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My English Country Cottage
  • Blog Posts
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    • What Makes an English Country Cottage?
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  • Cutting Garden Progress and reflection

    If you’ve been following my blogs, you will know that earlier on in the year I had four raised beds built for the purpose of growing cut flowers.  Towards the end of May, I started to plant these beds up so thought it would be useful to reflect on progress and what I’ve learnt so far. Dear Santa, please can I have a Greenhouse for Christmas.  Because I don’t currently have a greenhouse, at the start of…

    June 18, 2020
    How To Create A Cutting Garden

  • How to plant up seeds and seedlings

    The weather is looking up and there appears to be no chance of a frost (all being well) on the horizon, so the time has come to plant up!  Here’s my step by step guide on the all-important how-to. Preparing the soil – It’s so important that the soil is the right consistency. Make sure you dig, rake and remove any large stones. I then take an additional step of removing a thin layer…

    May 21, 2020
    How To Create A Cutting Garden

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I was taking a firm stance with July.
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July neede
I was taking a firm stance with July. . July needed to know that IT IS THE BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR (my birth month AND the summer holidays) and that it is ALWAYS sunny (apart from last year but I have edited this aberration from my head). . The month of July is sunny and a time for alfresco living. That is LAW. I was possibly high on paint & shaving foam fumes (more art & craft home schooling paper marbling) but decided that I would not tolerate even the slightest waver from July so day 2 & she needed to understand & buckle down. . I laid a glorious alfresco summer dining experience, went inside to get my phone to capture this exemplary example (yes it's a tautology but I MEAN BUSINESS) of July Living to teach July simple behavioural patterns & whilst indoors witnessed the poor blessed (& remarkably speedy) DPD driver spot the table and obvious signs of MECC life (I wish I had a better acronym), slat the parcel at the doorstep & leg it like a child with really scary parents on sports day. . I didn't have the heart to yell after him that it was for the farm next-door, I needed to focus my ire on July, I think a few motivational speeches and "how to July" photos and we should all be firmly back in the slightly enlarged lockdown bosom of THE BEST MONTH OF THE SUMMER. . Happy focus on sunshine Friday. X . Head over to my website (link in bio) to look at some beautiful sunshine shots from @flowersandlifestylebymargot and read all about stunning Salvias. I have to buy some today now (no, I am definitely not easily influenced... ok, yes I am). . . #outdoortable #englishcottage #joyfulmoments #countrycottage #seekthesimplicity #cottagelife #fridayvibes #summertable #inthegarden #cottagegarden #summerinthecountry #countryliving #instagarden #oldhouselove #mygardentoday #cottagestyle #cottage #cottagecharm #cottagechic #countrycottagestyle  #asecondofwhimsey #lovemygarden #englishcountrygarden #shabbychicfurniture #thatchedcottage #mycountryhome #appletree


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Fruits of the Foraging.
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Well, I say 'foraging',
Fruits of the Foraging. . Well, I say 'foraging', we wheeled about 20 foot down the lane grabbed some ditch produce (doesn't sound pretty but aren't the pinks glorious?) then high tailed it back to safety and 'foraged' in the garden which is much safer and actually produced two poppies!!! Yes TWO!!! I am pretty confident that we have now hit poppy payday. . Much as I wanted to leave them in this vase, we decided to take our flowers over to my daughter's best friend yesterday. Her family have been shielding since before lockdown so it was a pretty special moment. The girls have zoomed but it is not the same as a real life face- albeit through a window! . I think someone needs to write a new etiquette handbook. I was totally stumped as to what to bring (wine - no- middle of the day, must remember to pick up son from school.... They had invited us for tea and cakes but we shouldn't bring the cakes because they are shielding?... Our gift failed to arrive in time so... flowers? I used gloves to pick them and tried not to breathe on them. Tieing the garden string around the posy with gloves on was interesting!). . They had laid a gorgeous table for two next to their window, filled with cakes (phew) and a pot of tea and the biggest smiles in the world. The girls played noughts and crosses with masking tape & coloured post it notes on the window whilst we discussed important matters: Mizzle or Pigeon on the window frames? . It all ended abruptly when my poor friend admitted to a bit of a Carry On situation: that whilst we were sipping tea and munching cake, another friend had arrived as a surprise and was hiding out in the shed. Matron! It was all terribly embarrassing, we stuffed the remaining banana bread into our mouths and spluttered crumbs and apologies and agreed to come back on Friday. Now what is the etiquette for a return visit. It should in theory be us hosting... maybe we will come up with a other window game and bring our best and happiest smiles. . Happy through the window Thursday. X . #bathroomdesign #bathroomvanity #bathroomsink #shabbystyle #shabbychic #shabbychicstyle #rusticbathroom #rusticdecoration #cabindecor #guestbathroom #upcycle


