Wisley

We went for lunch and a stroll at Wisley this weekend. And my... the flowers in bloom were quite spectacular. Such an uplifting sight on a grey and blustery day.

I'm not really a rhododendron fan, but this enormous pink one was breathtaking. I have never seen anything quite like it.

This shrub was quite diminutive compared to the one above, but it compensated with the most enormous pompons of frothy white flowers.

It was very grey at times, but there was so much to admire...

Spectacular magnolia flowers - I think this might be the one called 'tulip flower'

and apple blossom in the garden shop. Which was teeming with plants and people.

Love your Balcony

Yesterday I got talking to a new colleague and while we were shooting the breeze as the tea kettle was boiling ("lovely weather, yes everyone's gardening" etc) she told me that she has a large balcony which she has never used. 

It got me thinking: why do people not make more of their outdoor spaces? Do they not want a relaxing hour in the evening sun when they come back from work..? Is it because they're shy and don't like the thought of other people seeing them in a private setting? Do they think they would have to spend a lot of money perhaps?

In my view no balcony is too small for enjoyment, with a bit of creativity a small budget needn't be an impediment.

Photo: Frida Ramsted / Trendenser

See how a narrow strip of a balcony can be turned into a great little outdoor space by choosing 'fine-limbed' furniture and small flowerpots. And who says you can't use the doorway as a seat by piling it up with handsome cushions?

Photo: Lagerlings
Small is beautiful. This small balcony has just about room for a chair, a small table and a flowerpot. But the colours in that view... and the fact that furnishings and wooden decking have been chosen with care makes it a tiny haven.

Photo: IKEA
Romantic, perhaps overly so, but remove the lace curtains and this is a visually relaxing space. The white metal chair and table from IKEA have become classics, and the seagrass mat is not only comfortable underfoot, it also lessens noise which often reverberates from concrete and metal balconies.

Photo: fairyofinspiration.se
This is a lesson in how to transform and personalise a standard Scandi balcony. Arched trellises covered in climbers create a verdant screen which provides privacy and shade.

Photo: Øyvind Holmstad

A tiny balcony in Gothenburg wreathed in flowers for a gorgeous effect.

Photo: Minna Mercke-Schmidt
Fill a balcony with vintage furniture and lots of plant pots plus a judiciously placed screen and you might actually forget that it's a balcony...

Photo: Inger Ekrem
Ditto a bathtub...


The possibilities are endless!

Painting Fences

Having replaced a few fence panels last year, and again this year, we ended up with a fence sporting shades of the usual 'fence orange' (that revolting orangey-brown the manufacturers paint them in), some dark brown, and the silver grey of the older panels which we didn't need to change. My husband could live with this motley collection, but I decided to paint them as that jumbled look really irks me.

In Norway fences tend to be white, and neat - picket fences. But here in England people like privacy, so fences are 6 foot tall and resemble flimsy clapboard. Most people don't seem to paint their fences, which surely means they will deteriorate faster?
I have a lot of fencing to paint, and the rough planks suck paint like sponges. You paint over them, and by the time you've moved on to the next panel - slurp! half the paint has disappeared into the wood. It reminds me of a scene from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, where Tom tricks his friend into painting his aunt Polly's fence. I so get it.

IKEA trip!

Yay! Today I am spending the day at IKEA :)

The first thing my husband said this morning was "are you going to IKEA? Please don't buy too many things. We have too much as it is. And please call me before you buy anything large." With a seriously concerned look on his face. He knows me well..

I'm just going for an outing really. Though I am looking forward to seeing the latest product launches up close, having seen the photos on IKEA's fantastic blog Livet Hemma.

On my list of items to locate in the big blue and yellow hall are the new KNAGGLIG storage crates in pine, which can be stained and painted (easily 'vintaged') and used for tidying up garden stuff...

BARSÖ trellis... which might work better than a pin-board (it's hard to find a nice one)

Garden furniture, like this BROMMÖ recliner and TÄRNÖ table and chairs in easy on the eye black acacia wood

Not to mention the NIPPRIG collection (where I have my eye on a certain armchair), how lovely is this little two-seater?

Obviously, the new smartphone chargers. Game-changing, like this RIGGAD lamp.

The SINNERLIG collection by Ilse Crawford - if there is any left...

and food. I'll quite clearly have to recharge my batteries in the cafeteria, but I also want to pick up some bits and bobs from the food shop for our Norway Day garden party next month.

I think I'll be home late...

All photos by IKEA

Powder Pink

I was filing photos on my new PC last night, and looking at the little squares on the screen I realised that all I could really see were colours. All of a sudden the images grouped themselves by colour in a very pleasing way.
Here's a little powder pink to start the day

Photo: Jotun

Wall colour in Lady 'Bliss' by Norwegian paint firm Jotun...

 

Photo: via The Telegraph

Structured floaty dress by Elie Saab...

 

Photo: OKA

'Fyodor' lidded ceramic vase by OKA...

