Object of lust...

The V&A Museum is probably my favourite London museum, not least because of the beautiful tea room and marvellous gift shop.  I love to wander around and find the shop a real treasure trove.  Imagine my delight when I found that many of their items are also available online.


This gorgeous orange brooch is my current object of lust.  I love the detail on the leaves, the contrast in colours and the amazing, perfect orange itself.  I think that this brooch would be a welcome addition to any collection, mine in particular!

available here

Another day, another nursery...

Photo from here

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to Gardeners' World Magazine's 20th Anniversary Party.  The evening was held at Clifton Nurseries, which seems to be Petersham's North London cousin!  The nursery is hidden between amazingly grand houses, and we walked down an alley lit with fairy lights and candles to find our selves in a real life secret garden.  You would never know that this oasis existed in practically central London.

We were treated to lovely canapés, abundant champagne and a goody bag at the end of the evening.  So glamorous was the evening that we even made the local press!  I left with a magnolia to plant out - fingers crossed that it survives!

P.S...

In case anyone was wondering I went for the grey. Well, there was never much of a debate was there?!

An ode to nail varnish...

I love nail varnish and have an unashamedly large collection!  I have a variety of colours and am constantly changing what hue I paint my nails.


I have spent the winter months in dark reds, black and my lovely Chanel grey (did I mention I really like grey?!), but now that spring is on the way I feel that a nod towards its' arrival would be fitting.  Maybe a bright pink or coral would do the job?  But then again I do love that grey...

Black Velvet...

Yesterday I visited another plant nursery, this one though a very different proposition to Pertersham.  This visit related to my real job and took me to the Ball Colegrave trial nursery just outside Banbury.

This is where they test all the seeds and cuttings to make sure that they flower at the right time and in the right colour.  (I am sure that there are many other far more scientific reasons but that was what I managed to glean!)  They also breed new plants, one of which is the Black Velvet Petunia.  I will freely admit that my knowledge of all things horticultural is not quite what it should be, and I certainly wouldn't class myself as green fingered, but I do love flowers and plants and trees and grasses.

And who wouldn't be impressed by this beautiful plant.  The flower looks so sumptuous and soft, as if when you touched it it would indeed be velvet.  It is the most striking and elegant bedding plant I have seen and I love the combination of it planted with the delicate white flower below.

Now if only I had the wherewithal to add something like that to my garden!

A walk in the park...

I have found my photos and so here is my missing post!


The weather this weekend has been so glorious that it would be an absolute crime not to be outside enjoying it.  We are very lucky in Teddington and have a marvellous selection of parks to pick from, all on our door step.


This weekend's destination was Radnor Gardens, a mere 10 minute stroll for Mr E, Bingo & me.  The gardens are on the river, just where Teddington meets Twickenham.  The park was once the private gardens of the riverside properties but is now public gardens for all to enjoy.


There is a lovely mix of formal gardens, a bowling green (more about my particular fascination with that to come!) and lovely weeping willows whose fronds trail into the water.  Apparently they are the very first willows to be planted.

 

Just a little something...

This is not the post that I intended to write, but as I have managed to delete the photos I wanted to use I thought I would take this opportunity to share some lovely plates I bought at the weekend.  I am a sucker for charity shops, flea markets, antique shops...I think you get the idea!  I found these two in Oxfam for the bargain price of £3!


Now I just need to bake a cake so that I can use them!

A very English afternoon...

This week I was lucky enough to have a few days off work.  A rare treat indeed and one not to be marked with a befitting sense of occasion.

My friend Anna & I decided to explore nearby Ham House.  The house is an impressive building on the river, made even more pleasing to me by the H shaped lay out it has.  I like to imagine that the house was shaped like that because of the name, or indeed named so because of the shape.  In my mind they link tidily together!


Ham House was the home of William Murray in 1626.  Murray was close to Charles I and had grown up as his 'whipping boy'. He took punishment on behalf of the young prince, and formed a close bond with him, growing up to share his taste in art and architecture.  The house was given to Murray by the King and he spent much time and money remodelling the interior.  He created the Great Staircase and a suite of sumptuous rooms on the first floor: the Great Dining Room, the North Drawing Room, and the Long Gallery with its adjoining picture closet.  I was particularly taken by the purpose of the Long Gallery: to allow the family to take exercise when the weather was bad.  