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The very last bastion of the Conan roses (fence de
The very last bastion of the Conan roses (fence destroyers). . Mave &  I went on a covert forage yesterday. Covert because I have now twice been caught in yokel flagrante & I'm not sure how many strikes it is before you get carted away. . The 1st epsiode was last week, sopping paddling pooled bikini dripping merrily under my voluminous yet unfortunately full of inappropriately placed holes crochet dress. I was showing my husband the flower bed that my daughter & I had dug over & as we strolled towards the bed an actual real life POLICE CAR drove down our lane!!!! In 7 years this has never happened. I had forgotten what they looked like. The 3 of us stopped dead in our tracks, the only thing to move was the water dripping down my legs. We stared, genuinely open mouthed for rather a long time. Eventually my husband pointed out that we must look like proper provincials & then the three of us laughed, somewhat hysterically. . The police 3 point turned very slowly & very carefully in our drive whilst eyeballing us with serious scrutiny. At the laughter they put the pedal to the metal & sped away in a torrent of gravel, soil & weeds (we had worked very hard on our flower bed). I rather worried for those poor boys. . Then yesterday whilst attempting to take this shot, I spotted something rusty, on a chain hanging off the fence. I prised it off & wandered across the drive to add it to my collection of antique gardening implements. Just as a very shiny BMW realised that there was no through road & may well get a bit grubby so used our drive to turn round. Again they stopped, watched me striding, lockdown hair flowing wantonly whilst swinging a rusting PITCHFORK & CHAIN. They sped off even more quickly than the police. . You see why I must be covert, any more deepest darkest countryfolk behaviour & I will be taken away. I still need to marple The Mystery of the Pitchfork & Chain so my wicker basket Mave & I must be stealth like in our foraging. . Happy wilderness Wednesday. X . P.S: @lucyhoylecooks delicious Beetroot & Date Brownies recipe on my blog today. Link in bio. . #cottage #cottagesofinstagram #cottagelife #cottagecore #timberframe #oldhouse #cottages #oldhome


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What a clean and tidy room!
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Yes, the flower fair
What a clean and tidy room! . Yes, the flower fairies skipping & leaping from wallpaper to curtain are darling. Yes, the resting Maileg bunnies & picnicking sprites are charming but who cares??? It is CLEAN!!!! . The rampaging Barbies were carted off downstairs to play "Playdough cafes & Queen of all who look at her" (not my title but I felt very honoured to serve The Queen Of All Who Look At Her with "as many pastries as your tired little hands can make cafe owner"). . After a good half an hour of servitude I left the plastic fiends of floor consumption to self service whilst I mucked out what was once the fairy dreams bedroom. The fairies are still much loved but by gum those Barbies have a lot to answer for (I was compelled to clean & find floor after stepping on the 3rd pair of Barbie sunglasses, thankfully I am still light of foot if not of weight so they are not broken but the FEAR that coursed through my veins was too much. I realised that I couldn't put myself in the warpath of The Queen Of All Who Look At Her again so put my tired little hands to good use & tidied & cleaned like..a servant. One job ticked off the list for this week servant. I fear this new Queens reign of terror might last sometime. The house may well be spotless by Friday. . Wish me luck! Happy Terrifying Tuesday. X #cottagebedroom #maileg #janechurchill #beams #countryliving #shabbychichome #kidsdesign #oldhouselove #oldhousecharm #bhghome #cottagestyle #cottagedecor #cottage #cottagecharm #girlsroom #countrydecor #countrycottagestyle #countrystyle #flowerfairies #interiordetails #shabbychic #cottage #cottagecore #loveofcountryhouses #countryfeatures #girlsbedroom #girlsbedroomdecor #dollshouse