 

Photo: Sandberg

'Hanako' wallpaper by Swedish wallpaper manufacturer Sandberg...

 

 

Bamboo

This spring seems to be awash with beautifully curved cane (or rattan, or bamboo) chairs, all promising creaky retro relaxation. I'd like to pile one full of cushions and place it in the bay window of our bedroom - a place to curl up and read before bed.

It should be a little wide, so that I can pull my feet up, and with a high back so that I can lean back properly...

Photo: IKEA

IKEA's NIPPRIG bamboo armchair above is a snip at £50 and looks very comfortable. It's part of a limited collection which was launched at the end of March, so I'm going to have to get myself down to IKEA very soon (not that I ever mind a trip to the big blue & yellow warehouse, it's like a giant play pen for adults).

My future bedroom chair actually looks quite similar to the much (much much!) more expensive
Fåtölj 311 designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn in the 30's. Which I can't afford - and which isn't sold here in the UK anyway.

Photo: Svenskt Tenn

 Photo: Fastighetsbyrån / Styling: Michael Beckman

Photo: Ellos

Photo: Maria Soxbo at Formex January 2015 via Pinterest

On Bedlinen and Crinkly Complexions

I've been a fan of white bedlinen for many years. Again, as a result of living in rented London accommodation where redecorating was not an option. Wallpaper is fine and good, but when it's not you who has chosen the pattern in your bedroom you'll rarely like it... When I discovered The White Company some 12 years ago I found a way to calm the energy of my sleeping quarters with all-white bedlinen. And that was it - I have hardly bought anything but white bedlinen since.  Moving away from IKEA and Habitat, not to mention the beautiful printed delights of Descamps, I've roamed the shelves of Laura Ashley, The White Company and Cologne & Cotton for white white white and now have a decent collection to chose from. Always with a bit of texture or a detail around the edge of the pillow though, I'm not going for the hospital look.

However, in the last couple of years I have had to stop using my favourite honeycomb pillow cases as the soft indents they make on my cheek had started taking ages to fade. Walking around with a honeycomb print on your cheek is just embarrassing. Where my skin used to pop back to smoothness straight away it now seems to take on the relief of the fabric I'm sleeping on. So the honeycomb and other textured linens have been relegated to the guest bedroom. Let the guests come down to breakfast with prints on their faces, not me. I am not ashamed to admit that I am vain, and I have switched to smooth.

My latest acquisition is a set of cotton sateen 'Marchelle' from The White Company, in their spring sale on-line. Super smooth! And the reason why I'm mentioning it is because upon opening the parcel yesterday I discovered to my disappointment that one of the pillow cases had a faint yellow mark - but a quick call to TWC resolved it: overnight they have sent a new pillow case and a postage label for me to return the faulty item. Now that is good customer service.

Photo: The White Company

Summer Novelties

Tine K, the Danish purveyor of pared-down homeware and fashion, has just launched a summer collection called 'Summer Novelties' with beautiful sun-bleached pieces to die for. My favourite picks? These two:

a nifty little 'basket pocket' in plain blond leather which you attach to your beach basket...

...like so. No more scrabbling around for your phone or ice cream money at the bottom of your (sandy) bag.

And this cane sofa, perfect for flopping on after an arduous day on the beach...

Lovely. Takk Tine!

The great thing about Tine K is that you can order from the online shop and have it delivered 'abroad', ie outside Denmark. Unlike many of the Nordic brands which I covet.
There are several retailers here in the UK who sell part of the Tine K range, but I haven't found anywhere in the London area that sells the full range. Online does.

All photos courtesy of Tine K Home

Back to Normal

Ah... so that's Easter over and done with, and I am pleased to say that I only gained 1kg in the past 5 days, despite assiduous consumption of cake and marzipan eggs. It could have been worse, a lot worse. My hope now is that throwing myself back into gardening will burn that kilo off in a week, and I'd rather like to keep on burning so I am planning an awful lot of gardening. Yep. This garden could end up being amazing.

Kilos aside, I do love this time of year when plants seem to double in size from one day to the next. I keep scuttling around the flowerbeds with encouraging words every time I'm outside. Welcome back my pretties! And to those who perhaps didn't do so well last year I take the maternal approach: 'you didn't enjoy that spot did you? Let's find you somewhere you might enjoy better'.

My current favourites are a clutch of plum-coloured primroses which I bought from a tiny tiny nursery down the road. Someone with very green fingers who sells their plants in the minuscule front garden of their cottage (we're talking 1m x 3m at most, tiny). I imagine that they probably sow plants for themselves and sell what they have left over. What a great idea! I've got seedlings up to the hilt at the moment, as I have no idea how many will survive and I am fairly sure I'll have some left over when it's time to plant them out. Perhaps I'll have a little plant sale of my own. Perhaps something a bit like this..

Photo: Kelly Bernier Designs

...the idea is quite tempting!