Lollipops, lucky clover and a surprise little black number...

Just outside our double doors to the garden, there is a small patio between the house and the steps that lead into the actual garden. If you have visited my blog before, you will have seen this little corner of my world a lot, as this is an area that changes with the seasons throughout the year.

With the baskets of pansies looking less than... well, less than alive, shall we say, after my visit to Sweden (when they were left without the tender love and care they crave), it was time to invite some new players to the team...

Can you see all the four-leaf clovers in this beautifully coloured clover-y plant? I look forward to many lucky moments in my life over the next few years, if this is a sign to go by! And my new lollipop mini-trees - what is it about me and my lollipop trees? I can't seem to get enough of them. They are just so... cheerful!

For the second time in my life, "a little black number" has found its way into my decorating. Or two little black numbers to be precise, both old terracotta pots that had a close encounter with a jet black paint brush the other night... The greens of the clover and the other fluffy green loveliness seemed to demand to be offset by a black pot, and I obeyed, of course.

And my dear Buddha seems to have survived last winter without any cracks or blemishes, and sits on his special spot on the steps, spreading vibes of serenity and calm to anyone walking past.



Cluttered with pots? Perhaps. But as our neighbours have recently cut down all the bushes and blackberry branches that used to form a little roof over this seating area and offer a leafy feel to the place, as well as covering some of the not so pretty parts of the old wall, well, this abundance of green and purple eye candy works for me!

Today the winds reign here in Wiltshire. Everywhere I see people muttering and mumbling as they pull their coats tighter around their sun-longing torsos. The sky shows very little promise of anything that does not involve wet and damp, but I will cling on to the hope that we will have more of those lovely temperatures that only a few days ago spoke of summer and planted sunshine in our hearts and in freckles on our noses...

May the sun be with you, in heart and happy freckles!

Love,

Helena

Precious pickings...

"It is like a dream", he said.

"It is almost unreal", he continued.

"It is like a fairy-tale."

As we were walking along the small country road, the dry gravel going crunch-crunch under our feet, my nine-year-old sighed in awe of the beauty around him. We were on our way to pick some Mother's Day flowers for grandma (Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of May in Sweden), and having just arrived in a gloriously warm and sunny Sweden from a bitterly cold UK, this seemed even more like Paradise than usual.

All around us, nature had just exploded in a symphony of floral festivity, and we soon realised that we would not be able to contain ourselves and pick only the traditional lilies-of-the-valley bouquet, but at least one more bunch of stems picked with little fingers and much love would come home with us that day.

"There are just sooo many trees!", my younger son exclaimed. "I haven't seen this many trees in one place for a loooong time", he said, emphasising "sooo" and "loooong" in such a manner you would think that the poor child lived in a concrete bunker and not in green and lovely Wiltshire in the UK. Not to mention the fact that we visit Sweden several times a year...

But they are right, both of them. 54 % (or as much as 75% of the land area according to Wikipedia) of Sweden is covered by forest, and where my parents live is no exception. And it is breathtakingly beautiful. It is also a particularly peaceful place, where the only music accompanying me on my walks are the sound of my own thoughts against the pleasant backdrop of multi-layered birdsong and the occasional humming of a lawn-mower in the distance.

Football fun for the boys and flower-picking in the adjoining field for mum 

- now that is what I call a win-win!

And when it gets too hot to carry on with either...? Well, next to this field of wonderful wild flowers is the lake, offering to cool us all off. (In fact, if truth be told, FREEZE us all off, more like it!!!)

With spring having lasted what seemed like only a day or two in Sweden this year, before summer took over, the mix of flowers on offer was a strange one when we arrived. White anemones* and the occasional daffodil* rubbed shoulders with summer flowers of every shape and colour, all looking somewhat surprised to see each other on the same stage... (* = not pictured here)

And within the week we were there, the apple blossom came and went...

Yes, you may have wondered about my -unplanned- long blog break, but having spent most waking hours outdoors for the past couple of weeks, my laptop has had to cope without me, and it has done me a world of good!

***

Our home in Hungarian magazin Otthon...

A few days ago, one of my kind Hungarian blog readers sent me an email to tell me she had seen a feature of our home in Otthon Magazin (6/2013), a Hungarian interior magazine. In 2011, photographer Brent Darby and journalist Hazel Dolan did a feature of our home, which was published in the UK magazine Country Homes & Interiors in April 2012. 

Through an agency, this feature has subsequently been sold to German magazine Landhaus and now Hungarian magazine Otthon. I have got nothing to do with this and do not know anything about this when it happens. I have in both cases found out from kind blog readers who have recognized the Swenglish house, and I am very grateful to them for letting me know. 

I have not yet read the feature in Otthon, but having seen the layout drawing they have made of what they claim to be our house, I have realised that it is not only in gossip magazines that a certain measure of -shall we say- "artistic freedom" is used when it comes to portraying the truth. The layout they have made up does not in any way represent reality! OK, so it is perhaps not such a big deal that they have fabricated every square inch of the layout of our home, but it really surprised me and again made me realise that not everything that is printed is true. I will soon find out if the text carries the same "creativity"...

