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My English Country Cottage
  • Blog Posts
    • Our Home
    • Interior Design projects
    • How To Create A Cutting Garden
    • Pantry Recipes
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  • The meaning behind flowers, and why I didn’t go down the traditional red rose route for my Valentine’s day bouquet

    For those of you who have followed me on Instagram and via my blogs, you will have gathered that I have a thing for flowers, both in my garden and my home. My garden is taking a bit of a back seat this week as I focus on everything to do with Valentine’s day – one of the things COVID cannot touch nor cancel is LOVE. This year I wanted to use my Valentine’s bouquet to…

    January 28, 2021
    How To Create A Cutting Garden

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  • A re-cap on Hydrangeas, in your garden and in arrangements
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Daily Instagram Blog

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Yes! Finally!!! Sighs of relief from my family…it is my actual real life birthday! Today!!!! It will be another year before I start the google Alexa ploy again…well…October …in time for Christmas ‘surprises’. I am very excited about the diamonds and swimming pool arriving..I expect that they will arrive probably definitely this afternoon. This is my best thoughtful pose - the very important assistant stylist is strong in this one: “What have I forgotten for my birthday extravaganza??? Birthday blouse in softest sagest green linen heaven from the most beautiful lady in the world @stonedwaisted and coolest hat that actually makes you feel like a rock star from the same gorgeous lady? CHECK!!! Vase and jug of colour joy from @ibbi_interiors CHECK!! Another birthday basket of ridiculous gloriousness that works as a tray and a centrepiece from the brilliant @thebasketroom ? CHECK!!! Cushions, flowers, candles, water…hang on!!!’ Water????!!! On my birthday?????? Rude. Champagne! All the way, all day (until about 11am when I pass out from over excitement and too much fizz- I was in bed by 8pm on my 40th birthday in Cornwall - I have lost all rock and roll attributes other than my amazing hat!! Happy birthday me…and asleep on these cushions in 5..4…3… Thank you everyone for all the totally and utterly unprompted birthday wishes, cards, gifts and joy. And probably diamonds and a swimming pool. Happy boozy snoozy Saturday x Ad/PR products tagged x #linenshirt #rustic #summervibes☀️ #summerliving #tablestyling #rustichome


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“Oh Reb! What have you been up to?” “This box isn’t mine Steve the Postman!!! I mean..yes…it has my name on it but I SWEAR I haven’t ordered anything!!! Not this time! No way!!”. Steve & I go back 8 years - I was scrubbing my new front door step: “Is the lady of the house available?” he enquired. I arose from the mire of a cottage unlived & unloved for a year & a half “Hallo” I greeted him, dripping cobwebs & mouse poo. “Welcome to your new home & rural idyll” he said & added “I apologise for handing you these brown envelopes, if I could, I would tear them up & simply hand you lovely post”. From that moment I knew we would be friends. We have been through a lot together: him chasing me down the lane “I have two actual creates for you!!!! What have you been ordering?”, me hailing him down in a nearby village (they get their post before 4pm) “Steven!!! Stop!! I nee…” “It’s here Reb - your daughter’s present for the party after school”. I love him & he is leaving me, 6 weeks from today he is retiring, he dropped the box on the doorstep & legged it to behind the apple tree: “…what have you been up to? Well I am glad we have this tree between us- I am leaving you for eternity in six weeks”. I fell to the ground (gently because it is a brick floor in the hallway). I wailed & knashed, I begged him not to leave me “Gary doesn’t understand me in the way you do…he won’t leave me crates because he knows I can use them in a photo..please don’t go!!!”. “It’s time Reb, 30 years, be happy for me”. I sobbed some more, we exchanged words of love & he rumbled out of the drive to the sounds of me…ripping open my surprise box of birthday amazement from the gorgeous @ibbi_interiors. They knew I had been coveting this gorgeous basket & somehow knew that it was my birthday tomorrow…I have no idea how…& sent me this beauty. I dried my tears, inhaled the incredible smell of this Reed basket & waved my gorgeous postie Bon voyage for 6 weeks time, skipping to my flower patch to cut some glorious blooms to accessorise. Happy fare thee well Friday x Ps @flowersandlifestylebymargot Hydrangea blog on my website now. #cottage #trug #countrykitchen #kitchensofinstagram #floralfriday


