This Weeks Review

                             

A few new vintage items are making an appearance...this fab typewriter is in full working order, perfect for that novel you have always wanted to write! 

               

The colour pops have been showcasing well this week...These cute kiddies chairs with the lush green ferns and stunning mini orchids in 1950's green glass.

                

Or this turquoise dresser with white orchids and red peppers...the fallen from our fabulous plants we had in this week...they flew out the door. The lovely people of Hungerford sure adore their veggies!

                                   

The soft delicate tones for a beloved Nan

                                   

These gladioli could not have been any redder!

                                   

Someone has developed a love affair with the vintage rocking horse...{No we don't have any more space at home for him...sorry Auggy x}

The colour clash...oh how we have fallen for you. Orange, hot pinks, and reds, with a touch of purple. 

The only thing that would make it better is a deep red dahlia with her many petals!

                                        

Green, white and blue a classic! I wonder if Kate got and giant poppy heads in her bouquets?

Lush green is always a winner to the florist.

This week we had buckets full of British grown flowers arrive for a wedding....we have battled with another week of heat by having fresh flowers each day...Martin celebrated his Birthday with a huge chocolate cake, and a fabulous day off....we have rescued too many bumble bees....and consumed quite a few yummy ice creams!!

Happy Weekend!

Evening Heat

               

Well it is safe to say that the Summer is here...it might only last two weeks so we are soaking it all up! The heat in the Walled garden is immense...not a smidge of shade to be found. The sweetpeas are finally flowering, and we now are stocking them in the shop...the dream is finally becoming a reality and we couldn't be more thrilled.

               

Our plant sales man for the shop kindly gave us some of his New Zealand spinach...perfect eaten right off the plant and such firm leaves...he has 30 acres.... and we thought 2 was hard work!

The first courgette was harvested and roasted...the smallest member of M&TM devoured it in surprising speed, so has the official seal of approval.

                

Evening gardening is the only way in this heat. however this energy zapping sun has us watering and weeding in record speed...and we harvest in the cool of the morning. 

Fresh for the shop today is clary sage, ammi, cornflowers, mixed ageratum and sweetpeas! Why don't you pop in and treat yourselves to a bunch. You can be safe in the knowledge that they are the freshest, most locally sourced and grown flowers around.

                

The drive home is glorious...the golden wheat fields and ripening oilseed rape fields remind me of my childhood...and the warm air blowing in our faces is very welcome after the gardens heat.

We are so proud that our dream is blooming into something so exciting...the hard work is paying off...now all we need is a cover for our rather mahoosive polytunnel and we can get working on next years master plan!

Downton Abbey and all that

OK we won't mention the sweltering heat.........yet!

English sweet peas were the order of the day last week......lots of  vintage cream-ware tureens for a trip to a Downton Abbey style party......

Dark burgundy and cream for a birthday bash..........

Our days are spent in front of the fan...eating ice creams and wishing for icy gin and tonics..... we are tiring of the pastels pinks and lilacs of a breezy summer day and have filled the shop this weekend with the dark....the dramatic...the reds and oranges..clashing peach and cerise....hot....vibrant...high summer mardi gras colours.....arriba aribba!!

Have a great weekend...xx

escaping the heat....

The answer is to start early....cutting flowers in the walled garden at 7am.........the suns high and its already pretty warm....

At last the sweet peas are flowering their hearts out.

Bunches now available in the shop!

my Erin moment!!

a day out with roses

Today I went on a 'how to grow roses' masterclass at the wonderful Green & Gorgeous

It was so much fun and totally inspiring, we had tea from china teacups, a delicious lunch, made a scented rose bouquet, generally chattered  about flowers, flowers and more flowers,

and went home hoping that one day our cutting garden would look like this!!

There have been times....

 over the last month when we thought that we would never see a flower in the garden this year......

but look!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

after a cold and very shaky start we have got flowers.......not many....yet.... but its a start and boy are we proud...the first few are trialing in our homes to check on vase life.....so maybe in a week we can sell some to you!!
We have larkspur in the most lush colours.....scented stocks and cornflowers...the sweet peas are nearly there...sorry...but excited just doesn't come close!!
We are already planning for next year with the first of our seeds arriving in the post this morning...foxgloves...hollyhocks.......aquilegia.......to name just a few.....
the list of work to do gets longer daily but picking that first stock and smelling the scent  this evening was just heaven.
Hope you all manage to enjoy the summer sunshine this week end.....x

Dare to be Different

 This month our town has an 'arts fest'...lots of films...talks...courses....walks.....music....and other wonderful things to do.......go to the HADCAF website to see the full programme... so filled with the artistic spirit we decided to dress our shop for the occasion!!!!
As regular readers will know its impossible to take a photograph of our window...but we have done our best..so try to ignore 
1. the reflection
2. the strip lights in the shop
3.the photographer who needs her roots doing
4. any other distraction

 The plan was to make a tree inside and out which somehow connected....we used the sturdy kiwi branches for the outside which come in fantastic swirly shapes......and arching birch for inside...encased them in some lengths of bark...then we made mock cages from more twigs and foliage......

 ......then borrowed the latest trend for suspending flowers upside down (?).....yes this is true.....a cross over between floristry and art...and there we have it.......

 ....this one is a close runner up to the now famous and much copied pom-pom window of earlier this year in that so many people have come into the shop and commented on it......we just love that........

Our aim....

.....is to try to please and make the flowers just how you dreamt them to be...

 ..a woodland garden basket.....hedgerow flowers.....oak apples....entwining sweet pea tendrils from the walled garden.... baby pears on branches.......peonies and garden roses......

 ....a posy that would float......we made a base of hollow delphinium stems....added some moss.....entwined ivy and  crossed our fingers....it worked in the sink.....just hope it did on the river....

 people sometimes get fuchsias and freesias mixed up......but no this was to have fuchsias in ...they were so pretty....

whats your favorite??