblossom, Cobweb,Moth and Mustardseed. I came to them through reading Noel Streatfield's Ballet Shoes and then later, a Midsummer Nights Dream. Do you suppose they will be busy in an enchanted forest tomorrow night? In my Mother in Law's garden (I call her MIL) she has created this gorgeous rose walk. It looks amazing doesn't it? When the weather is kind we sit outside at every opportunity just to savour the roses. PIL (Father in Law or Pete in Law) adored his David Austin roses. Being Fathers day tomorrow my thoughts turn to him and all the other "Dad's" in my life. There are lots, some related some not, its not that important as I love them all for everything they have ever been and will be to me.

Midsummer also spells the beginning of what seems like endless carefree summer days stretching ahead. Holidays in favourite places, messing about in boats, catching up with friends with a G&T in hand. Sometimes it feels like these moments get frozen in time and will never end, but of course they always do.

Whenever I see this picture I am immediately transported back in time to my Grandparents garden. I can vividly smell Grandad's tomatoes in his wonderful lean-to greenhouse which was painted a wonderful peppermint green! And here I am, very seriously presenting these amazing roses to my Grandad. Roses for Father's Day, no wonder I love them so.

This amazing rose I bought from Hampton Court Flower show last year and here it is singing in the dusky light in my back garden. Grandad would approve and so would PIL, these are for you wherever you are, with love x

And Dad these jolly picotees are for you Happy Birthday too.

Good luck Jenson!

Go Jensen go! Like the wind............................Hope you win the British Grand Prix.......................

Incidentally has anyone ever seen Jensen Button and Chris Martin in a room together? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? No surely not................................... Have a great weekend x

Lovely Fabric!

OK! deep breath........................It's been one of those weeks. I have had to deal with lots of cross people all week, subsequently my generally smiley, tolerant demeanour has been a little tested! Thankfully a little envelope has popped through the door containing this fab.remnant. It's called "Spot and Friends" by Sanderson. Oh my God I am ecstatic, it is a little square of joy. Sorry that it is all creased but I couldn't wait to share it! I love the fact that the bird, bunny, mouse and spot are white in a sea of cottage flowers. Anyway I laid it out on my bed for a good look and it immediately caused a stir.......
Mr. Boodle was less than impressed that I was cooing over a flat white puppy and promptly stole my favourite Flat Teddy and pounced onto the offending fabric!

Having got my attention he then promptly yawned and fell asleep on new prize acquisition! Do you think he has noticed the cat! If he had known he would have been mortified! I did have a little chuckle!

Later on lovely hubby came home early, hooray, bringing these amazing English Roses from his Mum's garden. I wish you could smell them, what a heady scent filling the kitchen. More smiles and good nature returning at a rate of knots!

Then a neighbour called around to complement the rose climbing around our kitchen window. It's called Villechenblau and is a wonderful purple blue colour. I chose it to follow on from the wisteria, which sadly in five years has yet to flower! Restoration is complete, I am a happy bunny!

Hope you have a lovely sunny day today!

Jane and the happy crow: HOME SPUN

Jane and the happy crow: HOME SPUN

The Fete

I like to sell garden posies on the plant stall, they are so summery and I dont mind selling my sweet peas as people love them so much. I haven't had a bumper crop but just enough for a few bunches. They sold out really quickly. I managed to rustle up some other bits, peonies, alchemilla, nepetta and roses and plonked them in a jolly pink trug.

Setting out my stall! I love a bit of bunting, any excuse really. My Mother in Law is a genius with geraniums and she donated some gorgeous specimens from her collection. Plus lovely Louisa gave me this whole tray of Strawbugs to sell! They really drew some crowds early on.

I got this table cloth in New York from Anthropologie back in my glamorous working days.( Now that was a good trip but a very long story for another day!)

Nearly ready for the off!
Competition comes in the shape of hubby and co. on the Bottle Stall! Alan Sugar would be proud of their efforts.

To be fair they did beat me on the fundraising stakes, as it's all for charity I am feeling very magnaminous.

A busy, busy plant stall! Woohoo, we had a record breaking day. I can't believe how many people came, it was brilliant. Really hot too! Our lovely friends from Manchester came with their brood and the boys paraded Buster around the dog show, he ended up with three rosettes in assorted colours.
Must thank my lovely Mum and Bert's lovely Mum who always help me out and are absoloutely fantastic x x x

Sweet Peas and Garden snippets

My garden is looking very shaggy! Loads new growth, everything seems to be bolting. I love roses with alchemilla mollis. I have totally forgotten the name of this rose! My lovely Mother in Law gave it to me when we first moved here. The Garden was all laid to turf, no borders and no plants!

I was so inspired by Sarah Raven and her amazing hanging globes of sweet peas I had to have a go at growing my own. They really are one of the most evocative english summer flowers. I remember taking a bunch from my Mother's garden with the stems wrapped in a bit of tin foil! For my primary school teacher on the last day before the endless summer holidays began.

They smell divine and if you pick them regularly they keep flowering! gorgeous.

My clever Bert made the veg beds and built the shed and greenhouse with the help of Uncle Jim (or was we call him Un-cool Jim! He loves this monika!)

Little bunch of sweet peas adorning my kitchen dresser, I am being frugal as I want to cut lots for garden posies to sell at the village Fete, more of that soon!

Gorgeous frills and colours! Dont they make you happy?

Introducing Buster Boodle

Even in the pub, at quite a difficult angle, Mr.Boodle manages to feign sleep. It's to lull other punters into a false sense of security. The minute a crisp packet makes even the slightest rustle he swoops into action, offering to help them reduce their cholesterol levels by sharing with them. Selfless!

Mr.Boodle is a very responsible guard dog, very rarely strays from his lookout position. Unless, of course you make any noise at all in the kitchen that would indicate food preparation of any sort. He is very serious about his part time job as pre washer of all plates bowls and utensils.

He said "If we ever get a dog, and I am not saying we will. It will have to be a proper dog. Not one of these pampered pooches that lays all over your bed/sofa"

I nodded my wholehearted agreement.

Do these bluebells suit me?

"Lets go and see some puppies" I said!

"You must be joking" he said "that would be fatal" he said "before you know it you've bought one" he said.

Exactly, I thought and made the appointment.

Home from Cornwall!

I think I may have mentioned my adoration for Foxgloves, it may be verging on obsession as I took so many photos of them!

Don't even get me started on Cowparsley, we had it outside the church at our wedding, clouds of it billowing along the Avenue that was the drive to the reception, aah..................

Well, we just got home from a truly glorious week in Cornwall. The weather Gods decided to be kind and we had amazing sunshine. The hedgerows and cliffpaths are absoloutely breathtaking in early June, I went it a bit bonkers and took squillions of photos. Couldn't resist, got caught up in the headiness of it all...................

All the lovelyness transported to me to the Cammomile Lawn and the death run! I loved that dramatisation as well as the book which rarely happens.

FoxgLOVE

Not pink nor purple but definately mauve! I love that word. I adore their spotty, frothy throats and the wonderful tall spires on mass. Gorgeous, I may have to paint them........

Hello, I am a country girl at heart. I love knitted cats, hand made goodies, home baking, crochet, and all things vintage.

I hope you enjoy reading my posts.