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Happy almost birthday to me, happy almost birthday in two days to me, happy birthday dear me, love from @sophie_allport ... Yes!!!! I have finally joined the Sophie Allport gang. I had to pick bees, glorious bees, it is just too gorgeous a design to ignore (plus I really love bees and have a wonderful affinity with them (well…. I save them from the paddling pool hourly. The problem is that they get mullered on the Hollyhock pollen, weave their way across the paddock, feel a little dehydrated and drop into the pool shattered, thirsty but still dancing). I am hoping that this blanket of unbridled softness - and bees!! AND POM POMS!!! and the gorgeous cotton cushions of bee bliss and the beautiful picnic ware - it’s such amazing quality that I will probably use them for ‘non picnic’ too - will stop the bees in their tracks, they will settle down next to the bee whisperer/ saviour and stop attempting to drink the chlorinated pool water. We shall enjoy our breakfast of kings (school finishers), wipe our mouths with beautiful bee cotton napkins and then plonk them over our faces for a tiny “we made it” snooze on the softest of bee blankets. Buzzzzz zzzzzzz. Employ ENGLISHCOUNTRYCOTTAGE15 to treat yourself to 15% off all non-sale items until the end of my birthday month and celebrate the end of school, the summer holidays and my birthday…!!! Yippeee!!! Happy no more thirsty bees Thursday x #sophieallport #picnic #beelover #picnic #picnicparty #picnicideas #picnicsetup #picnicaesthetic #cottagecore #cottage #picnicsetup #countryliving #cottagestyle #cottagelife #ofwhimsicalmoments #myseasonalstory #theslowdownselective #ofquietmoments #embracingaslowerlife #slowlived #darlingmoment #summervibes #countrylife #summerliving


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This was the last time that the Hollyhocks stood proud…actually they might be upright again but I over Roséd in a pre “it’s the end of term tomorrow/ Thursday fashion, come on children who are entirely broken let’s go for a quick walk to watch the sun set in this eerie weird crazy post storm light argghhh why are you both hurting my ears with your arguments? Why aren’t you in bed I know I suggested a walk but I was WRONG OK? Go to bed, what was I thinking, who cares about crazy orange light that makes the trees look other worldly. Stop shouting at me and go to…oh sorry Mr slug…sorry mr snail” we spent the rest of the walk avoiding lowlife and once the children had fallen into bed I fell into the Rosé. Drat. I have no idea if the hollyhocks are still on the ground after yesterday’s deluge. I shall attempt to prise my eyes fully open after this cup of tea and peek outside. At this point I am just hoping to get the right children to the right schools and pray that my car doesn’t stop mid flood - the school playground yesterday was the stuff of Gene Kelly dreams. I shall simply gaze at my hallway of basket and sunshine dreams (thank you amazing @thebasketroom - they not only look amazing but smell delicious and the pink striped laundry basket is a bit of a game changer - it holds all my washing and doesn’t let it fall into the ant mounds!!! Who knew bags could stay upright??? Plus it looks fabulous and makes me very happy. This is where I shall remain for just a few more minutes before the reality of road closures; lost “but I HAVE to take it in today or I will be executed library books” and storm broken hollyhocks flood my Roséd brain. Happy waaaaaaaaaah Wednesday x Pr product x #floralinspiration #countryinteriors #storagesolutions #summerflorals #hollyhock #shabbyvintage #flowerpower #lovetohome #myhallway #shabbychicstyle #myhallaphoto #cottagestyle #cottage #underthefloralspell #cottagelife #hollyhocks #cottagechic #storyofmyhome #brickfloor #cottagelife #myfloraldays #countrycottagestyle #basketbag #summerbag #daysofsmallthings