***

Last but not least, a small apology to those of you leaving comments here on my blog. Having recently had a dramatic increase in spam comments (around 250 only on my last post!), with various links to unsavoury websites, I have had to install the word verification to try to filter these unwanted spam comments as much as possible. I would rather not have this time-consuming filter there, but I am not sure what else to do. Thank you for your understanding.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Helena

Taking a Bluebell Break...

Dear blog readers,

Sometimes, when the rain finally holds back for a brief moment, 

the clouds part long enough for the sun to caress our skin and souls for a few precious minutes...

... we ought to find our own little bluebell spot and allow ourselves to sit down, 

breathe slowly and gather our thoughts...

With a feverish little fellow at home from school today, my planned morning walk had to be abandoned and I found myself rushing around doing laundry with one hand and lunch preparations with the other...

... whilst also making a few fish-shaped biscuits to cheer up the little man...

But then I saw them.

And I heard them.

Those seductive, cajoling rays that chanted 'come out, come out, enjoy us while we last'...

So I did.

A few moments of time out in the garden.

In the very wild garden in bad need of a haircut, a shave and a general face lift...

I hope this weekend you find your own bluebell spot and the time to enjoy it!

All the best,

Helena

Ps. Thank you so much for all your kind comments. I appreciate every word.

Feeling flowery...

 Dear readers,

Not much new to report from the Swenglish abode. The temptation of summer that was offered to us just over a week ago, has been exchanged for a much colder, rainier shade of grey. So, what to do to push away the clouds in sky and mind? Flower picking, of course! Inside, I become seven again, remembering how I used to walk to my grandparents, picking flowers for my grandmother on the way.

So I pick. Whites and blues and any perky petal that smiles a little extra at me as I walk past. Instant colour therapy. Did you hear that, oh great grey clouds in the sky, you have not defeated me yet! 'Flower power' will go a long way...!

Wishing you all a lovely mid-May week, and may your days be lined with petals.

Helena

Roma, per favore...!

Today, I am sitting by the pond in the garden, listening to silence. Well, I can, of course, hear the birds tweeting their joyous spring hymns, the faint sound of a lawn-mower in the distance, and every now and then a bee buzzing by my head, inebriated by a greedy dose of nectar...

Yesterday, however, was a very different story. It was the story of crowds, chaos and cream. Cream as in ICE cream. And, at times, as in I Scream. The former as in the staggeringly delicious Italian gelato, the latter because of the insufferable number of people in the Vatican museum, making it very hard to have that special tête-à-tête with Michelangelo that one had envisioned...

I confess, I am in love with the amazing, beautiful, interesting, overwhelming, hot, busy and more than a little chaotic city that is Rome. The mother of all capitals, the queen of ancient marvels. The majestic churches, the lively markets, the wooden shutters on the old houses lining the cobbled, narrow little streets...I could go on and on... I first visited Rome around twenty years ago, and I did actually not fall in love then.

But this time.

Oh my.

Perhaps it had something to do with watching my sons enjoy it so much, being blown away by the ruins at Forum, the pasta that made all other pasta pale in comparison and simply the feel of this jewel of Italian culture.

The Villa Borghese park is a wonderful breathing hole in the busy city, and perfect place for a mental and visual time-out. Although there is still beauty to behold, but of the visually calming kind, like in the photo above.

The photo above I have borrowed from Airbnb's website, the agent through which we rented a flat in the centre of Rome. Having compared prices with various hotel rooms, we realised that we could rent a fully equipped flat at the same expense, and it turned out to be a very lucky move. This flat is simply stunning! Its location is superb, only a short stroll away from the Spanish Steps and within easy reach of all the other sights. The owner of the flat, Luigi, made us feel so welcome and made sure we felt well looked after throughout our stay. To anyone heading for Rome, I can highly recommend renting this flat, and you will get some good exercise too after all the wonderful pasta and gelato you will have had, as it is several floors up with no lift... You can see more photos and information here.

Arrivederci for now. See you soon again!

Helena

Green fuel...

Now... you may think that a blog post with this heading might throw itself into a debate on environmentally-friendly fuel, with great insights from the latest research in the energy sector. Perhaps a thought-provoking exposé on bio fuel. 

Alas, it is not. 

As much as I am very positive to any form of renewable energy source and every attempt to save the planet our children will inherit, my 'Green fuel' heading was hinting at a more spiritual form of green soul food. The one where Mother Nature is the guru and generous provider of fuel ...

On a walk yesterday, I simply had to slow down when I saw these forget-me-nots on the side of the road. A true spring sign that to me even carries a few fingerprints of summer. I just could not help myself... the flower picking season has started!

There is something so special about the many shades of green that are the signature of spring. Leaves uncurling, buds pushing their way out into the sunlight. Vibrant, almost trembling with excitement, light green little leafy loveliness.

Green that has gone a little feral is something the strict gardener might sniff at, but to which I am drawn like a moth to the light. I mean just look at the old stone steps above... does not the green carpet runner make these steps completely irresistible? Does it not make you want to climb these steps immediately to explore what fairy tale world lies beyond?

