The blossom is out in the park opposite my house and I am so glad to see it. It’s been a cold spring so far, and I am finding these last weeks of lockdown are dragging, but a walk through the trees with their pink and white confetti petals always makes me feel better. My… Read More »
vintage home
Small highlights
The snow hung around last weekend and we went for a long and lovely walk just a few miles away. It was new to us, and the wintry landscape looked very dramatic. We walked along part of a footpath known as the Rutland Round, starting at the village of Pickworth, circling through a quarry into… Read More »
Of bulbs, tulips and hyacinths….
A wild and rainy day, Donald Trump’s last shout, continuing lockdown, shielding …life is a certainly a curate’s egg. I woke up feeling gloomy, but then I remembered that I have some spring bulbs in my greenhouse outside, and I hadn’t checked them for a week or two. Sure enough, there is progress: the iris reticulata have… Read More »
New Year, New Lockdown
The decorations are down, and in their place, as much hopefulness as I can muster at the moment. Narcissi and paper white bulbs indoors. Outside, there are muscari and iris reticulata poking their little green noses through the soil in my many tubs and containers. The news here is pretty grim. Covid cases, and deaths,… Read More »
Christmas prep
I’m not sure where we’re heading with Christmas. At the moment, it looks as if it will just be four of us, partner and two sons, with an outdoor visit to see my parents and brother on the day (they’re only seven miles away). But advice is changing all the time, so we shall see.… Read More »
Make your own decorations
I’ve always made my own Christmas decorations, usually fairly hastily owing to lack of time. This year, we can safely say that time is definitely not an issue, and I’ve enjoyed making these tissue paper pom poms in the evenings. They are easy once you get started. Obviously, it is tricky to buy art supplies… Read More »