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My first (presumably of many dearly beleaguered husband?) birthday present!! Yippeee!!! My birthday is not until Saturday but the gorgeous @sarahbecvardesign sent me the most beautifully embroidered forget me not bookmark. I couldn’t ask for a more perfect floral reminder, I tend to have several books on the go and share bookmarks which means I am permanently losing my place in at least two books. This is absolutely the perfect birthday present (other than DIAMONDS AND A SWIMMING POOL) and obviously makes a fabulous teacher gift so if like me you have definitely intentionally left that gift of gratitude to the last second then head over to Sarah’s beautiful page and snap up these beauties. Thank you so much gorgeous @sarahbecvardesign , you are very talented and this makes opening a book even more joyful. Happy mark the page (AND MY BIRTHDAY, husband) Monday x #mycountryhome #bookmark #myhouseandhome #myhomesanctuary #shabbystyle #shabbyhome #countryhome #cottage #charminghomes #cosyhome #countryliving #countryhome #oldhouselove #oldhousecharm #oldhouse #sittingroom #cottagestyle #cottagedecor #shabbydecor #cottagelife #countrydecor #countrycottage #interiordetails #livingroom #countryfeatures


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I assume that if this isn’t ‘insta’ then I have created an ‘outsta’? This was not taken today, or even yesterday- intakes of breath ricochet over the wavelengths - no, it was taken for my styling piece on the Burleigh web blog post site interweb this week. Not content with moonlighting on @ruralmums website, I decided to stage a take over on the @burleighpottery website too. I just have a lot to say about alfresco table styling ok??? I need to waft in @cabbages_and_roses dresses that match my tablescape and I need to write about it. I am finishing this triumvirate (well it is now) with a blog on my own website with tray loads of wafting and pretty tablescapes with the ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TABLESCAPING (hopefully you used the right voice as you read that). It is very straightforward and simply amalgamates everything that I have learned about creating a beautiful table over the past couple of weeks. Pull up a chair, grab a pretty tablecloth and click on the link in my bio. Then I swear promise to shut up about creating beautiful table settings…for at least a week…some days… Happy tableSCAPING Sunday X #cottagesunday #homeiswheretheheartis #countryhome #tablescape #freshflowers #countrygarden #mycountryhome #countryliving #gardenlove #oldhouselove  #oldhousecharm #tabledetails #outdoortable #cottagedecor #burleigh #cottagefarmhouse #countrycottagestyle #countrycottages #summernights #englishcottage #tablescapestyling #shabbylove #countryfeatures #summerevenings #howtostyle


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Ah! The photobombing Hollyhocks are back! Once again. Guess who’s back, save your friends. I am slightly beyond excited (almost to the point of not even worrying about the reemergence of the carnivorous Hollyhocks) as the amazing @burleighpottery recently interviewed me…ok…asked me some probing…kind…questions about table styling and I am now to be found flouncing and doing my best wafting in my @cabbages_and_roses dress of joy on their amazing blog on their website. Please feel free to waft your way over and read about why I love Burleigh Pottery and my three top tips for alfresco dining (I am regretting not adding a postscript of “ask guests to avoid the hollyhocks when they arrive or you may find you are in the embarrassing Agatha Christie dilemma of one less for dinner”). Head to @burleighpottery for the link to all about me…erm…styling tips on alfresco dining joy and why I love this incredible 170 year old British company x Happy stylish Saturday xxx #gingerjar #blueandwhite #heyhomehey #specialplace #livingroomdecor #sittingroom #countryinteriors #cottageliving #charminghomes #curtainsdesign #cottagedecor #summervibes #mycountryhome #cottagestyledecor #myhousethroughalens #sittingroom #goodeye #floralheaven #blueandwhitechina #blueandwhiteporcelain #flowerarrangement #cottagewindow #beams #floralarrangement



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