The house stayed in the family until it was given to the National Trust in 1948.

photo from here

We continued our afternoon with a visit to Petersham Nurseries.  A super posh garden centre complete with Michelin starred restaurant.  We enjoyed a coffee and slice of cake before wandering through the shop marvelling at all the wonderful things we couldn't afford!

Grey skies...

It appears that the fleeting sunshine we were treated to at the weekend has abandoned us and has been replaced with grey skies and a light drizzle.

Fortunately, as I live in a country where grey skies seem to preside over much of the year, I actually really like grey.  I think that it is a very elegant, understated colour.  My bedroom at home is a selection of greys and I am drawn to other interiors that use it.  It works well with so many other colours and provides the perfect base for brighter accents or patterns.

In no particular order here are a few of my favourite grey things today...

 

image 1 from here

image 2 from here

image 3 from here

A little bit more Spring...

To accompany yesterday's post I thought I'd bring you a little bit more Spring.

This time it comes from outside and in the form of the cherry blossom that is now lining the streets and a crocus that survived me forgetting about it for a whole year!

A little bit of spring...

It feels like Spring is almost with us, there are blue skies, leaves on the trees and crocus and daffodils popping up all around.

To help Spring along I like to bring a little of what it has to offer inside.  I love to have flowers in every room and own an assortment of vessels to house them in; I have everything from the traditional vase, multi-purpose jug and humble jam jar.  

These beautiful blooms are currently cheering up my Teddington flat.

I want to ride my bicycle...

"The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community". 

Ann Strong

I have recently bought a bicycle and am absolutely in love with it.  I have the Pashley Poppy and it is a rather different bicycle to my last, somewhat rusted, mountain bike.


I relish the sense of freedom that you get from a bicycle, a totally different feeling to getting in  a car.  There is the real sense that you can go anywhere.  The Pashley suits me down to the ground from its' sprung seat, beautiful vintage shape and colour and the comfortable upright riding position.  Whether it rivals Mr E in the company stakes is yet to be seen!


*Image from Pashley 

Bright tights, Atlantic City...

O.K, so I lied about the Atlantic City bit.  I am only in Teddington.


But the tights are still bright.  I need something to make Monday mornings more cheerful.

A walk in the Hampshire countryside...

This weekend Mr E and I headed south to stay Chez Wilson with my parents.


We took advantage of the beautiful weather today to explore nearby Bursledon, with a walk along the Hamble.  Our walk began in an old boat yard and then followed the river for about 5 miles, looping through a wood on the way.


Bingo trotted alongside us as we blew away the cobwebs and enjoyed a tramp through the Hampshire countryside.

Introducing Bingo...

Please allow me to introduce you to Bingo, our Jack Russell Terrier.  We have had him for nearly 3 years after rescuing him from a pound in Wales.


He is quite simply brilliant.  For a dog he has an amazing sense of humour and his comic timing is second to none.  He is great company and a loyal friend.  And, he makes the most hilarious noises in his sleep!


I break all the rules for him; I feed him tit-bits from the table, he sits with me on the sofa and worst of all he joins me to listen to The Archers in bed on a Sunday morning!


Ladies & Gentlemen I give you Bingo!

The prettiest thing I own...

I have thought long and hard about what my first proper post should be dedicated to and decided that in honour of the title it should be something pretty.


I considered all the lovely things that I own; my sugar pink cake stand, the green 1950s vase, a Russian painted brooch, but none of them came close to my engagement ring.


It truly is the most beautiful thing that I own.  It is Art Deco in style although the stones are much older, probably from the late 1800s.  I love the fact that someone has owned and worn and loved it before me.  I love the fact that the stones were once part of a much grander piece of jewellery and now they are part of something that I own and wear and love.


But most of all I love what it means, the person who gave it to me and how I feel every time I look at my hand.