The forget-me-nots in this photo knocked me out in all their pretty, petite glory, when I stumbled upon them on our c-o-l-d Cornwall excursion over Easter. How could they possibly survive in a climate that made this reasonably hardy Swede shiver to the bone? Inspiring!

Even though I may flirt with the various shades of springy greens, my heart will always stay true to my special green sweetheart, green the shade of MOSS.

Remember this stunning spot from one of my posts from Cornwall? I can't seem to get it out of my head. The ultimate spot for some soul searching and contemplation, where the cob webs of the mind can be cleared and new thoughts be born, all the while one  is being gently fanned by the gorgeous ferns...

Thank you for visiting my blog and a special thank you to all of you kind readers who take the time to leave a little message, even though I am very invisible on your blogs. I read all your words and appreciate every one.

Thank you.

Green greetings and may the beginning of May bring magic to you all!

Love,

Helena

Going bananas on flowers...

Magnolias.

Just taste the word for a moment. Magnoliolioliolias.

Everywhere I look, their pink or white upside down bud skirts are filling the sky, ready to explode into full bloom any second. Alas, there are no magnolia trees in our garden...

... but when I went for a walk this morning, 

I found myself in one of those situations that could have 

ended up being rather embarrassing ...

You know the ones where you just can't stop yourself, but h-a-v-e to lean so far over a wall just to photograph a bud and nearly end up doing a nose dive straight down into someone else's garden (in this case probably risking breaking your neck too!)? All in the name of... art. Ehm.

 

Speaking of art. Well, speaking perhaps rather of someone introducing a humorous little twist to their otherwise very traditional (at least externally), beautiful old cottage. I must have walked past this house in Lacock a hundred times, but not until last weekend did I notice this gentleman (?) peering out on passers-by from a small window just below the roof.

Few things are as cheerful as little flower faces stretching their necks high up towards the sky, showing off their splendid colours and singing the tunes of summer... Flowers are good for the soul, at least for mine, and if I could, I would wear flowers in my hair every day...!

 The world is turning greener by the minute and I L-O-V-E it!

... and with this rather incoherent, or shall we say 'eclectic' post, 

I would like to wish you all a sunny weekend with flowers lining your paths!

Helena

Catching a bug...

See Mr Beetle in the big frame in the middle?

Well, I did not exactly "catch" him, not as such, but for the longest time I have been a huge admirer of my dear blog friend Lisa's art, and I am now thrilled to have one of her prints on my wall! Lisa sells her paintings, prints and greeting cards here, most of which have a lovely scent of Swedish summer, whether in the form of beautiful butterflies and other insects, a summery window or simply wild strawberries on a grass straw. You can visit her blog Lisa's Hus (Lisa's House) here and, again, her web gallery to see more here. (Her websites are in Swedish, but if you are interested in buying some of her lovely art, just send her an email in English to inquire further.)

As Mr Bug Beetle looked a little bit lonely up there, I thought two temporary nature buddies could join him on either side, until I find something better. I had some ten-year-old fabric in my cupboard, with small pictures of dragonflies, nuts etc, so a snippety-snip moment later, some fabric and two old frames were introduced to  the lovely bug print. So far, they seem to get along just fine! 

Some more colourful cushions are also in the pipeline, as it is time to springify this corner even more!

Having recently been to the dentist, I found myself slurping soup for most meals for a day or two, and feeling a little lazy, the soup was of the tinned kind rather than made from scratch. Sooo, what to do with the empty tins? Well, print out some lovely vintage dragonfly images from the internet and wrap around the tins is one option, and that is the one I went for. The daffodils singing on the last verse in the garden auditioned for the role of pretty props and even if some of them were a little over-eager, stretching towards the camera in a rather deliberate sort of SEE ME manner, I think they could be right for the job...

And so, the insect theme continues...

Wishing you a lovely weekend, with or without bugs!

Love,

   Helena

'Purpling' the patio...again!

To see the whole image, please click on it.

Dear readers,

Some of you may think there has been a little too much of other people's gardens here on my blog lately, so it is time to 'bring things home' again, and to do it in the way I like best... the purple way...

About a week ago, I could not wait any longer. Outside temperatures were still not very impressive, but the garden-greedy colour-yearning soul inside me just NEEDED some purple violets. Yes, it was definitely a bit of an emergency.

The rest of the garden is still looking more savage than tame, but a quick sweep of the patio, some petal power and a few hastily scattered accessories, and we could welcome our Sunday lunch guests to some outdoor living... or at least to enjoy the view from the table inside, as it was far too cold to even consider lunch on the lawn!

The new three-legged metal friend was a bargain but oh-so-heavy find from a local second-hand shop, thought to have come from an industrial unit, but I am not quite sure what it actually is. In my eyes, however, it screamed 'garden table' and after a quick choppety-chop with the bandsaw, a left-over floorboard became (yet another) table top. I will probably have to find some more durable wood for this outside all-weather friend, but for now, I can just take the table top in when the rain comes.

And the purple petal pretties? Well, I am in loooove!

Purple or not, I wish you all a very pretty week!

Helena

Ps. Recently, I 'caught' the most wonderful BUG, 

and next time I thought I might introduce him to you...