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Sunshine, showers and mainly squaliness.
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Perfect
Sunshine, showers and mainly squaliness. . Perfect gardening weather. . Actually, it really was. Our gorgeous friends at The Big House in the next village had over Dahliaed. Is this possible? Yes, when you see their garden of dreams, yes it is possible. . Every other year they open up their heavenly garden for the National Gardens Scheme and I think they were really missing having people to actually enjoy their extraordinary efforts. They work tirelessly and fastidiously to create so many different worlds and shapes and feelings. I just pray that my Hollyhocks don't eat people and that I remember to water the pots... I don't. . My 8 year old and I braved the real world and ventured up to The Big House to grab as many Dahlias as our delighted but rarely green fingers could manage. It was magical to see our friends and to wander around a small section of their garden, there was a genuinely cleansing feeling (nothing to do with our eyes finally settling upon glory and plants that have actually grown- thankfully I didn't spot any poppies so didn't feel the need to kick them all and growl). . We left refreshed with my daughter remarking : "I am going to make a lot of money from my bakery/ restaurant/ art gallery so that I can buy a house and garden like this. I will buy it close to you Mummy". Oh thank you my darling, how precious, you don't hate me, you want to stay close... "Yes, and you can visit every 3 weeks". . After what I have put the poor girl through with home schooling (she had a school quiz and I cheated and helped her with 3 answers, all of which I got wrong) I am happy to be allowed to visit at all. . We planted the dahlias and a few other plants that I have managed to almost kill in too small pots, runnning in and out of the rain and laughing like loons. I think I might finally have the gardening bug. . Happy let's hope they stay alive with magic Monday. X . . #countrylife #instahome #mycountryhome #countryhomes #lovegreatbritain #uklife #gloriousbritain #homeschoollife #stayhome #thatch #homeschooling #countryliving #periodhome #oldhouselove #oldhousecharm #listedbuilding #bhghome  #cottage #cottagecharm #cottagechic #charminghomes


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Trev's been at it again!
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Well… I may be a litt
Trev's been at it again! . Well... I may be a little bit guilty of stealing more than my fair share of #gifted but he could hardly wrestle them back without contravening last week's 2 metre rule. Ah ha ha ha. I sped off with the Shepherd Crooks, & the unusually titled "Dinner Triangle". . Metal Trevor told me that once I had used this triangle of heralding angels, I would wonder how I had coped before. I marvelled at his sales patter, grinned wryly, grabbed it & put the pedal to the metal (is that right? As the owner of a battered Citreon stuck together with gaffer tape to get it through the MOT, my car lingo is a little lacking but I need that pun in my life). . I rushed home to install the Dinner Triangle next to La Aga & I have been a happy Mummy ever since. . Supper time arrived & I gaily lifted the triangle of blessings down from the beam & played a triumphant musical chorus. The children ran from the bottom of the garden where they had been happily playing together in their woodland den (staggered through from the sitting room, tearing their eyes away from the television) to reply "coming darling mother, yum, what's for supper? (" Eugh what's that smell? We like you not shouting at us"). I haven't screamed like a fishwife now for nearly a week, it is unbelivably theraputic to ring the triangle, imagining the family running in from working in the fields as they must have done hundreds of years ago & feel part of a magical heritage. . Trevor is too busy smelting and swelting (ok I made that word up) to create a website although he is burning the candle at both ends to create one in the next two weeks (once he's forged the candlestick holder so do have a look @tjm_products to see if there is anything you would like to steal... sorry... buy.. and have a look at my "What Makes An English Country Cottage" blog on my website. No prizes for guessing the subject but there are some gorgeous photos and a little history lesson. Link in bio. . Happy stolen Sunday. X . #ironwork #craftmanship #buylocal #theartofslowliving #countrykitchen #rusticdecor #thisishome #farmhousekitchen #cottagelife #countryhomes #countryinteriors #Aga #daysofsmallthings #cottage


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Stop. Collaborate and listen.
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Well look, actuall
Stop. Collaborate and listen. . Well look, actually, look at what Clever Trevor has created for me. . Trev took pity on me and my wayward hollyhocks and made these truly beautiful shepherd crooks which are brilliant at keeping these rogues in line (quite literally... sorry)! . Trevor is a superdad from school. Obviously all the Dads are super but not all of them give me brilliant handcrafted metal work to tame my voracious plants so Trev wins. . This is now his actual real life job (not Hollyhock tamer) but master craftsman hammering over a sweltering forge, creating the most glorious pieces of metalwork. Trev started by creating bushcraft products which because of the quality sold all over the world. He has been undertaking bespoke orders and is just about to start making more home and garden products. . I don't just ljke him because he is super cool, has an amazing job and gives me free stuff but it all helps. . Thank you clever Trevor @tjm_products these crooks are beautiful and genius, my hardcore hollyhocks are finally tamed, delivery drivers can go about their business (bringing me parcels of joy, mainly ordered by me, mainly candles) without fear of molestation or death. . Happy safe again Saturday. X . #gifted #outdoordecor #gardenlife #countrycottage #gardengoals #gardenideas #cottagegarden #summergarden #englishcottage #englishcountrygarden #plantsupport #aseasonalyear #bhgflowers #gardenart #summervibes #gardendecor #handforged #forge #forged #flowerpower #gardenflowers #flowetstalking #gardenersworld #gardenerslife #gardenhacks #englishgarden #metalplantsupport #gardenstake #happygardener #instagardener



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